What are the causes of vitiligo? How common is vitiligo?

Surprisingly, the causes of vitiligo are yet to be precisely established, but most of the research so far points to the following:

• An autoimmune disorder - the patient's immune system becomes overactive, and destroys the melanocytes
• Genetic oxidative stress imbalance
• A stressful event
• Harm to the skin due to a critical sunburn or cut
• Exposure to certain chemicals
• A neural cause
• A viral cause