Overview
Vitiligo is a benign (noncancerous) skin condition in which the immune system attacks the color-producing (pigment-producing) cells of the skin, causing white or light patches to gradually appear on the skin. The face and hands are commonly involved. If the skin involved is in a hair-bearing area, the hair may also turn white. There is no cure for vitiligo, but there are available treatments that help some people more than others. Some people with vitiligo use makeup to disguise the light patches, though if the patches grow large this can be difficult. In some people, vitiligo begins as one small patch and does not spread; in others, it can involve more than half the body. Vitiligo is not contagious. It is associated with other autoimmune disorders such as diabetes, thyroid disease, and alopecia areata.
