Vitiligo White Spots on Skin
Depigmentation or loss of pigment producing cells is the major cause towards developing of white patches on skin. Our skin has specialized cells which are known as melanocytes. The melanocytes are the cells that produce melanin for maintaining of human skin color. It also acts as a sunscreen that protects the skin from ultraviolet rays of sun. Melanin can be found in the outermost layer of the skin. Vitiligo white spots and white patches on skin is a disorder which occurs where melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin, die off. When the pigment cells are destroyed, white spots and white patches appear on the skin.
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| photo credit: wolfgang.wedenig via photopin cc |
Common Causes of Vitiligo
Physical and Mental Stress
Physical, mental and emotional stress is considered one of the major causes of vitiligo. mental stress like death of relatives, break up or loss of job, physical stress like severe sun burn, surgery, neurological disorders, brain disorders, and gastric disorders etc., are some of the reasons for triggering white patches on skin.
Auto Immune Disease
White skin patches may be caused by an autoimmune disorder. Some time due to some abnormalities in auto-immune system of the body, the immune system attacks melanocytes, lead to the destruction of pigment-making melanocytes in vitiligo patients. As a result white patches on the skin occur. Some of these autoimmune diseases include Addison's disease, Hyperthyroidism, Pemicious Anemia, etc.
Genetic Inheritance
It is believed that genetics plays a vital role in causing these white spots and patches on skin. About thirty percent of the vitiligo affected people have a family history with vitiligo.
Sun Burn
Sun burn is also a common cause of white patches of skin. Sunburn usually affects light-skinned people. Due to prolong exposure of the skin to the sun, pigment cells (melanocytes) are destroyed, resulting in irregularly shaped white patches on the skin. In this case, people usually use sun-block for protection against sunburn so that it doesn't affect a person suffering from vitiligo skin spots.
Skin Trauma
Vitiligo white spots on skin can be caused by skin trauma as well. Skin Trauma is basically the injury of skin tissues it may be caused due to several reasons. Skin trauma can impair melanocytes. Due to the damage of the melanocytes white spots and patches appear on the skin.
Contact with Chemicals
Contact with chemicals, for example, phenols used in photography, can result in white patches on skin. It has been observed that contact with industrial chemicals (such as mercury) may also result in skin white spots, which can spread.
Lack of Nutritional Factors
Some people are suffering from white skin patches because of lack of nutritious factors in body. Deficiency of vitamins, proteins, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and other cuprous minerals can make skin cells dehydrated, which in future can be the cause of vitiligo patches.
Fortunately, there are various treatment options available to get rid of vitiligo. The majority of patients can and have achieved good results from various treatments available for vitiligo white spots and white patches on skin today.