Living with vitiligo: results from a national survey indicate differences between skin phototypes

Funding sources: Funding support for editorial assistance was provided by Pierre Fabre SA, France. Conflicts of interest: C.T. is employed by Pierre Fabre SA. Dear Editor, Vitiligo, an acquired, idiopathic skin disease characterized by a generally progressive loss of inherited skin colour, has an estimated worldwide prevalence of 0·5–1%.1 2 Although vitiligo is more noticeable in individuals with dark skin, the prevalence is similar to that in the overall population.3 Despite not being life threatening, vitiligo is a serious skin disorder and the overall disease burden in individuals with vitiligo is often underestimated.3 The current study determined the burden, in the broadest sense (including impact on quality of life, self‐perceived stress and self‐image) of vitiligo on daily life and, in particular, assessed differences in the perception of vitiligo and its management in fair vs. dark skin phototypes. We conducted a cross‐sectional monocentric study in 300 patients with vitiligo, within the framework of developing a new specific vitiligo burden questionnaire. Consulting dermatologists recorded patient demographic/clinical characteristics, and classified patients as having ‘fair skin’ (phototype I–III) or ‘dark skin’ (phototype IV–VI). This study was approved by the Commission Nationale Informatique et Libertés and by the local ethics committee of the University Hospital of Bordeaux.