health

Vitiligo affects people of all races and both sexes equally. It affects one or
two out of every 100 people. About half of all people who have vitiligo
begin to lose pigment before they are 20 years of age.
Vitiligo is common in people with certain immune system* diseases
and in children with parents who have the condition. However, most
people with vitiligo have no immune system disease, and most children
will not get vitiligo even if a parent has it. In fact, most people with vitiligo
are in good general health and do not have a family history of the
condition.
Vitiligo is more obvious in people with dark skin. Light-skinned
people may notice the contrast between patches of vitiligo and areas of
suntanned skin in the summer. The amount of pigment that is lost varies
from person to person. The first white patches often occur on the hands,
feet, arms, face, or lips. Other common areas for patches to appear are the
armpits, the groin (the area where the inner thighs join the trunk), and
around the navel (belly button) and genitals.
There is no way to know if vitiligo will spread to other parts of the
body, but it usually does spread over time. For some people, this spread
occurs rapidly, but for other people, it takes place over many years. Both
sides of the body usually are affected in a similar way. There may be a few
patches or there may be many.