Vitiligo is a chronic skin disease that causes loss of pigment, resulting in
irregular pale or white patches of skin. Common areas of the skin losing pigment
are the face, lips, hands, arms, legs, and genital areas. Vitiligo occurs when
the melanocytes die or are unable to function. However, the precise cause of
vitiligo is complex and not fully understood.
Today, about 0.5 to 1 percent of the world’s population has Vitiligo. Most of the people who have vitiligo develop it before age 40; half the people develop it before their 20th birthday. Vitiligo affects individuals of all ethnic origins and both sexes; however, it is much more easily noticed on darker skin.
There are at least three theories about the underlying mechanism of vitiligo:
• Nerve endings in the skin release a chemical that is toxic to the melanocytes
• Melanocytes simply self-destruct
• It is type of autoimmune disease in which the immune system targets the body's own cells and tissues.
Segmental Pattern Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a skin condition which is caused by the malfunctioning or loss of cells, called melanocytes, which give color to the skin. The loss of melanocytes results in smooth, white patches in the middle of normally pigmented skin. Vitiligo, or leucoderma, is a common skin disorder, which is usually inherited, and can affect anyone anywhere. There are two main types of vitiligo patterns: segmental and non-segmental (generalized). The non-segmental pattern of vitiligo is very common among people and causes depigmentation to occur symmetrically on both sides of the body, whereas in Segmental Pattern Vitiligo, depigmented patches develop on only one side of the body.
Focal Pattern Vitiligo
Focal Pattern Vitiligo is the most rare pattern form of the skin disorder called Vitiligo, or leucoderma. This skin disorder causes smooth white patches to appear on the skin due to the malfunctioning or the loss of melanocytes (cells that make pigment). In Focal Pattern Vitiligo, the depigmentation of skin is limited to one or only a few areas. The Focal Pattern Vitiligo and segmental vitiligo do not spread and remain localized to one part of the body, whereas generalized vitiligo is likely to spread over different parts of the body. There is no such cure for Vitiligo, however, herbal treatments have proved to be fruitful over the years.
Today, about 0.5 to 1 percent of the world’s population has Vitiligo. Most of the people who have vitiligo develop it before age 40; half the people develop it before their 20th birthday. Vitiligo affects individuals of all ethnic origins and both sexes; however, it is much more easily noticed on darker skin.
There are at least three theories about the underlying mechanism of vitiligo:
• Nerve endings in the skin release a chemical that is toxic to the melanocytes
• Melanocytes simply self-destruct
• It is type of autoimmune disease in which the immune system targets the body's own cells and tissues.
Segmental Pattern Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a skin condition which is caused by the malfunctioning or loss of cells, called melanocytes, which give color to the skin. The loss of melanocytes results in smooth, white patches in the middle of normally pigmented skin. Vitiligo, or leucoderma, is a common skin disorder, which is usually inherited, and can affect anyone anywhere. There are two main types of vitiligo patterns: segmental and non-segmental (generalized). The non-segmental pattern of vitiligo is very common among people and causes depigmentation to occur symmetrically on both sides of the body, whereas in Segmental Pattern Vitiligo, depigmented patches develop on only one side of the body.
Focal Pattern Vitiligo
Focal Pattern Vitiligo is the most rare pattern form of the skin disorder called Vitiligo, or leucoderma. This skin disorder causes smooth white patches to appear on the skin due to the malfunctioning or the loss of melanocytes (cells that make pigment). In Focal Pattern Vitiligo, the depigmentation of skin is limited to one or only a few areas. The Focal Pattern Vitiligo and segmental vitiligo do not spread and remain localized to one part of the body, whereas generalized vitiligo is likely to spread over different parts of the body. There is no such cure for Vitiligo, however, herbal treatments have proved to be fruitful over the years.
