ABSTRACT
Vitiligo has been described in the manuscripts of every major religion. Its first depiction dates back more than 3000 years, to the earliest Vedic (pre-Hindu Indian) and Egyptian texts. Despite this early disease characterization, confusion with disorders such as leprosy has been a major social problem throughout history, leading to the stigmatization of persons with vitiligo. This discrimination is still widespread in some parts of the world. The ancient Egyptians and Indians also practiced phototherapy for vitiligo. This practice only became common in the Western world with development of psoralen plus ultraviolet A, and later ultraviolet B phototherapy in the latter half of the twentieth century.
