Vitiligo is a skin disease in which pigment-making cells, called
melanocytes, are destroyed, leaving white irregular patches of
skin where pigment used to be. The patches usually appear on the
hands, feet, arms, face, and lips, but can also occur on the
skin around the mouth, nose, eyes, and genitals. Hair growing
from areas affected by vitiligo may also turn white. Although
vitiligo in itself is not painful, it can cause emotional
distress. Science has not identified the cause of vitiligo, but
some researchers theorize that an autoimmune process plays a
role. In an autoimmune disease, the body's immune system starts
attacking innocent tissues. In vitiligo, antibodies may develop
against melanocytes, ultimately destroying some of them.
Vitiligo seems to be more common in people who have other
autoimmune diseases; however, most people with vitiligo have no
other autoimmune disease. Most conventional vitiligo treatments
combine ultraviolet light (UVA) exposure with oral or topical
drugs that selectively sensiti