While vitiligo’s visibility on the internet and in fashion is constantly expanding from video games to models with vitiligo and more, representation of the condition has been notably absent from the silver screen especially when featuring the real stories of real people—until now.  Directed by Tonia Magras (a three-time Emmy award winner and seven-time nominee) and Calvin Lindsay, More Than Our Skin, released earlier this year, features the stories of five real women living with vitiligo and aims to raise awareness about the condition while also spreading the message that “skin does not d ..read more

Opzelura. JAK inhibitors. Skin grafting. With all the progress for vitiligo within science in recent years, there’s less conversation about the flip side—the people living with the condition day to day. How much data do we really have about trends and commonalities among people living with vitiligo? Like, what’s it like trying to get a diagnosis or treatment? How has vitiligo affected your quality of life? What support do people living with vitiligo need? The answer has been, sadly: not much. And that’s exactly why a new study out of the UK is garnering attention. The Vitiligo Society, a UK ch ..read more

Get cozy, grab a snack and get ready to talk—that was the invitation shared as the Los Angeles Vitiligo Support Group’s meeting opened on a January evening. The group’s second meeting since founding, the event had nearly thirty people in attendance both virtually and in-person at the Vitiligo Pigmentation Institute of Southern California. Leading the meeting were two renowned dermatologists and experts in vitiligo—Dr. Pearl Grimes and Dr. Nada Elbuluk. And their enthusiasm for supporting the globally based patients on the call was heartwarming.  “I’m here until we’re done!” exclaimed Dr ..read more

The 2024 U.S. celebration of World Vitiligo Day—officially designated as June 25th—will take place June 21-23 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (See you there!) Celebrated annually, World Vitiligo Day was established with the aim of promoting awareness of vitiligo, educating healthcare providers about its care and treatment, and fundraising for research efforts. Over time, this day has evolved into a worldwide phenomenon, dedicated to honoring individuals coping with the condition and shedding light on the challenges they endure, including bullying, social exclusion and psychological distress. The USA ..read more

In the past decade, support for vitiligo has come a long way from funding and research to the first FDA drug for repigmentation and representation in media and culture. But we aren’t done yet. And that’s exactly why the new Global Vitiligo Foundation president—Dr. Pearl Grimes—is calling for ‘victories over vitiligo.’  Dr. Grimes, who has dedicated her career to studying and treating vitiligo, is the Founder and Director of the Vitiligo & Pigmentation Institute of Southern California and The Grimes Center for Medical and Aesthetic Dermatology. This past fall, she also started her pres ..read more

Nine years ago, a young woman who’d spent almost a decade trying to hide or disguise her vitiligo watched Winnie Harlow compete on “America’s Next Top Model.” That moment—of seeing a model who looked like her—sparked a journey of self-acceptance for Scotland native Aimee McKay. By sharing her story with others and simply letting people see her vitiligo, Aimee found the self-confidence to embrace her spots. Although she had “zero experience,” in 2023 Aimee took a courageous step to compete in the Miss Great Britain beauty pageant. She went on to be crowned Miss Great Britain Glasgow, but her re ..read more

Supermodels and video games may not be an everyday combination, but this February, it was a match made in virtual heaven when Winnie Harlow and The Sims partnered to bring vitiligo representation—and customizable skin features—to the best-selling video game. The Sims is a series of life simulation video games and is one of the best-selling video game series of all time. And the latest update to the game—The Sims 4—brings vitiligo to the game as a customizable skin feature. This means that for the first time, Sims players living with vitiligo can see their avatars reflect their vitiligo skin in ..read more

Whether she’s on the local news, speaking at a dermatology conference or hosting a walkathon for vitiligo, Tonja Johnson’s message is loud and clear—‘there is no flaw in me.’ It’s not only her personal motto but one of the founding principles of her Florida-based non-profit organization, Beautifully Unblemished. After being diagnosed with vitiligo in 2014, Tonja put her professional health experiences to work for those with this autoimmune disease, advocating local and state school and government agencies and showing up for those who are being diagnosed. Here’s her story. Name: Tonja Johnson A ..read more

Published May 2018; Updated January 2024 Whether you love your skin or are struggling with your skin, living with vitiligo takes a certain kind of tenacity and strength to live with day to day. It’s nearly impossible to navigate the loss of your skin’s pigment without some impact on your mental health, confidence or even relationships or interactions with those around you. In fact, it’s easy to come face-to-face with anxiety, negative self-talk and depression. And that’s before you even walk out your door each day. At any moment, a rude comment or staring eyes can tear you down and send your m ..read more

This post was created in partnership with Vitiligo Vanquish. After getting vitiligo at seven years old, I spent more than a decade with spotted skin. While I never experienced bullying or social isolation because of my skin, I struggled internally with self-esteem and self-love. For the world, I put on a courageous smile. Inside, I was devastated by my reflection in the mirror, a reflection that I barely recognized. In my early twenties, I decided to start wearing tanner head to toe. At that point, I was heavily depigmented, and the tanner was able to camouflage what little pigment I had left ..read more