What is Vitiligo?

Vitiligo is a disease in which the skin loses color, concentrating on the folds, lips, neck and joints, gradually invading the body, there may be inflammation and even loss of hair.
It is the melanocytes that are directly affected, which when damaged stop pigmenting the skin. This disease is suffered by between 0.5 and 3% of the world's population.
It is not contagious, and it is less transmitted by sexual contact, pregnancy and breastfeeding, there is no affectation by utensils and clothes used daily or shared.
Diagnosis is easy with the naked eye, and if necessary the examination is carried out under Wood's Light, and in exceptional circumstances a biopsy is added to confirm.
The exact causes of this disease have not been found, and in this regard, three main theories have been generated with which an attempt is made to clarify the etiogenic mechanism.
1.- The autoimmune theory: Melanocytes are destroyed by lymphocytes. Circumstance similar to other autoimmune processes, and can be considered feasible because of immunosuppressive treatments, which in part stop the disease.

2.- The neurogenic theory: They consider possible the interaction between melanocytes and nerve cells that would release a toxic neochemical mediator. This would be the cause of the destruction of the melanocytes.
3.- The theory of self-destruction: According to this proposal, the melonocytes would be destroyed by toxic substances formed in the metabolic processes of melanin biosysteisis through certain active metabolic pathways (only in some subjects).
Among the latest theoretical research, it was concluded that the increase in adrenaline in the system, saturates toxins with free radicals, and the organs in charge of cleaning the blood are saturated, leading to the melanocytes being unnoticed eliminating its production of melanin by intoxication, considering that this causes symptoms such as itching, reluctance, headaches and depression.
Until now there is no safe treatment to eliminate this disease, steroids are used and immunomodulators (topical and systemic) with limited results psoralens combined with light ultraviolet. Recommending sunscreens higher than 30, since the absence of melanin increases the possibility of sun damage.