Vitiligo is a type of hypopigmentation, a condition when your skin is lighter than normal. It happens when your body makes less melanin, which gives your skin its color (pigment). Vitiligo causes smooth, white patches on the skin, sometimes all over the body. Vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder your body damages the pigment-producing cells. It has no cure. Treatments include cosmetic cover-ups, corticosteroid creams, calcineurin inhibitors or ultraviolet light treatments.