The main symptom of vitiligo is loss of natural color or pigment, called
Vitiligo affects all races and sexes equally. It's more visible in people with darker skin tones. Although vitiligo can develop in anyone at any age, macules or patches usually become apparent before age 30.
Normally, the color of hair and skin is determined by melanin. Vitiligo occurs when cells that produce melanin die or stop functioning. Vitiligo affects people of all skin types, but it may be more noticeable in people with brown or Black skin. The condition is not life-threatening or contagious.
What causes vitiligo? Vitiligo is caused by the lack of a pigment called melanin in the skin. Melanin is produced by skin cells called melanocytes, and it gives your skin its colour. In vitiligo, there are not enough working melanocytes to produce enough melanin in your skin.
Vitiligo affects approximately 0.5% to 1% of the population. Its prevalence is similar in both genders and in all races. It can appear at any age, but it often starts before the age of 20. The disease does not affect life expectancy.
Vitiligo does not pose a serious threat to one's health, but it can result in physical complications, such as eye issues, hearing problems, and sunburn. People with vitiligo also tend to be more likely to have another autoimmune disease (like thyroid disorders and some types of anemia).
While researchers are looking for a cure, treatment cannot currently cure this disease. Treatment can help restore lost skin color, but the color (repigmentation) may fade over time. To keep their results, many patients have maintenance treatments.
Vitiligo is a chronic (long-lasting) autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color. This happens when melanocytes – skin cells that make pigment – are attacked and destroyed, causing the skin to turn a milky-white color.
There is no "cure" for vitiligo. Sometimes patches go away on their own. But when that doesn't happen, doctors can prescribe treatments that might help even out skin tone. Some of these treatments are things you can try at home; others are done by a doctor.
Vitiligo usually begins with a few small lighter patches that develop on the skin. These patches may stay the same size for years or grow larger. New patches can appear on the skin.
Certain components of hair dye, bleaching agents, and skin-care products can set off a vitiligo flare. Marmon advises choosing products labeled hypoallergenic that are free of harsh chemicals, fragrances, and irritants.
As with any type of skin condition visible for the world to see, vitiligo can be difficult to live with. Many diagnosed with the disorder suffer from low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety. Having the information and some tools available may help you gain some control over vitiligo.
Vitiligo is not contagious
It cannot be transmitted via touch, saliva, blood, inhalation, sexual intercourse or by sharing of personal items like water bottle, bath towels, swimming pool, etc. Some people also believe that they can get Vitiligo by patting dogs with white spots on their head!
Vitiligo does not cause harm to the body. Treatments, which vary in effectiveness, are usually designed to restore color to the affected patches of skin.
Many people who have vitiligo are often otherwise healthy. Even so, it's important to find a doctor like a dermatologist who knows about vitiligo. People who have vitiligo have a higher risk of getting some other medical conditions. You can also get painful sunburns on the skin that has lost color.
But overall the take home message is that having vitiligo does not mean your immune system is weak, or that you are more likely to get an infection. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule.
Research suggests that most people who develop vitiligo do so during childhood. As you age, Dr. Mohta says untreated vitiligo often progresses to involve the surrounding skin or create new patches of discoloration. This is also known as generalized or nonsegmental vitiligo, which is the most common type.
Some food items like juicy fruits rich in vitamin C or ascorbic acid such as oranges and lemon, other fermented food items as curd, alcohol, Fish, red meat are to be avoided as they have harmful effect on vitiligo and can give rise to spreading of patches.
Studies suggest that vitamin D3 increases tyrosinase activity and melanogenesis in vitro [12], which may lead to repigmentation in vitiligo skin lesions. Calcipotriol and tacalcitol, which are vitamin D analogs, are also known to induce repigmentation in patients with vitiligo [13,14].
In conclusion, the findings from this study indicate that vitiligo patients have high levels of perceived stress. In patients predisposed to vitiligo, metabolic and psychological stress might influence the onset and progression of vitiligo.
People of all races and skin colors can get vitiligo, and the disease occurs about equally in people of all races. About half the people who develop vitiligo get it before they turn 20 years of age. For many of these people, vitiligo begins when they're a child.
Vitiligo usually manifests in the second or third decade of life and is believed to be an acquired condition, though a positive family history is present in 30 to 40 percent of cases. Congenital vitiligo and presentation at birth is a very rare entity, but cases in infancy have been reported.
The fact that vitiligo is more common in family members of people with vitiligo means that genetics play a role in the disease. That's not too surprising, since genetics plays a role in most diseases, as well as normal traits (like hair color, height, etc). Dr.