Is vitiligo an autoimmune disease?

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease and this disease causes loss of skin color in patches. The discolored areas usually get bigger with time and this condition can affect the skin on any part of the body. Keep reading to know more about this condition.

An autoimmune disease occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells. So, why is vitiligo an autoimmune disease? In vitiligo, the immune cells attack the melanocytes, which produce the skin pigment melanin. When the immune system kills melanocytes and destroys pigment production, the affected skin takes on a pale white color.

Vitiligo affects people of all skin types and skin tones, but it may be more noticeable in people who have a darker skin tone. This condition can make you feel stressed and also embarrassed at the same time. However, this condition is not contagious and also not life-threatening. Vitiligo signs include –

• Premature greying or whitening of hair on your scalp, eyebrows, or beard.
• Patchy loss of skin color
• Loss of color in the tissue that lines the inside of your nose and mouth

Vitiligo can start at any age. But if you suspect any of the above signs, then it is always best to consult a doctor and start the treatment at the earliest because prevention is always better than cure. It is pretty difficult to predict how this disease will progress. Sometimes the patches stop without treatment while sometimes the pigment loss spreads. Occasionally, the skin also gets its color back, and hence it is always a good idea to let your doctor do the diagnosis and then treat the condition accordingly.