The skin condition where you lose pigment is called vitiligo. It is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color when melanocytes, the skin cells that make pigment, are attacked and destroyed, causing the skin to turn a milky-white color. The white patches usually appear symmetrically on both sides of the body, such as on both hands or both knees. Vitiligo can affect any area of skin, but it commonly happens on the face, neck, and hands, and in skin creases. The areas of skin most commonly affected by vitiligo include the mouth and eyes, fingers and wrists, armpits, groin, genitals, and inside the mouth. Anyone can get vitiligo, and it can develop at any age, but for many people with vitiligo, the white patches begin to appear before age 20 and can start in early childhood. Vitiligo seems to be more common in people who have a family history of the disorder or who have certain autoimmune diseases. Although there is no cure for vitiligo, treatments can be very effective at stopping the progression and reversing its effects, which may help skin tone appear more even.