A 48-year-old member asked:
is vitiligo a disease that is hereditary?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Maulik Shah answered
Clinical Genetics 24 years experience
No : Vitiligo is due to depigmentation of the skin. It is not hereditary but ... It is often associated with autoimmune disorders and many people with vitiligo also have a corresponding autoimmune disorder. Autoimmune disorders do have a genetic basis. Also, vitiligo as part of a group of symptoms is often associated with inherited genetic syndromes. In most cases it is not genetically inherited.
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Similar questions
A 42-year-old member asked:
Can any doc tell me what's the cause of vitiligo?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Sylvia Romm answered
Pediatrics 12 years experience
Autoimmune disorder: Vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder. That means that your body gets confused, and the process that normally kills disease causing organisms like bacteria and viruses (your immune system) attacks the cells in your body that produce the color in your skin (called melanocytes). When those cells die, you get patches of skin that are white.
3978 views
A 35-year-old member asked:
How could someone get vitiligo if no one from their family members (even from history) have vitiligo?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. John Chiu answered
Allergy and Immunology 57 years experience
Chance/genetics?: Since vitiligo is considered an autoimmune disorder, this may just be bad luck due to impaired immune regulation with genetics possibly playing a role . Autoimmune disorders may manifest in many ways (diabetes, thyroid, lupus, rheumatoid , celiac disease etc) . Thus having autoimmune disorders in family members suggests that there is a higher risk you may develop an autoimmune disease.
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El Paso, TX
A 20-year-old female asked:
I have white ash spots some spots are disappearing could it be vitiligo??
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. John Chiu answered
Allergy and Immunology 57 years experience
Probably not: Vitiligo does not "disappear" .
4072 views
A 43-year-old member asked:
What to do if I have vitiligo?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A Verified Doctor answered
A US doctor answered Learn more
Go on living!: Hi. Vitiligo will not hurt you, unless you forget to put sunscreen over it for a day in the sun! ;-)
Sometimes it clusters with other autoimmune diseases, so if your health status changes, see your doc!
Good luck!
3802 views
A 41-year-old member asked:
Can you tell me about it's like to try a treatment for vitiligo that actually worked?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A Verified Doctor answered
A US doctor answered Learn more
Vitiligo: Vitiligo treatment requires medical history, medical exam, most likely also lab tests.
You would be best seeing a Dermatologist but you may need to go to your doctor first.
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Last updated Oct 2, 2015
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