Autoimmune Disorders and vitiligo
Autoimmune diseases are a condition arising from an abnormal immune response to a functioning body part. Vitiligo is a chronic (long-lasting) autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color. This happens when melanocytes – skin cells that make pigment – are attacked and destroyed, causing the skin to turn a milky-white color.
In vitiligo, the white patches usually appear symmetrically on both sides of your body, such as on both hands or both knees. Sometimes, there can be a rapid loss of color or pigment and even cover a large area. The segmental subtype of vitiligo is much less common and happens when the white patches are only on one segment or side of your body, such as a leg, one side of the face, or arm. This type of vitiligo often begins at an early age and progresses for 6 to 12 months and then usually stops.