On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Genetics

See, Play and Learn

• Images

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Vitiligo causes white patches on your skin. It can also affect your eyes, mouth, and nose. It occurs when the cells that give your skin its color are destroyed. No one knows what destroys them. It is more common in people with autoimmune diseases, and it might run in families. It usually starts before age 40.

The white patches are more common where your skin is exposed to the sun. In some cases, the patches spread. Vitiligo can cause your hair to gray early. If you have dark skin, you may lose color inside your mouth.

Using sunscreen will help protect your skin, and cosmetics can cover up the patches. Treatments for vitiligo include medicines, light therapy, and surgery. Not every treatment is right for everyone. Many have side effects. Some take a long time. Some do not always work.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Start Here

• Patchy Skin: Vitiligo Explained (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
• Vitiligo (American Osteopathic College of Dermatology)
• Vitiligo (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Micropigmentation for Vitiligo (American Society for Dermatologic Surgery)

Genetics

• Vitiligo: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Images

• Vitiligo (VisualDX)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Vitiligo (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Exploring the Role of Adipose Tissue Dysregulation in Vitiligo Pathogenesis: A...
• Article: Review of Microneedle Technology for Targeted Therapeutics in Vitiligo: Design Principles,...
• Article: Insights into the gut microbiome of vitiligo patients from India.
• Vitiligo -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American Academy of Dermatology
• American Society for Dermatologic Surgery
• Find a Dermatologic Surgeon (American Society for Dermatologic Surgery)
• Find a Dermatologist (American Academy of Dermatology)
• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish

Children

• Vitiligo (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Vitiligo (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Vitiligo (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish