Is Vitiligo Genetic?

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease and skin condition that appears as smooth white patches of skin. When vitiligo first develops, the patches typically appear on the hands, forearms, feet, and face. However, as it progresses, it can spread to cover larger areas.

The cause of vitiligo is not well understood, but experts believe that a genetic component may be at play. Read on to find out more about how genetics drive vitiligo development. 

What's the Difference Between Genetic and Hereditary Conditions?

"Genetic" and "hereditary" are terms often used interchangeably despite their having two different meanings. While hereditary conditions are passed down from generation to generation, genetic diseases can be developed with or without a hereditary component. Genetic conditions occur when there is a mutation in someone’s genes.

A genetic mutation is a change in certain genes that occurs because of mistakes in the replicating (copying) of DNA. DNA copying occurs to help produce new cells. The new cells that are created learn their function based on the cell they were copied from. If a mutation occurs while the DNA is copying cells, it can lead to genetic mutations.

Vitiligo and Genetics

Research has shown that genetics plays a role in the development of vitiligo. Experts didn't reach this conclusion until the 1950s, however, when two medical researchers reported on eight families with many members with vitiligo.

The condition is considered a “complex inheritance,” which means a genetic component is involved, however, it doesn’t follow the same rules of something being hereditary. This means that two or more abnormal genes are involved, whereas hereditary conditions develop because of only one abnormal gene.

Research shows that about 7% of people genetically linked to a person with vitiligo will also have the condition. Also, people with a genetic link to the disease will develop vitiligo earlier in life and the skin condition will be more widespread than people without a genetic cause.

Families with many members with vitiligo also have a higher incidence of autoimmune diseases, which means that genetics is an inherent risk factor for vitiligo and autoimmune diseases that are associated with the skin condition.

What Causes Vitiligo?

The patches of white skin that develop in vitiligo are caused by a lack of melanin, which is a pigment that gives skin its tone or color. Cells known as melanocytes produce melanin in the skin. A person with vitiligo lacks melanocytes in the affected patches of skin.

Although the exact cause of the lack of melanocytes isn’t clear, experts believe that the following conditions or situations may be factors in its development:

• Autoimmune diseases
• Genetics
• Having skin cancer or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects an organ system made up of the lymph, lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, and lymphoid tissues
• Neurochemicals (small molecules, such as dopamine and serotonin, that maintain brain activity) released onto the skin through defective nerve endings, causing toxicity to the outer layer of the skin and leading to vitiligo

How Is Vitiligo Treated?

Since there is no cure for vitiligo, treatment focuses on the loss of melanocytes and the body's autoimmune response.

This means that to address the white patches, damage to skin cells done by the immune system has to be stopped while the production of new melanin, or skin pigment, is stimulated. In some cases of severe vitiligo, lightening the pigment of surrounding skin can reduce the appearance of spots by making the skin around the patches the same color as the patches.

Treatment options include:

• Topical medications such as corticosteroids, which are anti-inflammatory drugs, are applied to the skin to add color to the affected area
• Light treatment, which uses a special kind of light or laser to restore lost color pigment in the skin
• PUVA light treatment (UVA, or ultraviolet A, light therapy) combined with Psoralen, which is a medication that enhances how much UVA light your skin can absorb
• Surgery that replaces the affected skin with unaffected skin from another part of your body
• Ginkgo biloba, an herb, to help bring back the skin pigment or stop the patches from spreading (more research is needed)
• Depigmentation, which is the process of removing all pigment from the skin so it is all one color

A Word From Verywell

While vitiligo can cause some people to feel uncomfortable about the way their skin looks, it is not a dangerous condition. There’s not much a person can do about their genetics, either, so if you do happen to develop vitiligo because of genetics, you have two options: seek treatment or embrace your unique skin.

Many models with vitiligo have chosen to embrace their patches and see their skin as a striking characteristic as opposed to a flaw. Whether you seek treatment is up to you, but know that your skin is beautiful either way.