Vitiligo is a long-term condition where pale white patches develop on the skin. It's caused by the lack of melanin, which is the pigment in skin. Vitiligo can affect any area of skin, but it commonly happens on the face, neck and hands, and in skin creases. The pale areas of skin are more vulnerable to sunburn, so it's important to take extra care when in the sun and use a sunscreen with a high sun protection factor (SPF). The areas of skin most commonly affected by Vitiligo include:

• mouth and eyes
• fingers and wrists
• armpits
• groin
• genitals
• inside your mouth

It can also sometimes develop where there are hair roots, such as on your scalp. The lack of melanin in your skin can turn the hair in the affected area white or grey. Vitiligo often starts as a pale patch of skin that gradually turns completely white. The center of a patch may be white, with paler skin around it. If there are blood vessels under the skin, the patch may be slightly pink, rather than white. The edges of the patch may be smooth or irregular. They're sometimes red and inflamed, or there's brownish discoloration (hyperpigmentation). Vitiligo does not cause discomfort to your skin, such as dryness, but the patches may occasionally be itchy. The condition varies from person to person. Some people only get a few small, white patches, but others get bigger white patches that join up across large areas of their skin. There's no way of predicting how much skin will be affected. The white patches are usually permanent. Symmetrical patches can appear on the:

• backs of your hands
• arms
• skin around body openings, such as the eyes
• knees
• elbows
• feet

Non-segmental Vitiligo is the most common type of Vitiligo, affecting around 9 in 10 people with the condition. You may be at increased risk of developing non-segmental Vitiligo if:

1. other members of your family have it
2. there's a family history of other autoimmune conditions – for example, if one of your parents has pernicious anémia (an autoimmune condition that affects the stomach)
3. you have another autoimmune condition
4. you have melanoma (a type of skin cancer) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system)
5. you have particular changes in your genes that are known to be linked to non-segmental vitiligo.

The Journal of Dermatitis is an open access, peer-reviewed scientific journal dealing with articles on various aspects of Dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, stasis dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, spongiotic dermatitis, chronic dermatitis, skin dermatitis, nummular dermatitis, exfoliative dermatitis, sweat dermatitis, facial dermatitis, neurodermatitis, advances in atopic dermatitis treatment, advances in perioral dermatitis, advances in stasis dermatitis treatment, acute dermatitis treatment, Natural Remedies for Dermatitis, Acrodermatitis, Dyshidrotic eczema, Baby Eczema, Nummular Eczema, Advances in Eczema Cure, Eczema Herpaticum, Eczema Natural Treatment, Dyshidrotic Eczema Home Remedies, Scalp Eczema, Hand Eczema, Alternative Medicine for Eczema, Hypnosis, Traditional Chinese herbs, Probiotics, Herbal Medicine for Eczema and Chinese Medicine for Eczema.

Journal of Dermatitis is using Editorial Tracking System for quality in review process. Editorial Tracking is an online manuscript submission, review and tracking systems used by most of the best open access journals. Review processing is performed by the editorial board members of journal or outside experts; at least two independent reviewers approval followed by editor's approval is required for acceptance of any citable manuscript.

Authors are requested to submit manuscripts online or send as an e-mail attachment to the Editorial Office at manuscripts@longdom.org