Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a skin disease that causes white and pigmentless spots on the skin. The disease is caused by the body having fewer of the cells that produce pigments. The spots do not normally disappear again, and vitiligo is therefore a chronic condition.

What is vitiligo?

Vitiligo is a skin disease that affects approx. 1-2% of the population. In Norway, this corresponds to approx. 50,000 people are affected. The condition produces white, pigmentless spots in the skin because the cells that produce pigment (the melanocytes) are no longer present in equal numbers. The affected skin areas can vary from small spots to almost the entire body. For most people, vitiligo is a chronic disease, which means that the pigment-free areas do not disappear again once they have appeared.

The disease usually appears between the ages of 20 and 30, but all age groups can be affected. Women and men are affected equally. Approx. 30% of the population is genetically predisposed to get vitiligo.

Causes of vitiligo

The cause of vitiligo is still somewhat unclear.

The most well-known and widespread theory is that vitiligo is an autoimmune disease, which means that the body "attacks itself". In vitiligo, it is the body's immune system that attacks the cells that produce pigment (the melanocytes). This causes these cells to decrease and may eventually disappear completely.

If you have other autoimmune diseases, you may be more susceptible to developing vitiligo.

Symptoms of vitiligo

• White and pigmentless spots on the skin.

• The spots are approx. one centimeter in size and with a clear distinction from normal skin.

• The throat, neck, hands, fingers, scalp, knees, body openings and the skin around the eyes are often affected.

• Symmetry; as a rule, not only one hand or one knee is affected, but both are affected at the same time.

• Normally no itching/irritation

Some people experience getting white spots in and around the abdomen, which can be confused with vitiligo. This is usually not vitiligo, but the skin disease Lichen sclerosus. You can read more about lichen sclerosus here.

The course of the disease in vitiligo

In vitiligo, the loss of pigment occurs gradually, and at the start the disease can often be seen as a white ring around a newly formed mole. The spots are also small and defined at the start. As the pigment-producing cells weaken more and more, the white spots become larger and more prominent. The spots can also grow together and the affected areas can eventually be visible on large parts of the body. Although the stains are usually spread over a large area, they can also occur completely locally. The course of the disease in vitiligo is therefore highly variable.

The disease is chronic in the vast majority of people, which means that the spots will not get smaller or disappear with time. Only a few experience regression of the disease. However, new spots can appear and they can grow in size.

Vitiligo or fungus?

Many people confuse vitiligo with a type of skin fungus called Pityriasis versicolor. This is a common condition caused by an overgrowth of fungus in the skin, and can be seen as white spots on the upper body, arms and in some cases also on the thighs.

The skin areas affected by the fungus Pityriasis versicolor are often dry and "scaly" at first, then develop into white spots on the skin with a reduced amount of pigment.

Both conditions, both vitiligo and fungus, can appear in a similar way, with white patches and loss of pigment. What separates the two conditions from each other is often that with fungus in the skin only the amount of pigment in the relevant skin area is reduced, while with vitiligo the pigments disappear completely, and all pigment is lost. With vitiligo, there is also no dryness or flaking/flaking, as with fungus. The pigments always return after a while in Pityriasis versicolor and fungus in the skin, while in vitiligo the pigment changes are permanent and do not disappear again.

Good advice for vitiligo

• Sun protection - always make sure to protect the skin affected by the sun. The white spots in the skin lack pigment, and are therefore very exposed to the harmful rays from the sun. Use a sunscreen with a high sun protection factor, or cover yourself with clothing.

• Also remember to apply sunscreen to the fresh skin, as sun-protected skin makes the white spots less visible.

• Self-tanning cream/covering cream - can also be used to cover the skin and give it protection.