About Vitiligo :- Symptoms , Effects ,Transmission .
Skin gets its color from melanin in its uppermost layer , or epidermis. That melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes are destroyed or fail to function properly , the body cannot produce melanin , and the skin loses its color. This anomaly does not happen overnight , nor does it happen evenly throughout the body . Vitiligo can occur in three different forms :-
Focal , in which loss of color is limited.
Segmental , in which one side of the body loses color
Generalized , in which the symptoms are widespread.
Because lightening of the skin is more noticeable in people with darker complexions , Mcheal Jackson's case obvious both to him and to the public . But vitiligo can affect people of any skin tone. Between 0.5 to 1 percent of the world's population has the condition , which affects people of all races and both sexes equally .Symptoms are more likely to begin when a person is in his 20s . The most common starting points for the telltale white patches are above the eyes or on the neck , armpits , elbows , genitalia , hands or knees. Less common signs of vitiligo are premature graying of scalp hair and loss of color in the mucous membranes or retinas .
While doctors donot know why some people get vitiligo , they theorize that it is an autoimmune disease , a disorder in which the body attacks its own healthy tissue for unknown reasons . Heredity plays a role , although many people with vitiligo donot have a family member with the condition . Doctors believe a combination of genetic , immunalogic , neurogenic and environmental factors are at play in many cases . Some people first report seeing the white patches after severe sunburn (one more reason to always protect your skin by wearing sunscreen) , while others believe their vitiligo was triggered by emotional trauma . But is this condition contagious ? No. This disease isnot contagious.
