Top 5 Vitiligo Causes

Exact Vitiligo Causes have not yet been identified precisely.

There are many theories as to what causes Vitiligo. But surprisingly no medical study has yet confirmed the exact cause of Vitiligo.

As you might have read in the Vitiligo Cure article, Vitiligo occurs when your own immune system attacks melanin-forming cells (also called as Melanocytes).

Due to this the Melanocytes stop producing the pigment which gives your skin its normal color.

Other than this there are some other conditions which are suspected to cause Vitiligo.

Given below are the top 5 Vitiligo Causes:

  1. Autoimmunity
  2. Genetic
  3. Oxidative Stress
  4. Neural Cause
  5. Self Destruction of Melanocytes

Let us go in detail of each of these Vitiligo causes.



This is the most suspected cause of all the other Vitiligo Causes.

Autoimmunity is a condition in which an organism fails to recognize its own constituent parts as itself. This makes your own immune system to act against your own cells and tissues.

Due to this your own immune system can attack Melanocytes which give your skin its normal color. Due to this the Melanocytes can get damaged or killed thus leading to Vitiligo.



Vitiligo is also believed to be caused by Genetic disorder.

There is strong evidence that people who suffer from Vitiligo inherit a group of 3 genes. These genes make them susceptible to Vitiligo.

As genes are inherited, Vitiligo is also thought to be hereditary. Vitiligo is found to be a common incidence in some families.


Oxidative Stress

Oxidative Stress is a condition which is caused due to an imbalance between production of reactive oxygen and your system’s ability to detoxify the reactive intermediates.

Oxidative Stress is known to harm cells and sometimes kill the cells.

This is the reason why there are chances that Oxidative Stress can harm or kill Melanocytes thus triggering Vitiligo.


Neural Causes

A particular pattern in the various types of Vitiligo called “Segmental Vitiligo” corresponds to the underlying nerves.

It has been suggested that certain chemical intermediaries get released from the nerve endings which can affect Melanocytes.

Some of the people suffering from Vitiligo have mild degenerative or regenerative changes in the nerve cells which lie beneath the de-pigmented body areas.


Self Destruction of Melanocytes

There is a protective mechanism in Melanocytes which helps to destroy toxic melanin and free radicals.

Many experts have suggested what when there is a disturbance in this protective mechanism, Melanocytes can get damaged or killed and thus trigger Vitiligo.


Other Vitiligo Causes

Other than the above Vitiligo Causes, there are many other causes which are believed to cause Vitiligo.

Some of these are:

  1. Sunburn
  2. Stress
  3. Viral cause
  4. Exposure to Chemicals etc.


Though all of the above causes are widely believed to cause Vitiligo, none of them have been defined as the exact cause.

However the underlying theory remains common in all of the above causes, which is the destruction of Melanocytes.

Any harm to Melanocytes, can trigger Vitiligo.

Hope you have now got a fair idea of the various Vitiligo Causes and why it occurs.

In the next article we will talk about Vitiligo Symptoms.