Causes of vitiligo

The causes of vitiligo are still not completely clear.

However, it has been found that genetic factors and autoimmune diseases play an important role in its onset.

Vitiligo is currently considered to be a dermatological syndrome in which various different causal, related and independent factors lead to a disappearance of melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin and, thereby, the natural colour of the skin, in genetically predisposed people.

Factors that have been implicated in the destruction of melanocytes are:

• Autoimmune processes
• Neurobiological processes
• Abnormal melanocytic oxidative processes
• Biochemical alterations in the microenvironment
• Infections

In confirmation of its autoimmune nature, people with vitiligo often have other autoimmune diseases although these run their own course.