Loss of normal skin color is a common problem. It can happen in a number of was which include the appearance of white skin spots, dark spots or other skin color changes. The appearance of white spots on the skin is a more common and widespread skin condition.  White skin spots usually indicate a loss of skin pigmentation. This is a condition caused by a number of factors. The spots could occur in a number of places including the neck, back, face, legs and arms. Usually these spots are harmless although in other cases depending on the cause, they may result in burning sensations causing itchy feet or the area they affect. The common problem is when they point to an underlying skin problem such as lack of nutrition or when they create an ugly appearance.

Some of the common causes of white spots include the following;

• Vitiligo - This is one of the main causes of spots on the body. It comes about as a result of destruction of melanocytes. These are cells which produce melanin, the skin coloring pigment. While the exact cause of vitiligo is not known, it has been associated to autoimmune disorders. It affects much of the body parts with white spots lips, hair, nose neck, and other exposed parts of the body.

• Tinea Versicolor - This is a fungal infection that results in itchy white spots on legs and other body parts where the fungus is active. The fungus interferes with the production of melanin causing the white patches. It tends to occur during warm and humid weather. It can be easily treated by prescribed oral anti fungal medications.

• Psoriasis - This is also a common skin condition which occasionally leads to white spots on legs especially the knees and also on the elbows. It also affects other body parts like the  scalp and palm of hands and soles of the feet. The patches are scaly and crusty. It is best treated by prescribed medicine from a doctor. You can also avoid conditions that tend to flare the condition up like stress, infections and ease the symptoms by moisturizing the skin.

• Leprosy - This condition affects the skin damaging nerves and causing white lesion on the body. It may also cause itchy feet but usually is associated with a loss of sensation/ feeling in the skin.. It can worsen over time leading to greater damage on the muscles if not treated. It is treated by antibiotics like rifampin, dapsone, clofazimine and macrolides.

• Idiopathic Guttate Hypomelanosis - This condition results in flat white spots about two to five millimeters in diameter. It is a condition common among women and people of fair skin.  The cause of the condition is not known but it’s associated with natural aging occurring in people above 40 years.

• Pityriasis Alba - This is a skin that affects children and adolescents. The condition leads to development of dry and scaly white patches on the face. These patches become more visible during summer. The cause of this condition is unknown. Other conditions that cause white spots on lips and body include milia and rare conditions like mycosis fungoides.

Vitiligo is a long term disease which causes large white skin patches. These patches can occur in any part of the skin. Usually, you may have white spots on face or other body parts exposed to sunlight. People affected by Vitiligo usually have little or no melanocytes which contain the skin pigmentation that produces skin color, melanin.

Who is affected?

Vitiligo is not transmittable thus you cannot get it from another person. It affects about two percent of the population. It is not age, gender or ace discriminative. However, it is more noticeable in people of darker or tanned skin. It develops early in life and 95% of those affected develop the disease before they get to forty years old. Symptoms of the disease vary from individual to individual. In some people, it does not go beyond a few white spots on face and other body areas. However, in others it involves the appearance of white patches almost in every body part. 

Vitiligo runs in the family thus those coming from a family with a history of Vitiligo and premature graying of the hair are at a higher risk of developing the condition. Other people likely to be affected are those with autoimmune disorders. Both men and women face equal risk for the occurrence of white patches on skin.

Causes

Vitiligo is as a result of the destruction of melanocytes. The exact cause of the destruction is not known however, several factors are the likely cause. First, it is possible that an autoimmune disorder could result in the body’s immune system destroying these cells. Another possible cause is harm to the skin either due to severe sunburn or cut. Other likely causes of white skin patches include neural disorders, viral causes and exposure to chemicals that can damage the skin.

Signs and symptoms of Vitiligo

Vitiligo develops gradually. It does not have symptoms unique to it alone thus you can only rely on signs. This is usually the occurrence of small white spots on the sections of the skin. These small spots later grow in diameter and as further pigmentation is lost become large white patches on skin. The growth of these white patches cannot be predicted as to how fast and how far it will spread. Vitiligo could occur in either of its two types; Segmental vitiligo or non segmental vitiligo.

Segmental vitiligo usually tends to affect one side of the body and spreads more rapidly. It is however, the rare form of the two affected about ten percent of the people diagnosed with vitiligo. It is more stable but the white spots are non symmetrical. Its less erratic nature makes it more responsive to topical treatment.

Non segmental vitiligo is the more common form of vitiligo. It tends to occur in one area and spreads less rapidly. The patches are symmetrical; affects both sides of the body almost in similar proportion.

Treatment

Treatment of vitiligo is available in the form of phototherapy with either UVB or UVA, cosmetics and skin grafting to change appearance of severely affected skin.

Vitiligo is a condition that causes lack of pigmentation on the skin which manifests as white spots on the body. It is a very distinguishable condition because it tends to happen symmetrically on both sides of the body. The white spots on skin can range from quite small to quite large and noticeable. Vitiligo may occur as white patches on face around the nose, eyes and mouth, or as white spots on lips.

This skin condition is believed to be an autoimmune condition and not caused by viral or bacterial sources. Because of this, it is not communicable and is harmless to the health of the individual. It however may cause psychological stress to the individual and low self-esteem. Counseling may be necessary in order to remain socially healthy. It is not possible to predict where the white blotches on skin will occur though it usually begins at the extremities. White spots on arms and legs begin at the fingers and toes or it may begin around the body’s orifices.

Vitiligo is prevalent in about 1% of the world’s population and occurs in all races. Persons affected are not born with the condition but lose their natural pigment in time. Their natural eye color may also be lost. The cause of the depigmentation is thought to be a result of an auto-immune process wherein the immune system starts attacking and destroying the pigment producing cells in the skin (melanocytes).

Vitiligo treatment mainly involves using steroids (oral and topical forms) and or light treatment in the form of ultraviolet B light. In cases unresponsive to treatment, cosmetic camouflage to mask the white patches on face and other areas, can produce excellent results. . The same may be applied to white spots on arms and legs and any part that is visible. White spots on the lips can also be concealed with special lipsticks and lip balms. Colored contact lenses may be won when eye color is lost. Newer topical therapies containing chemicals called calcineurin inhibitors can be particularly helpful for white patches on the face. These work in conjunction with sunlight to stimulate pigmentation.

The use of phototherapy to restore skin pigment does carry a risk of skin cancer. This applies to both artificial and natural light. However this is not particularly a problem if one is having a single course of UVB for vitiligo treatment, when the risk of skin cancer is minimal. In fact, UV light bulbs are also used in the early detection of Vitiligo. Small white spots on skin will glow in UV light even if they are not yet noticeable to the naked eye.

If the affected person decides to try out phototherapy, there are different clinics that offer the service. A kit may also be bought to conduct therapy at home. Oral steroids in conjunction with daily doses of phototherapy, can reverse the condition in a few months. However, if the white blotches on skin have been there for more than 3 years, the therapy may have to be taken for months.