Vitiligo a skin disease in which there is a progressive loss of the pigment-producing cells (melanocytes), resulting in areas of skin without melanin pigment.
There are probably environmental factors that interact with genes that are inherited that lead to a tendency to induce the destruction melanocytes. There are numerous theories as to the origin of vitiligo. A condition indistinguishable from vitiligo can be induced in some individuals after topical exposure to certain phenol-like chemicals.
Medically Reviewed by a Doctor on 3/17/2014
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