Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsGenetic vs. HereditaryVitiligo and GeneticsCausesTreatmentFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Genetic vs. Hereditary
Vitiligo and Genetics
Causes
Treatment
Frequently Asked Questions
Vitiligois anautoimmune diseaseand skin condition that appears as smooth white patches of skin. When vitiligo first develops, the patches typically appear on the hands, forearms, feet, and face. However, as it progresses, it can spread to cover larger areas.
What is an Autoimmune Disease?An autoimmune disease occurs when the body mistakes healthy cells for unhealthy ones and begins attacking them as if they were harmful organisms such as bacteria or viruses. When the immune system attacks healthy cells, they become damaged and that leads to health problems.
What is an Autoimmune Disease?
An autoimmune disease occurs when the body mistakes healthy cells for unhealthy ones and begins attacking them as if they were harmful organisms such as bacteria or viruses. When the immune system attacks healthy cells, they become damaged and that leads to health problems.
The cause of vitiligo is not well understood, but experts believe that a genetic component may be at play.Read on to find out more about how genetics drive vitiligo development.
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What’s the Difference Between Genetic and Hereditary Conditions?
“Genetic” and “hereditary” are terms often used interchangeably despite their having two different meanings. While hereditary conditions are passed down from generation to generation, genetic diseases can be developed with or without a hereditary component. Genetic conditions occur when there is a mutation in someone’s genes.
What are Genes?A gene is a part of your DNA. Genes are passed down through families and contain the hereditary information needed for certain traits, such as eye and hair color.
What are Genes?
A gene is a part of your DNA. Genes are passed down through families and contain the hereditary information needed for certain traits, such as eye and hair color.
A genetic mutation is a change in certain genes that occurs because of mistakes in the replicating (copying) of DNA. DNA copying occurs to help produce new cells. The new cells that are created learn their function based on the cell they were copied from. If a mutation occurs while the DNA is copying cells, it can lead to genetic mutations.
Research has shown that genetics plays a role in the development of vitiligo. Experts didn’t reach this conclusion until the 1950s, however, when two medical researchers reported on eight families with many members with vitiligo.
The condition is considered a “complex inheritance,” which means a genetic component is involved, however, it doesn’t follow the same rules of something being hereditary.This means that two or more abnormal genes are involved, whereas hereditary conditions develop because of only one abnormal gene.
Research shows that about 7% of people genetically linked to a person with vitiligo will also have the condition. Also, people with a genetic link to the disease will develop vitiligo earlier in life and the skin condition will be more widespread than people without a genetic cause.
Families with many members with vitiligo also have a higher incidence of autoimmune diseases, which means that genetics is an inherent risk factor for vitiligo and autoimmune diseases that are associated with the skin condition.
Living Well with Vitiligo
What Causes Vitiligo?
Although the exact cause of the lack of melanocytes isn’t clear, experts believe that the following conditions or situations may be factors in its development:
How and When Does Vitiligo Start?The reason behind the onset of vitiligo isn’t clear, and the condition can develop at any age. Researchers are not clear about what triggers the condition in some people and not others, nor are they able to pin down the average age of onset.
How and When Does Vitiligo Start?
The reason behind the onset of vitiligo isn’t clear, and the condition can develop at any age. Researchers are not clear about what triggers the condition in some people and not others, nor are they able to pin down the average age of onset.
Causes and Risk Factors of Vitiligo
How Is Vitiligo Treated?
Since there is no cure for vitiligo, treatment focuses on the loss of melanocytes and the body’s autoimmune response.
Treatment options include:
Is Treatment Always Necessary?Although some people opt for treatment for cosmetic reasons, vitiligo doesn’t always require treatment. Very few people experience pain, itching, or symptoms in the patches of skin,and, for that reason, many people decide not to treat it at all.
Is Treatment Always Necessary?
Although some people opt for treatment for cosmetic reasons, vitiligo doesn’t always require treatment. Very few people experience pain, itching, or symptoms in the patches of skin,and, for that reason, many people decide not to treat it at all.
How Vitiligo Is Treated
A Word From Verywell
While vitiligo can cause some people to feel uncomfortable about the way their skin looks, it is not a dangerous condition. There’s not much a person can do about their genetics, either, so if you do happen to develop vitiligo because of genetics, you have two options: seek treatment or embrace your unique skin.
Many models with vitiligo have chosen to embrace their patches and see their skin as a striking characteristic as opposed to a flaw. Whether you seek treatment is up to you, but know that your skin is beautiful either way.
Tips for Building Self-Esteem When You Have Vitiligo
Frequently Asked QuestionsThe proper pronunciation of vitiligo is vih-tuh-LIE-go.Vitiligo does not hurt. Even if the skin patches spread across large areas of skin, very few people experience painful or irritating symptoms that are often the case in other types of skin conditions. Burning, itching or pain are not likely to occur when a person has vitiligo.There is no cure or prevention for vitiligo, and that means that you cannot stop the condition from spreading. In some cases, treatment can help to restore pigment to the patches of skin that have lost their color and prevent any further color loss. The best way to keep the condition from spreading is staying out of the sun, as exposure to the sun can further damage the skin causing further loss of color.Researchers have not been able to determine an average age of onset and a person can develop vitiligo at any age or at any point in their life. That being said, roughly 25% of people with the condition developed it before they reached the age of 10.
The proper pronunciation of vitiligo is vih-tuh-LIE-go.
Vitiligo does not hurt. Even if the skin patches spread across large areas of skin, very few people experience painful or irritating symptoms that are often the case in other types of skin conditions. Burning, itching or pain are not likely to occur when a person has vitiligo.
There is no cure or prevention for vitiligo, and that means that you cannot stop the condition from spreading. In some cases, treatment can help to restore pigment to the patches of skin that have lost their color and prevent any further color loss. The best way to keep the condition from spreading is staying out of the sun, as exposure to the sun can further damage the skin causing further loss of color.
Researchers have not been able to determine an average age of onset and a person can develop vitiligo at any age or at any point in their life. That being said, roughly 25% of people with the condition developed it before they reached the age of 10.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Rashighi M, Harris JE.Vitiligo Pathogenesis and Emerging Treatments.Dermatol Clin.2017 Apr;35(2):257-265. doi:10.1016/j.det.2016.11.014Spritz RA, Andersen GH.Genetics of Vitiligo.Dermatol Clin.2017 Apr;35(2):245-255. doi:10.1016/j.det.2016.11.013United Kingdom National Health Service.Vitiligo.Rashighi M, Harris JE.Vitiligo Pathogenesis and Emerging Treatments.Dermatol Clin.2017 Apr;35(2):257-265. doi:10.1016/j.det.2016.11.014Bergqvist C, Ezzedine K.Vitiligo: A Review.Dermatology.2020;236(6):571-592. doi:10.1159/000506103American Academy of Dermatology Association.Vitiligo: Diagnosis and Treatment.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Vitiligo: Who Gets and Causes.Martins CPDS, Hertz A, Luzio P, Paludo P, Azulay-Abulafia L.Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of childhood vitiligo: a study of 701 patients from Brazil.Int J Dermatol. 2020 Feb;59(2):236-244. doi:10.1111/ijd.14645
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Rashighi M, Harris JE.Vitiligo Pathogenesis and Emerging Treatments.Dermatol Clin.2017 Apr;35(2):257-265. doi:10.1016/j.det.2016.11.014Spritz RA, Andersen GH.Genetics of Vitiligo.Dermatol Clin.2017 Apr;35(2):245-255. doi:10.1016/j.det.2016.11.013United Kingdom National Health Service.Vitiligo.Rashighi M, Harris JE.Vitiligo Pathogenesis and Emerging Treatments.Dermatol Clin.2017 Apr;35(2):257-265. doi:10.1016/j.det.2016.11.014Bergqvist C, Ezzedine K.Vitiligo: A Review.Dermatology.2020;236(6):571-592. doi:10.1159/000506103American Academy of Dermatology Association.Vitiligo: Diagnosis and Treatment.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Vitiligo: Who Gets and Causes.Martins CPDS, Hertz A, Luzio P, Paludo P, Azulay-Abulafia L.Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of childhood vitiligo: a study of 701 patients from Brazil.Int J Dermatol. 2020 Feb;59(2):236-244. doi:10.1111/ijd.14645
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Rashighi M, Harris JE.Vitiligo Pathogenesis and Emerging Treatments.Dermatol Clin.2017 Apr;35(2):257-265. doi:10.1016/j.det.2016.11.014Spritz RA, Andersen GH.Genetics of Vitiligo.Dermatol Clin.2017 Apr;35(2):245-255. doi:10.1016/j.det.2016.11.013United Kingdom National Health Service.Vitiligo.Rashighi M, Harris JE.Vitiligo Pathogenesis and Emerging Treatments.Dermatol Clin.2017 Apr;35(2):257-265. doi:10.1016/j.det.2016.11.014Bergqvist C, Ezzedine K.Vitiligo: A Review.Dermatology.2020;236(6):571-592. doi:10.1159/000506103American Academy of Dermatology Association.Vitiligo: Diagnosis and Treatment.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Vitiligo: Who Gets and Causes.Martins CPDS, Hertz A, Luzio P, Paludo P, Azulay-Abulafia L.Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of childhood vitiligo: a study of 701 patients from Brazil.Int J Dermatol. 2020 Feb;59(2):236-244. doi:10.1111/ijd.14645
Rashighi M, Harris JE.Vitiligo Pathogenesis and Emerging Treatments.Dermatol Clin.2017 Apr;35(2):257-265. doi:10.1016/j.det.2016.11.014
Spritz RA, Andersen GH.Genetics of Vitiligo.Dermatol Clin.2017 Apr;35(2):245-255. doi:10.1016/j.det.2016.11.013
United Kingdom National Health Service.Vitiligo.
Bergqvist C, Ezzedine K.Vitiligo: A Review.Dermatology.2020;236(6):571-592. doi:10.1159/000506103
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Vitiligo: Diagnosis and Treatment.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Vitiligo: Who Gets and Causes.
Martins CPDS, Hertz A, Luzio P, Paludo P, Azulay-Abulafia L.Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of childhood vitiligo: a study of 701 patients from Brazil.Int J Dermatol. 2020 Feb;59(2):236-244. doi:10.1111/ijd.14645
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