Appearances of whitish spots or patches on skin have become a serious skin problem. One of the causes of these patches is the loss of pigmentary production cells. Many people get indulge in white patches on a specific or all body parts, but they don’t know the exact cause or reason behind these patches.

Pigmentation
Pigmentation refers to the skin coloring process. Our body contains special cells, melanocytes cells, which produce melanin cells. Melanin cells refer to the yellowish, brownish or blackish pigment cells. These pigment cells determine the skin color. Melanin also acts a sunscreen that helps to protect a person from sun or ultraviolet rays. If skin loss his pigmentary cells, then white patches are appeared on skin. Thus concluded the major reason of white patches is the loss of pigmentary cells in skin.
There are many reasons of the appearances of white patches, some of these are given below:

Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a skin disorder, appears due to depigmentation in skin. Although it is not contagious condition, but patients of vitiligo loss their confidence due to the loss of skin coloration.

Symptoms of vitiligo
Vitiligo symptoms are appearance of whitish spots or patches on skin. Mostly it is observed that earlier appearances of white patches are on those body areas that are exposed to sun rays.

Vitiligo causes
As defined above, the major cause of vitiligo is loss of pigmentary cells. With refer to depigmentation, other factors that are associated with vitiligo are:

Heredity
10 to 20 % of patients have been found engage with the disease, because their relatives have vitiligo. It is supposed to be transmitted by an autosomal dominant gene with unbalanced penetration.

Dietery deficiency
Lacking of nutritional components like phosphorous, calcium, vitamins, and proteins in body.Vitiligo can be appear by usage of broad spectrum antibiotics, adrenaline or thyroxin disorder, taking hyper level of stress, sue to the sun burn or sun exposure etc.

Nevus Depigmentosus
Nevus depigmentation is also a cause of appearance of white patches on skin. It is due to the loss of pigmentary cells in skin, but totally different concept from vitiligo. Although there is no age limit in the appearances of white patches in case of nevus depigmentosus but in 19% cases this disorder is seen from birth. The earlier size of the spots or patches is small and mostly it is seen that spreading of these whitish spots is fairly stable and non-progressive. The symptoms of the nevus depigmentosus is the appearance of white spots or patches on body, in stable form.

Cause
melanocytes cells fail to produce pigmentary cells in skin.

Tinea versicolor
Tinea versicolor is not a pigmentation disorder, but it is a cause of appearance of white patches on skin, due to bacterial or fungal germs a person acquires from generic or surroundings.

Pityriasis Alba
It is a common skin disorder, appears mostly in children’s, also known as a chronic skin disorder. Whitish spots can be appeared in any body parts. Mostly boys are affected by Pityriasis Alba then girls. The whitish spots are appearing in lighter form and usually in dry nature. Thus it is mostly seen in winter because of their dryness. There is no major cause of this skin disorder; it can be due to the stress, smoke, heat or due to the melanocytes cells disorder.      

Hyper pigmentation
Many dark spots are appeared due to the excessive production of melanin cells, in a skin. It is normally appears due to the sun bur or sun exposure.