Q White patches suddenly appeared on the back of my hand—why did I develop vitiligo?
A Vitiligo is believed to arise from autoimmunity, in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own melanocytes. It often begins when triggers such as stress, severe sunburn, or friction are added to a genetic predisposition.
Detailed Answer
The most likely cause of vitiligo is autoimmunity. Immune cells that should defend against outside invaders instead mistake the pigment-producing melanocytes for the enemy and destroy them, causing the color to fade. The likelihood increases if a family member has vitiligo or another autoimmune disease, and major stress, surgery, severe sunburn, or repeated friction can act as triggers. It is not a disease caused by any fault of your own or by poor hygiene.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
In Korean medicine, this kind of immune confusion is seen not as something that appears suddenly, but as a signal that emerges after fatigue, stress, and digestive strain have accumulated over a long time and broken the body's balance. So that the body is not so easily shaken by the same triggers, stabilizing the immune system and supplementing the weakened interior together is taken as the starting point of treatment.
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Q
Honestly, is it too much to hope the white patches disappear completely? Realistically, how far can I expect to recover?
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Along with vitiligo I also developed alopecia areata, and the hair in the patch areas has turned white. Can these improve together too?
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I have patches on the backs of my hands and face, so I feel self-conscious meeting people. Is it okay to use makeup or to cover them?
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