Is vitiligo hereditary?

This isn’t known for sure, although some medical experts think vitiligo could have a hereditary component. One theory for this is based on the finding that some people afflicted with vitiligo have a family history of autoimmune disease. Since vitiligo is thought by some to be a type of autoimmune disease, where the immune system is responsible for the destruction of the melanocytes in the skin, the two could be related. Also, research shows that approximately one-fifth of people with vitiligo have at least one close relative also affected.