Vitiligo is a skin pigmentation disorder that causes white patches of skin, usually in sun-exposed areas. Vitiligo commonly runs in families and in many instances coexists with other autoimmune conditions like thyroiditis and rheumatoid arthritis. Treatment of vitiligo is not easy. Combination treatment using light therapy, creams or ointments, depigmentation and skin grafting surgery is sometimes necessary to control the condition. When all else fails, camouflaging is effective in reducing the cosmetic burden of the disease. Vitiligo is considered an autoimmune disease, in which for some unknown reason, your immune system ?attacks? the melanin-producing cells in the skin and inhibits pigment production. This leaves blotchy white patches on the surface of the body, unfortunately often on the face. Vitiligo is more disfiguring for dark-skinned people, some of whom resort to lightening the surrounding skin with harsh bleaching agents to attempt to restore a homogeneous skin tone. On the bright side, vitiligo is not contagious, nor will it shorten your life. Some people with vitiligo also have a thyroid problem, and if addressed, the vitiligo improves. To figure out if autoimmune low thyroid status (Hashimoto?s thyroiditis) is the problem, have your doctor check the thyroid antibodies (a test abbreviated TPO). These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.