The symptoms of vitiligo include:
- Milky-white, irregularly-shaped patches on the skin
- May first become noticeable on sun-exposed areas (face, hands, feet, arms, legs)
- Other common areas for patches include the armpit, groin, around the mouth, eyes, nostrils, navel, genital and rectal areas
- Premature whitening or greying of hair on scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows or beard
- Colour loss in the mucous membranes inside the mouth and nose (less common)
Vitiligo generally appears in one of three patterns:
- Generalized pattern (most common): patches are spread all over the body, often symmetrically
- Focal pattern: depigmented patches are limited to one or a few areas
- Segmental pattern: colour loss occurs in patches on only one side of the body
Looking Deeper
Typical vitiligo results in areas of irregularly shaped and sized milky-white skin. The degree of pigment loss can vary within each patch, resulting in different shades of pigment within a patch. Sometimes a light patch may be ringed by a border of darker skin. Patients often notice a rapid loss of pigment initially, which then stops for unknown reasons. Cycles of pigment loss followed by no change in pigmentation can continue indefinitely.
