Vitiligo is a chronic skin condition that affects between one and two percent of the world’s population. The condition causes the loss of pigment in the skin, usually starting in the extremities. Vitiligo is believed to be the result of a combination of factors including genetics, the auto-immune system and the environment, usually becoming evident in young adulthood and progressing over time.

New research by British scientists may point to hope for those suffering from vitiligo. A study conducted at King’s College London showed that piperine, the pungent flavor in black pepper, helped stimulate skin pigmentation. Importantly, synthetic derivatives of piperine also showed themselves effective. The combination of piperine and currently existing ultraviolet phototherapy techniques proved even more effective.

According to Antony Young, a King’s College photobiologist involved in the study said, “We have shown that topical treatment with piperine stimulates even pigmentation in the skin. This provides support for the future clinical evaluation of piperine and its derivatives as novel treatments for vitiligo.”

Vitiligo is most devastating for people with darker skin tones as the disease attacks and destroys the melanin in the skin that gives it its color. In fact, Michael Jackson attributed the whitening of his skin to this disorder in a 1993 television interview. In addition to giving skin its pigment, melanin also helps protect the skin from the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight. So it comes as no surprise that vitiligo sufferers have a significantly increased risk of developing skin cancer.

Roughly 50 percent of those with vitiligo begin exhibiting uneven patches of de-pigmented skin before they reach their 20’s. Depending on the severity of the disease in each patient, these patches of skin may stay the same size, grow or even shrink over time. Little is known about the trigger factors of the disease, but in some cases it appears that mild trauma to the skin – for instance where friction from shoes or socks rub abrades the skin of the ankles – can cause new areas of affected skin. Vitiligo on the scalp can also cause the hair to grow in different colors, leaving typically white patches or streaks.

Current treatments for vitiligo include steroids applied directly to the affected skin areas and phototherapy. Unfortunately, many patients do not respond to the hormones and, ironically, the phototherapy, although used as a treatment, also poses a skin cancer risk for patients. The prospect of using piperine to treat the condition is welcome news to the medical community and those who suffer from the disease.

The study showed that the use of the piperine compound stimulated the skin to produce a light brown color over a six week period. When combined with radiation treatments, the piperine caused even deeper pigmentation over the same time period. More research is needed on piperine, but for now, there appears to be hope in pepper.

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