WHAT IS VITILIGO?

When skin pigmentation is unevenly distributed, the result is unique patterns across the body

- AILSA HARVEY

Uitiligo is a skin condition that impacts 70 million people around the world and causes patches of skin to be lighter than a person's usual skin tone. The condition is thought to be the result of an autoimmune response, which means the body's immune system wrongly targets and attacks harmless cells. In this case, the cells attacked are called melanocytes – pigment-producing cells. When melanocytes are reduced, and in some areas there are none, no melanin is released into surrounding cells, reducing colouring in the area. When these light areas of skin are less than one centimetre wide, they're called macules; they're referred to as patches when they grow larger. At the early stages of vitiligo, the skin displays just a few small macules – most commonly on the hands, forearms, feet and face - before becoming larger patches that can start to grow farther across the body. When macules become patches, they usually remain covering the same areas for many years without spreading. Meanwhile, macules are more mobile and can come and go as areas lose and regain pigm