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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff
Vitiligo occurs when melanin — the dark pigment in the epidermis that gives your skin its normal color — is destroyed or not produced. The involved patch of skin then becomes white. Exactly why this occurs isn't known.
Doctors and scientists have theories as to what causes vitiligo. It may be due to an immune system disorder. Heredity may be a factor because there's an increased incidence of vitiligo in some families. Some people have reported a single event, such as sunburn or emotional distress, that triggered the condition. However, none of these theories has been proven as a definite cause of vitiligo.
- Halder RM, et al. Vitiligo. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Professional; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2972969&searchStr=vitiligo. Accessed March 2, 2009.
- Vitiligo. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/common_vitilgo.html. Accessed March 5, 2009.
- Questions and answers about vitiligo. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Vitiligo/default.asp. Accessed March 2, 2009.
- Goldstein BG, et al. Vitiligo. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 4, 2009.
- Faas L, et al. In vivo evaluation of piperine and synthetic analogues as potential treatments for vitiligo using a sparsely pigmented mouse model. British Journal of Dermatology. 2008;158:941.
- Whitton ME, et al. Therapeutic interventions for vitiligo. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2008;59:713.
- Parsad D, et al. Effectiveness of oral Ginkgo biloba in treating limited, slowly spreading vitiligo. Clinical Experimental Dermatology. 2003;28:285.
- Gibson LE (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 17, 2009.
- Lotti T, et al. Vitiligo: New and emerging treatments. Dermatologic Therapy. 2008; 21:110.
