FAQI have vitiligo: will my children have vitiligo, too?

FAQ

Children born to parents who both have the disorder are more likely to develop vitiligo. However, most children will not get vitiligo even if one parent has it. In children with focal and segmental vitiligo, there is often no family history of vitiligo or other autoimmune disorders.

The frequency of vitiligo among first degree relatives in white, Indo - Pakistani, and Hispanic populations is 7.1%, 6.1%, and 4.8%, respectively. Identical twins with identical DNA have only a 23% chance of developing vitiligo, suggesting a significant non-genetic component in the disease.

In the recent VALIANT study (2022), almost three-fifths of patients (57%) noted a family history of vitiligo. It was most common among patients with the high percentage of body surface area affected by vitiligo, darker skin types, and facial lesions.

FAQOther Questions

  • Is it possible to stop the progression of vitiligo?

    The best way to stop the progression of vitiligo before initiating repigmentation therapy is through the use of oral corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs. Specifically: ...

  • Is vitiligo contagious?

    Vitiligo is NOT contagious. It cannot be passed on or caught from touching someone with vitiligo, shaking hands, swimming in the same pool, sharing towels, sitting next to someo...

  • Does halo nevi affect vitiligo development?

    Halo nevi (also known as Sutton's nevi) are characterized by a mole that's surrounded by a ring of depigmented or lighter skin. While both halo nevi and vitiligo involve the des...