Vitiligo causes white patches on your skin. It can also affect your eyes, mouth and nose. It occurs when the cells that give your skin its color are destroyed. No one knows what destroys them. It is more common in people with autoimmune diseases, and it might run in families. It usually starts before age 40.
The white patches are more common where your skin is exposed to the sun. In some cases, the patches spread. Vitiligo can cause your hair to gray early. If you have dark skin, you may lose color inside your mouth.
Using sunscreen will help protect your skin, and cosmetics can cover up the patches. Treatments for vitiligo include medicines, light therapy and surgery. Not every treatment is right for everyone. Many have side effects. Some take a long time. Some do not always work.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- Vitiligo(American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/common_vitilgo.html
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What Is Vitiligo?
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Vitiligo/vitiligo_ff.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/Informacion_de_Salud/Vitiligo/default.asp
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Questions and Answers about Vitiligo(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Vitiligo/default.asp
- Vitiligo(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/vitiligo/DS00586/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Vitiligo Signs & Symptoms(American Vitiligo Research Foundation) - http://www.avrf.org/facts/signs.htm
- Vitiligo: Medical Screening(American Vitiligo Research Foundation) - http://www.avrf.org/facts/screening.htm
- Vitiligo Treatments(American Vitiligo Research Foundation) - http://www.avrf.org/treatments/treatments.htm
- Vitiligo(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/vitiligo.htm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Vitiligo(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Vitiligo%22
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People with Vitiligo at Increased Risk for Other Autoimmune Diseases(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/News_and_Events/Spotlight_on_Research/2006/vitiligo_risk.asp
- Article: Vitiligo in early American history: the case of Henry Moss. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18794486&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Vitiligo: nonsurgical treatment options and the evidence behind their use. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18664168&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Clinical management with efalizumab of a patient with psoriasis and... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18664161&tool=MedlinePlus
- Vitiligo -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=vitiligo[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Find a Dermasurgeon(American Society for Dermatologic Surgery) - http://www.asds.net/find.aspx
- Find a Dermatologist(American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.aad.org/findaderm/
- American Academy of Dermatology - http://www.aad.org/
- American Society for Dermatologic Surgery - http://www.asds.net/
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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/
- Skin Pigmentation Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skinpigmentationdisorders.html
- Skin, Hair and Nails - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skinhairandnails.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Vitiligo is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/