Vitiligo is a skin condition in which large patches skin lose the pigmentation and become discolored from the rest of the skin.  The exact cause is unknown, but it has been suggested that vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder and possibly caused by genetics and  affected by environmental factors.

Sufferers have tried to hide their condition under cosmetics, they avoid sunlight to make the lighter skin seem less noticeable, use corticosteroid cream, use photo therapy with long UV rays, and used immunomodulator creams which has been shown to increase the risk of skin cancer.  All to get visible relief from the disease.

Recently a team at Kings College London showed in a study using mice that the ingredient in black pepper that makes it spicy, called peperine, and synthetic derivatives, can help repigmentation in vitiligo.  It was especially effective when photo therapy treatment using UV rays was added to it.

This study is set to be published in the British Journal of Dermatology.  With this new study, there is evidence to support a clinical trial.  This could mean new relief in those who suffer from Vitiligo.