Vitiligo is an autoimmune skin disease in which there is a progressive destruction of the skin’s pigment-producing cells called melanocytes, resulting in areas of white skin lacking melanin pigment. It is not rare for hairs growing in areas of vitiligo to lose their normal color.

What Causes Vitiligo?
Vitiligo is caused by a loss of pigment in the skin, due to damage of pigment-forming cells known as melanocytes. Melanin is the pigment that gives the skin its typical color. Although vitiligo affects all races equally, it is more obvious in dark-skinned people.

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There are several theories as to the origin of vitiligo. A condition indistinguishable from vitiligo can be induced in some individuals after topical exposure to certain phenol-like chemicals.

What Are Vitiligo Risk Factors?
Although most cases of vitiligo seem to occur periodically, as many as 20% of affected individuals seem to have a family history of this disease. Also, a person working in an industrial setting where there is exposure to phenolic chemicals may be at risk.

What Are Signs and Symptoms of Vitiligo?
Vitiligo can start immediately after birth and often appears as a white spot without other symptoms on a background of normally pigmented skin. The only visible change in affected areas is the loss of color, which can begin with lightening but will progress to total loss of color. If vitiligo involves hair-bearing areas, it is not unusual to note the development of gray, pigment-free hair growing from involved follicles. More of these patches may gradually enlarge and infrequently develop to involve the whole surface of the skin.

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There are clinical subtypes of vitiligo that spread in a linear fashion down an entire limb (segmental vitiligo). Vitiligo often involves the Instruments and is susceptible to appear in areas of previous skin trauma. ompletely depigmented skin can be much more cosmetically significant in those with racially darker pigmentation. Skin affected by vitiligo is mainly exposed to chronic sun damage.

How Do Doctors Diagnose Vitiligo?
Generally, the diagnosis can be accurately made during a physical examination without the help of any further laboratory support.

It is important to distinguish vitiligo from a variety of other skin conditions in which may be affected by pigment loss (leukoderma).
Some of these conditions are present at birth like albinism.
Others may have easily treated infectious etiology, like the fungus infection
It may be necessary to perform a skin biopsy in order to differentiate these disorders.
When Should Someone Seek Medical Care for Vitiligo?
If an area of pigment loss becomes apparent, it would seem prudent for any patient to have the diagnosis of vitiligo confirmed by a physician.
In a minority of patients, vitiligo is associated with a variety of systemic diseases, many of which have an autoimmune origin. A complete history, physical examination, and possibly laboratory testing is necessary to rule out the presence of these complicating conditions.
One should remember that treatment of such associated conditions is unlikely to have any effect on the course of vitiligo.
When vitiligo develops in certain individuals, there can be a severely deleterious effect on their sense of well-being.
It is vital that efforts be made to treat the condition itself as well as the associated psychological factors that can occur in severely affected patients.
What Is the Treatment for Vitiligo?
Vitiligo is not contagious. Treatment of vitiligo is dependent on its extent of involvement. It is unlikely that if more than 5%-10% of the skin is involved that topical therapy would be feasible.

What Medications Treat Vitiligo?
Topical treatment generally involves the application of medications that constrain the inflammation. Most commonly, potent topical steroids have been very useful in certain cases of vitiligo. Care must be taken to reduce the use of such medications for a specific duration due to the side effects that come from using it excessively.

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Another therapy is the application of topical calcineurin inhibitor, tacrolimus. These types of medications can have a beneficial effect and may be slightly safer to use for long periods of time. The use of certain a certain types of lasers which emit light in the UVB range (308 nm) can be effective.
ther options include cosmetic camouflages (Covermark or Dermablend), skin stains (artificial tanning chemical), and tattoos. In light-skinned individuals, avoiding the tanning of normally pigmented skin would decrease the contrast with vitiligo skin.

If a patient becomes entirely depigmented, it may be cosmetically wise to consider a medication, monobenzyl ether of hydroquinone, which is likely to destroy the few remaining melanocytes producing monochromatic white skin.

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There are no universally effective treatments that work in all patients. When selecting a treatment plan, it is important to consider that most patients with vitiligo live normal healthy lives.

What Are Vitiligo Surgery Options?
There are a variety of surgical options to treat vitiligo.

They mainly all involve transplanting the patient’s normal melanocytes into areas of vitiligo. This can be accomplished by taking small “pinch” grafts or split thickness grafts of normal skin and placing them into suitably prepared recipient sites. If all goes well, the melanocytes gradually grow out of the grafts and cover the surrounding involved skin.
At certain research institutions, melanocytes from normal skin can be harvested and grown in tissue culture and then placed in suitably prepared recipient sites. Although somewhat cosmetically acceptable, even successful surgical outcomes are nevertheless distinguishable from normal skin.
Is It Possible to Prevent Vitiligo?
Source: http://www.healthdiary365.com/2018/03/14/what-is-vitiligo/