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Vitiligo
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/vitiligo.html

Vitiligo

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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 From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
  • Vitiligo (American Osteopathic College of Dermatology)
  • Vitiligo From the National Institutes of Health (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 From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)

Images

  • Vitiligo (VisualDX)

Clinical Trials

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

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

  • Article: Comparative efficacy and safety of targeted narrowband ultraviolet B, 308-nm excimer...
  • Article: Association of Vitiligo With Autoimmune Disorders: A Bidirectional Two-Sample and Summary-Based...
  • Article: Depression and depressive symptoms among people living with vitiligo: findings from...
  • 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 From the National Institutes of Health 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

Topic Image

Vitiligo

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Vitiligo

Related Health Topics

  • Skin Pigmentation Disorders

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Vitiligo is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

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The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

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