There are many well established treatments including topical steroids, light therapy and cosmetic camouflage that are fully available on the NHS. Although these treatments have variable success rates, they should be offered and made available to people with vitiligo. Your GP will be able to provide some of these but if necessary, you can ask for referral to a dermatologist.

If colour does return to the white patches it is still at risk of being lost again at a later stage.

For more information about available treatments please see the Treatments page.

Established treatments can have a very good effect in re-pigmenting the skin, sometimes completely. However, at present there are no treatments that influence the the future course of the disease and that can prevent new areas from de-pigmenting. Sometimes people make claims about "cures", but in reality these cannot be supported by evidence from clinical trials.

 

Yes, it is not uncommon for patches of vitiligo to spontaneously re-pigment, however, total spontaneous re-pigmentation is rare.

 

There is no evidence for this. However, it is always sensible to wear a high factor sunscreen (SPF 15 or greater) to protect depigmented and normal skin from potentially harmful UV light.

 

Exposure to the sun can cause sunburn to vitligo patches but this does not usually trigger a worsening of the condition.

 

In general terms this may be true. However, it is always worthwhile treating any patch of vitiligo regardless of duration, since sometimes even very long standing patches may improve.

Typically vitiligo affects particular areas of skin such as the hands and feet, around the eyes, mouth and ears or in a more generalised pattern (usually fairly symmetrically). Occasionally, particularly in children, asymmetrical blocks of vitiligo can occur. This is known as segmental vitiligo. The treatments you are offered may vary depending on the site and extent of your vitiligo, but are essentially the same whether it is the generalised or segmental type.

 

Vitiligo may be more noticeable in people with darker skins types, but broadly speaking, it occurs in people across the world in all different ethnic groups.

It is estimated that vitiligo affects 1 in every 100 people.

Yes, this is true, although around half of cases first show signs of vitiligo in childhood.

 

No, absolutely not. You cannot catch vitiligo.

 

No, most people are not born with it though they can develop it very early in childhood. 

In at least some people, it is the genes that you inherit which predispose you to developing the condition. 

A study of identical twins, which the Society helped to fund, supported this theory, and there is extensive evidence from several larger studies that some tendency to develop vitiligo is inherited.

 

Statistically speaking, people with vitiligo are at a slightly increased risk of developing so called autoimmune diseases, such as thyroid disease, alopecia areate, or pernicious anaemia. However, the absolute risk of someone with vitiligo having another autoimmune disease is actually quite small.

 

It is a sensible precaution as it has been found that people with Vitiligo do sometimes develop thyroid problems.

These tests do not necessarily mean that the thyroid is not working properly but it can indicate a future risk.

Thyroid function test allow a doctor to find a problem early on and to treat the disease before any other symptoms appear,

The important thing to bear in mind is that the general health of people with Vitiligo is not affected by their vitiligo, though they do have to take extra care in the sun.

 

Vitiligo is sometimes seen in people with autoimmune disorders such as late-developing diabetes, thyroid conditions, pernicious anaemia and alopecia areata, so it can help the doctor to differentiate from other skin pigment conditions.

What can happen is that one family member may have a thyroid problem and another may have Vitiligo. These diseases can have related causes but having one disease does not give you another one.

 

Autoimmune diseases develop from an overactive immune response against substances and tissues normally found in the body. Therefore the body starts to attack its own cells. The tendency for this over-reaction seems to run in families.

 

This is true. Vitiligo can sometimes occur in scars or areas of skin that been traumatised. This is known as the Köbner phenomenon.

 

In some cases it is possible that it is not genetic, while in other cases we know that more than one gene is responsible for the development of vitiligo. 

A combination of genes inherited from both parents can produce the predisposition, but this is one factor that can cause vitiligo.

 

There is no evidence from clinical trials that taking vitamin supplements can repigment areas of vitiligo or prevent new areas from appearing. However, some research has shown that the outcome of some treatments may be improved with the addition of certain vitamins.

 

There is absolutely no evidence for this. A healthy balanced diet is as important for someone with vitiligo as anyone else.

 

Carotenoids are chemicals found in brightly coloured fruits and vegetables (such as carrots), some of which are precursors* of vitamin A. If consumed in large quantities they can temporarily give the skin an orange hue, but it is unlikely this would improve the appearance of vitiligo to any significant extent as it will also affect normal skin, therefore doing little to mask any difference in skin colour.

*The term "precursor" is applied to an inactive substance converted to an active one (such as an enzyme, vitamin, or hormone). The term "precursor" applies to any chemical that is transformed into another.

There is no evidence to support this.

 

There is no evidence in the medical literature to back this up. Anecdotally, some people with vitiligo feel that stress definitely worsens their condition.

 

If you have vitiligo there is a 6% chance your siblings will have it too, rising to almost 25% if you have an identical twin. The risk seems to be greater with earlier onset vitiligo. Most people with vitiligo, however, do not have anyone within their immediate family with the condition.

 

We know that some genes can make people more susceptible to both Vitiligo and some other “autoimmune” disorders, such as thyroid disease, late-developing diabetes, pernicious anaemia and others.

No other relatives with Vitiligo:
If no-one in your family except you has vitiligo or any of these disorders, then there is no evidence at the moment that your children will be more likely than average to get vitiligo. Scientists are still working to find this out.

With other relatives with Vitiligo:
If you and several people in your family have either vitiligo or one of the disorders listed above, then yes, statistically speaking your children are more likely to get vitiligo (and the other disorders) than other people, although they will not get any of the disorders for certain. 

The more close relatives affected with disorders like this, the higher the chances of the children of one of the affected people also being affected.

If you have these disorders in your family, and your spouse or partner also has such disorders in their family, then the chances are higher still that your children would be affected.

It is impossible to state exact probabilities.

 

We find that children usually cope best when parents are prepared to talk about the condition as openly and truthfully as possible.

To pretend you haven't noticed something so obvious may make it difficult for your child to talk to you about it.

Because this is often so difficult for parents to cope with, we have devoted a whole chapter of our book to the subject, including what you can do if you think your child is being bullied or teased.

Young people are also very welcome to join the Society

 

Patches of vitiligo skin have no natural protection against the sun's rays.

This is because vitiligo skin is white as the melanocytes which produce melanin (skin pigment) are not active.

The effect of the sun is normally to increase melanin production and to turn the skin brown; this is a protective mechanism to prevent the skin from being damaged by burning.

Therefore, the most important reason for protecting your skin is to prevent sunburn.

Not only is this painful, but damage to the skin, including sunburn, can stimulate the vitiligo to spread in some people.

As vitiligo skin is particularly vulnerable to sunlight and needs protection, some brands of sunblock are classified by the NHS (The British National Health Service) as borderline substances which means they can be obtained on prescription from your doctor.

It is recommended that you choose a sunblock with a sun protection factor of 20 or over and there is little evidence that SPFs of over 30 provide any additional benefit.

To avoid burning it is important not to rely only on sunblock.

Wearing a wide brimmed hat, sunglasses and loose cotton clothing and keeping in the shade as far as possible during the heat of the day (11am to 3pm) are of equal importance.

It may mean that sunbathing on a beach is no longer the best way to spend your holidays but having vitiligo should in no way prevent you from taking outdoor holidays in warmer climates.

 

Your feelings are quite normal.

Many people, especially when first diagnosed with vitiligo, find the condition emotionally and psychologically devastating.

If you think that you would feel better if you were able to conceal your vitiligo, the British Red Cross run an excellent free service provided by highly trained volunteers, It is called the Skin Camouflage Service and it is available to people with vitiligo by referral through their GP or their dermatologist.

We can send you a leaflet giving full details about this service and can provide a phone number for you to contact your regional service provider.

Refer to Treatments: Camouflage

By becoming a member of the Society.

Without members the Society could not afford to employ the staff who run an information line, answer enquiries, produce the Newsletter, maintain this website, organise events, offer information on vitiligo to health professionals and offer support to people with vitiligo and their families.

Without members there would be no Vitiligo Society.

If you are interested in helping with the search to find a cure for vitiligo one day, the answer is certainly YES.

• The Vitiligo Society is the only organisation which offers support and understanding to people with vitiligo and their families in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
• We also support people anywhere in the world who approach us and ask for our help.

The Society promotes and funds research projects aimed at:

• Establishing the causes of vitiligo.
• Finding safe and effective treatments for vitiligo.

The Society also

• Campaigns for a better understanding among the medical profession and the general public of how it feels to live with vitiligo. This includes the psychological problems of living with a disfiguring condition.
• Gathers and distributes information about the condition.
• Offers advice on how to cope with the condition, and promotes a positive approach to living with vitiligo.

• By providing personal information by letter, telephone or email.
• By putting questions to qualified medical professionals with an interest in vitiligo on a member's behalf.
• By keeping members in touch with the latest research and treatments through our newsletter Dispatches.
• By supplying information through our website.
• By informing members when researchers are looking for volunteers to take part in clinical trials.
• By putting members in personal contact with each other.
• By providing information to schools about Vitiligo so that they can recognised problems that may arise for children who have vitiligo or who look different
• By our links with other groups working to help people with skin problems.

Yes, you certainly can! We welcome members of all ages.

You will not be able to vote in Society elections until you are 18, but in all other ways you will be treated exactly the same as any other member.

We do have a page on this site for young people or we can send a printed copy to someone without internet access. As this page was written for us by a teenager with vitiligo. It describes situations and feelings which you have probably experienced yourself. We think that it is best suited to people aged from 9 to 16 years.