World Vitiligo Day

Every year June 25 is celebrated as the World Vitiligo Day to raise awareness regarding Vitiligo, fight prejudice, and raise funds for research, support & education. The aim of this day is to include the recognition of the bullying, social neglect, psychological trauma, and disability of millions of people affected by vitiligo. The primary purpose of this day is to raise money for research, give free skin exams, and educate physicians on how to best take care of patients with vitiligo.

Vitiligo is the long term skin condition in which the skin loses the pigment i.e. melanin, essential for determining the color of skin, hair, and eyes. This leads to the slow growth of the white patches of irregular shapes on the skin. Vitiligo can also affect the mucous membranes, including tissues inside the mouth and nose. It can affect people of all skin types but is generally noticeable much in darker skin people.

Vitiligo Facts

  • Around 1 out of 10 people i.e. 1-2% of people are suffering from Vitiligo worldwide
  • The United States accounts for the highest prevalent cases of Vitiligo in comparison to the EU5 (Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom) and Japan
  • Vitiligo is classified as the non-segmental, and segmental Vitiligo. Non-segmental Vitiligo is most prevalent in comparison to the segmental Vitiligo
  • Approximately, 95% of the people develop the condition prior to age 40.
  • Around 20% of people have a family member suffering from Vitiligo
  • Males and females are almost equally affected by Vitiligo
  • Vitiligo is sometimes associated with certain other medical conditions, including thyroid dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, Addison’s disease, etc.
  • Several factors such as autoimmune disease, genetic factors, sunburn or any cut, oxidative stress, neurochemicals, and exposure to the industrial chemicals increase the risk of developing Vitiligo