Vitiligo also called leukoderma is when the skin, or hair starts loosing its color. Small white patches appear on the extremity of the body like the fingers, toes and then move over larger areas. Why this happens? Why does the skin color pigment stop growing no one knows and since the reason remains unknown so does the cure? People who have vitiligo may go through a lot of stress as they will worry about how they look and are conscious about being stared at. Most want to get the skin color to return to normal and the milky white patches of vitiligo are more visible on dark skinned people then it is on fair skinned people. If it is the scalp that is affected then the hair will start to turn grey. Vitiligo appears under the eyes or on the eyelids or even inside the mouth in some cases It usually starts with areas of the body that are exposed to the sun but this not true in all cases. It starts at the age of 20 to 30 and can either remained confined to just one part of the body or to one side of the body or may spread across the body. An old theory is that it happens if one eats fish during their spawning season. That is why the saying 'one should not eat fish in the months that don’t have an R'. However there is no proof to backup this theory.

Vitiligo occurs when the melanin which produces the skin color stops producing or is destroyed. This may be due to excessive sun exposure, an immune system disorder, stress or in some cases even hereditary. Should one notice white patches appearing on the skin one should not hesitate and should go and see their doctor straight away? As mentioned there is no cure for vitiligo only the process can be slowed down or in extreme cases skin grafting can be done. Vitiligo can also happen in pets and the Arabian horse and rottweiller dogs also can get vitiligo.

The initial treatment for vitiligo is the use of cosmetics to cover up the white patches or in case the person is fair skinned exposure to sunlight to cause the skin to tan is tried. In some cases, use of transplants that involves taking a piece of normal skin and making a suspension which is then applied to the affected area to restart a repigmentation process. There are certain other grafting methods also that are used. This is a may or may not work process, as there is no sure cure of vitiligo. To get the repigmentation process started there are topical medications along with oral medication that may be prescribed. Ultraviolet light is another treatment that has been started being tried recently. Tattooing is also tried to conceal the white spots but they tend to fade over time. Another treatment which is harsh is getting depigmentation of the rest of the skin to match the color of the skin that has vitiligo.

People who have vitiligo may have these options but before going for any option they need to go to a good doctor and seek his or her counsel. There are associations of people who have vitiligo and who are more then willing to help those who have just contracted this disorder and can counsel and help them out. Such associations can easily be found on the internet and it is not difficult to get in touch with them. Friends and family can also play a positive role in helping a person who has vitiligo get over the depression of having contracted this skin disorder.