Vitiligo and psoriasis are chronic autoimmune conditions that cause changes in your skin. While it’s possible to have both at the same time, they’re two separate skin conditions with different symptoms.

Vitiligo is a skin condition characterized by pale skin patches that develop when the body attacks and destroys melanocytes.

Melanocytes are the cells that create skin pigment (color).

Psoriasis, on the other hand, causes skin cells to multiply rapidly. This results in dry, inflamed, and scaly skin plaques that may be red, purple, or silvery.

Keep reading to learn more about the connection between vitiligo and psoriasis and their causes, symptoms, and treatments.

Research suggests there may be a strong connection between vitiligo and psoriasis.

A 2017 study found that psoriasis was more common in participants with vitiligo than it was in participants without vitiligo. However, the authors did not find a significantly higher prevalence of vitiligo among participants with psoriasis.

A 2019 review found that anyone with either psoriasis or vitiligo was at greater risk of developing the other condition than people without a condition.

Generally, experts seem to agree that psoriasis and vitiligo share some risk factors and may be connected.

The exact causes of vitiligo and psoriasis aren’t fully understood. However, both skin conditions are autoimmune diseases, which means the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells and tissues.

Risk factors for developing an autoimmune condition may include:

  • genetics
  • environmental factors, such as weather, allergens, or exposure to toxins
  • lifestyle and dietary habits
  • infections
  • other health conditions

Vitiligo may develop at any age, but nearly 50% of people with vitiligo develop it before the age of 21 years. Psoriasis, on the other hand, tends to develop between ages 20–30 and 50–60 years.

Some risk factors for developing vitiligo may include:

  • another autoimmune condition
  • some cancers, such as melanoma or non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  • emotional distress
  • kidney or liver problems
  • chemical exposure

Some risk factors for developing or triggering psoriasis symptoms may include:

In vitiligo and psoriasis, your immune system attacks healthy tissues in two separate ways. Here’s a look at some of the unique signs and symptoms of both conditions.

Vitiligo symptoms

Vitiligo causes depigmentation, which is when the skin loses its melanin. This may lead to the following symptoms:

  • depigmented skin patches anywhere on the body, including the face, arms, feet, and backs of your hands
  • patches of white hair on the head, eyebrows, eyelashes, and beard
  • uveitis
  • partial hearing loss

Your symptoms may appear differently depending on which type of vitiligo you have. There are two types:

  • Nonsegmental: This type is more common. It causes symmetrical skin patches on both sides of your body.
  • Segmental: This type is far less common. It causes depigmented skin patches on one side of your body only.

Psoriasis symptoms

Symptoms of psoriasis will depend on which type of psoriasis you have. Plaque psoriasis is the most common.

The hallmark signs of psoriasis include:

  • thick, scaly skin plaques that develop on your scalp, elbows, knees, and feet
  • skin patches that itch and burn
  • nails that are thickened, pitted, or ridged
  • dry skin that may crack and bleed

Psoriasis also causes cycles where your symptoms may worsen or reappear (flare-ups), and then improve or disappear (remission). Each period may last days, weeks, or even months.

Melanin and psoriasis

Did you know that melanin can affect the way psoriasis looks on your skin?

Learn more about how psoriasis can look in people with varying skin tones.

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There’s no cure for vitiligo or psoriasis, but some treatment options may help you manage both conditions.

A board-certified dermatologist can help develop the best treatment plan for you.

Vitiligo treatment

Current treatments for vitiligo mainly involve strategies to stop immune cells from attacking melanocytes and help restore color to depigmented areas.

Treatment approaches may include:

Challenging stigma

Many people with vitiligo find beauty in the variations it creates and seek to reduce the stigma around the condition rather than change their skin. Models with vitiligo like Winnie Harlow and Curtis McDaniel have spoken openly about their journeys and the power of self-acceptance.

Read Tamara Gane’s story.

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Psoriasis treatment

The goal of psoriasis treatment is to help decrease the rapid skin cell turnover that causes skin plaques and to relieve symptoms.

Depending on the type and severity of psoriasis, treatment may involve a combination of:

Autoimmune diseases can run in families, but not everyone inherits them or develops symptoms. That said, once you receive a diagnosis of one autoimmune disorder, you’re often more at risk of developing another.

Vitiligo is more common in people with certain autoimmune diseases, such as:

Psoriasis is also associated with other health conditions, including:

Can you have psoriasis and vitiligo?

Yes, it’s possible to receive a diagnosis of both skin conditions.

What kind of autoimmune disease causes vitiligo?

Vitiligo has been associated with several other autoimmune conditions, including thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus, among others.

Can psoriasis cause white spots?

Psoriasis may cause dry, inflamed skin plaques with silvery scales, which may appear white.

Vitiligo and psoriasis are both autoimmune conditions.

Current research suggests a link between the two conditions. For example, people with vitiligo are more likely to develop psoriasis than people without vitiligo, although more research is needed to support the reverse.

Both vitiligo and psoriasis are also associated with an increased risk of developing other autoimmune diseases. While there is no cure for either condition, treatments are available.