Vitiligo

A substance which gives color to the skin is termed as a “Pigment” and thisprocess is called “Pigmentation”. According to dictionary of popular medical terms, a pigment can be defined as “a substance which gives color to tissue”. Although, variations in skin color is genetic in origin but it also depends upon “pigment” especially “Melanin Pigment” is responsible for skin color.

The tone of human skin is ranging from black to colorless, which may appear pinkish white due to the presence of blood and blood vessels. Pigmentation is dependent to exposure of sunlight as it has been observed that people having ancestors lived in tropical areas and higher latitudes are mostly dark skinned because their skin is more exposed to sunlight than those lived in middle latitudes.

Melanocytes are the cells that produced melanin pigment. There are two types of melanin:-
•    Pheomelanin (red in color)
•    Eumelanin  (very dark brown in color)

Vitiligo