Vitiligo is a condition that causes whitish, smooth patches on the skin. The discoloration occurs when the cells that give the skin, hair, and eyes color (melanocytes) stop functioning.

Vitiligo is neither dangerous nor contagious.

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  1. Grimes PE. (2017). Vitiligo: Pathogenesis, clinical features, and diagnosis. Tsao H, ed. UpToDate.