Why is my hair and skin turning white?

Author: Liam Morissette III  |  Last update: Wednesday, October 1, 2025

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. This causes white patches to develop on your skin or hair.

What causes hair and skin to turn white?

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. It's unclear exactly what causes these pigment cells to fail or die.

What is the disease that makes your skin and hair white?

Albinism is a rare hereditary disorder in which little or none of the skin pigment melanin is formed. The skin, hair, and eyes, or sometimes just the eyes, are affected. In affected people, the hair and skin are white, and the eyes may be pink or pale blue-gray.

At what age does vitiligo start?

Who Gets Vitiligo? Anyone can get vitiligo, and it can develop at any age. However, for many people with vitiligo, the white patches begin to appear before age 20, and can start in early childhood.

Why is my hair turning white?

Our hair gets its color from melanin, a pigment produced by specialized cells called melanocytes. As we age, the melanocytes gradually die off, causing a decrease in melanin production. This leads to a loss of color in our hair, resulting in the appearance of white or gray hair.

Why you will never get ‘That Hair’. (I tried for 10 years, brutally honest)

What is lacking when your hair goes white?

Vitamin deficiencies

Any deficiencies of vitamin B9, B12, biotin, or vitamin D can contribute to premature graying. One 2018 review notes various deficiency studies on vitamin D3, vitamin B12, copper, zinc, and calcium and their connection to graying hair.

What are 3 symptoms of vitiligo?

Signs and symptoms of vitiligo include:
  • Patches of skin or mucous membranes that lose color. These can appear white or lighter than your natural skin tone.
  • Patches of hair on your body turn silver, gray or white.

How to increase melanin?

Eating Antioxidant-Rich Foods
  1. Leafy greens (kale, spinach, or collard greens)
  2. Nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, and other nuts)
  3. Whole grains.
  4. Dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)
  5. Beans (red beans, pinto beans, black beans, and other legumes)
  6. Berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)

What do early stages of vitiligo look like?

Vitiligo often starts as a pale patch of skin that gradually turns completely white. The centre of a patch may be white, with paler skin around it. If there are blood vessels under the skin, the patch may be slightly pink, rather than white. The edges of the patch may be smooth or irregular.

What is the white hair and skin syndrome?

The term albinism usually refers to oculocutaneous (ok-u-low-ku-TAY-nee-us) albinism (OCA). OCA is a group of disorders passed down in families where the body makes little or none of a substance called melanin. The type and amount of melanin in your body determines the color of your skin, hair and eyes.

What triggers vitiligo to spread?

Vitiligo may flare or spread due to: Stress. Sunburn, cuts, or other skin damage. Chemical exposure.

What is it called when you have white skin and hair?

People with albinism have extremely pale skin, eyes and hair. They're at an increased risk of vision, skin and social issues.

What is the disease that makes your hair white?

Marie Antoinette syndrome designates the condition in which scalp hair suddenly turns white.

What can be mistaken for vitiligo?

Here's a look at seven other skin conditions that are sometimes mistaken for vitiligo and how they differ from it.
  • Albinism. Masego Morulane/Getty Images; Canva. ...
  • Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) Adobe Stock. ...
  • Idiopathic Guttate Hypomelanosis (IGH) iStock. ...
  • Melasma. Duangjan J/Shutterstock. ...
  • Pityriasis Alba. ...
  • Scleroderma. ...
  • Tinea Versicolor.

Why is all my body hair turning white?

The hair follicles contain melanin. As people age, these follicles die off, and the hair has less melanin. As the follicles die and melanin decreases, the color of the hair fades to silver, gray, or white. This process happens with hair all over the body, including pubic hair.

How do I get my melanin back?

Currently, no safe or proven method exists to increase melanin – the pigment, or color, in a person's skin, hair, and eyes. A person's genetics determine their natural melanin levels and skin color. In general, people who have darker skin tones have more melanin than those with lighter skin tones.

How to restore hair melanin?

Lack of vitamins such as A, C, B12 is also linked to greying of hair. If you're looking at how to increase melanin in hair, you must include in your diet, melanin rich foods and foods that are rich in vitamins. o Vitamin A – stimulates the oil-producing glands in the hair follicle and keeps the hair moisturized.

How to reverse vitiligo naturally?

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.

How to improve melanin in skin?

Natural Ways To Increase Melanin

Antioxidants may help protect melanocytes by fighting oxidative stress such as from UV rays, boosting pigmentation and bringing back your skin's color. Examples of extracts and antioxidants used to treat vitiligo include: Vitamins A, D, and E. Coenzyme Q10.

How do I check if I have vitiligo?

A skin biopsy can definitively tell the difference between missing melanocytes, which indicates vitiligo, and melanocytes that are malfunctioning for another reason. Vitiligo is diagnosed only if these pigment-producing cells are missing.

Can B12 reverse gray hair?

Premature graying may be reversed with vitamin B12 supplementation only if vitamin B12 deficiency is the cause. If you are graying due to other factors, such as genetics, zinc deficiency, and medications, your gray hair cannot be reversed.

Which fruits increase melanin in hair?

Vitamin A, C and B12 are the most needed vitamins to increase the melanin production in your hair. Add citrus fruits like oranges, grapes, pineapple, and melon to your diet. Also eat vegetables like potatoes, carrots, beans, etc. Non vegetarians can try adding red meat, chicken liver, fish, and eggs to their diet.

What deficiency causes white hair?

Vitamin B-12 deficiency is one of the most common causes of premature hair turning white. Researchers have noted that vitamin B-12 deficiencies are often concurrent with folic acid and biotin deficiencies in those people whose hair has begun to turn grey at an early age.

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