What Causes of Vitiligo

Vitiligo occurs when melanin-forming cells (melanocytes) die or stop producing melanin ï¿?the pigment that gives your skin, hair and eyes color. The involved patches of skin become lighter or white. Doctors don't know why the cells fail or die. It may be related to:

• An autoimmune disorder - the patient's immune system becomes overactive and destroys the melanocytes2
• Genetic oxidative stress imbalance
• A stressful event
• Harm to the skin due to a critical sunburn or cut
• Exposure to some chemicals
• A neural cause
• Heredity - family link
• A viral cause.

Vitiligo is not transmittable; in other words, it is not contagious, people cannot catch it from each other.

Less than 1% of the population are affected by the appearance of vitiligo in their skin.3 It has no age, sex or ethnic discrimination, but studies have concluded that a larger percentage of cases seem to start around the age of 20.

Vitiligo signs and symptoms vary considerably from person to person. It is more pronounced in people with dark or tanned skin. Some may only acquire a handful of white dots that develop no further while others develop larger white patches that join together affecting larger areas of the skin.