Vitiligo occurs when pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) die or stop producing melanin — the pigment that gives your skin, hair and eyes color. The involved patches of skin become lighter or white.
Vitiligo is a long-term condition where pale white patches develop on the skin. It's caused by the lack of melanin, which is the pigment in skin. Vitiligo can affect any area of skin, but it commonly happens on the face, neck and hands, and in skin creases.
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.
Vitiligo occurs when immune cells destroy the cells that make brown pigment (melanocytes). This destruction is thought to be due to an autoimmune problem. An autoimmune disorder occurs when the body's immune system, which normally protects the body from infection, attacks and destroys healthy body tissue instead.
Another form of the condition, called segmental vitiligo, is associated with smaller patches of depigmented skin that appear on one side of the body in a limited area. This form occurs in about 10 percent of affected individuals. Vitiligo is generally considered to be an autoimmune disorder.
Pityriasis versicolor can sometimes be confused with vitiligo, as they both cause the skin to become discoloured in patches.
Vitiligo occurs when pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) die or stop producing melanin — the pigment that gives your skin, hair and eyes color. The involved patches of skin become lighter or white.
Globally, vitiligo occurs in 1% or so of the population. Vitiligo affects people of all races, including Caucasians. However, the condition is more visible in people with darker skin. Vitiligo can affect people of all age groups, although it is rare in the very young or very old.
In most of the patients (134;68.02%), vitiligo started between 40 and 50 years of age; 41 (20.81%) patients reported onset of vitiligo between the age of 51 and 60 years; 18 (9.13%) between 61 and 70 years, and 4 (2.03%) patients at >70 years of age.
Jackson usually avoided wearing patterned clothing to avoid attention to the disorder. Jackson's autopsy confirmed that he had vitiligo. His skin was found to have reduced (though not absent) melanocytes, the cells active in skin pigmentation. Vitiligo occurs in three different patterns.
Pale skin
A vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to pale skin and yellowing of the skin, called jaundice. These changes in skin color can develop when a person's body is unable to produce enough RBCs. Without enough RBCs, the skin may look pale.
Evans syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies attack red blood cells (RBC), which deliver oxygen to body tissues, platelets (which help blood clot), and/or neutrophils (a type of white blood cell).
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.
Skin discoloration can be triggered by a number of causes, including: Atopic dermatitis (eczema). Sometimes a small area of skin becomes irritated, which results in a patch of skin that's lighter in pigment than is the skin around it (pityriasis alba). This is common in children who have eczema.
Nutritional deficiencies
Deficiencies in calcium, vitamin D and vitamin E can cause white patches on the skin. While harmless, these white spots indicate that you need to eat a healthy, balanced diet.
A 2018 review suggests various natural remedies, including ginkgo biloba, green tea, and aloe vera, may improve vitiligo symptoms. However, more research is necessary to determine their safety and effectiveness. People should speak with a doctor before trying natural remedies to ensure they are safe.
Treatments can include: Medicines or medicated skin creams, such as corticosteroids or a calcineurin inhibitor, which may be able to return color to the white patches of skin. Use of light (phototherapy) to help return color to the skin. There are several different forms of light therapy.
Paleness is related to blood flow in the skin rather than deposit of melanin in the skin. Paleness can be caused by: Anemia (blood loss, poor nutrition, or underlying disease) Problems with the circulatory system.
Phototherapy with narrow band ultraviolet B (UVB) has been shown to stop or slow the progression of active vitiligo. It might be more effective when used with corticosteroids or calcineurin inhibitors. You'll need therapy two to three times a week.
Vitiligo can also affect the hair, causing white or prematurely gray hair. Some people lose some of their eye color and see light spots on the colored part of an eye. Vitiligo can also develop inside your ear and may affect your hearing.