Vitiligo is a long-term skin problem that produces white patches of depigmentation on certain sections of skin. The patches on skin are of white in color and have sharp margins.

What exactly causes vitiligo is unknown. It may be an autoimmune disease. These diseases happen when your immune system mistakenly attacks some part of your own body. In vitiligo, the immune system may destroy the melanocytes in the skin. It is also possible that one or more genes may make a person more likely to get the disorder.