Vitiligo is a skin disease that causes the loss of skin colour in patches. It can also affect the hair and the inside of the mouth. Melanin, a pigment, determines skin colour; and when melanin producing cells stop functioning or die it results in vitiligo.

The characteristic symptom of vitiligo is patchy loss of skin colour on sun-exposed areas, such as the hands, feet, arms, face and lips, a whitening or greying of the hair on scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows or beard. It affects many body parts or one side of the body or one or a few areas of the body.

Melanin pigment gives colour to your skin, hair and eyes. Vitiligo is a disorder in which the pigment-producing cells in the skin are destroyed by your own immune system. Family history, sunburn, stress or exposure to industrial chemicals can also cause vitiligo.

Cure of vitiligo depends upon the size and area of the body involved. If vitiligo affects the whole body, then there is no cure for it. But if it involves a small and single body part, it can be curable.

Other specialities like Ayurveda and homeopathy have therapies for vitiligo. But there is no cure for it if it involves the whole body, though, the spread of the disease can be kept under control if it affects a particular area of your body.