Over the past few years I’ve read quite a few articles written by people who say that they were able to pigment their vitiligo by using the juice from ginger root. Let’s see if that’s true.
The specific cause of vitiligo is unknown but it is generally accepted to be an autoimmune disease where the individual’s own immune system destroys the melanocytes. The variety of clinical and experimental features along with different family histories suggests that vitiligo might be the end product of several pathological pathways. In all likelihood, vitiligo is a multifactorial disease with a combination of interrelating factors resulting in different degrees and rates of progression. It is thought that genetic factors, accumulation of toxic compounds, altered cellular environment, autoimmunity and impaired melanocyte function could all contribute to vitiligo.
There appears to be a genetic component to vitiligo, as 10% of patients have a family history of the condition and blood relatives have an increased risk of developing it. Multiple genes are likely to be involved, with different combinations inherited by different people. This is perhaps partially responsible for the extreme variability seen in vitiligo sufferers. Genes which could potentially be involved in the development of vitiligo include those responsible for autoimmunity regulation or melanin synthesis and degradation. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene encodes many elements essential to immune system function in humans; this site is frequently associated with vitiligo.