Vitiligo is a type of skin disease in which light colored areas occur due to loss of pigment in the skin. Because it causes an undesirable appearance, it also negatively affects our patients psychologically. It is an issue that should be emphasized especially in the summer period when the sun shows its effects more. It is important to start the treatment process as soon as the spots are noticed. Since the diseased area does not darken during the summer months, the clarity increases as the surrounding healthy skin becomes darker. This is especially important for us to know how to protect ourselves during this period. Before moving on to the treatment process, let’s first talk about the causes of vitiligo, the symptoms of the disease and how it progresses.

Vitiligo, which can be named in different ways as folklore or tawny disease, is observed in approximately 1 or 2 of every 100 people today, and the risk of this disease increases 7-10 times in people with a family history of vitiligo. Although it can be seen at any age, vitiligo, which starts to show symptoms before the age of 20, occurs because the cells called melanocytes, which are responsible for the production of pigments that give the skin its unique color, are damaged for any reason and adversely affect pigment production.

Depending on the lack of pigment, some white spots of various sizes appear on the surface of the skin. Although the exact cause of the damage to pigment production is unknown, one of the most important factors responsible for the development of the disease is the ‘autoimmune’ mechanism. In other words, the body’s immune system sees its own pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) as a threat and develops a defense against them and destroys its own cells. Apart from this, it is thought that many causes such as anemia, diabetes, psoriasis, goiter, stress, sunburns and feverish diseases may be factors, even if not specified.