The course and severity of pigment loss differ with each person. Light-skinned people usually notice the contrast between areas of vitiligo and suntanned skin in the summer. Year round, vitiligo is more obvious on people with darker skin. Individuals with severe cases can lose pigment virtually everywhere. There is no way to predict how much pigment an individual will lose.
Typical vitiligo shows areas of milky-white skin.
However, the degree of pigment loss can vary within each vitiligo patch. There may be different shades of pigment in a patch or a border of darker skin may circle an area of light skin. Vitiligo often begins with a rapid loss of pigment. This may continue until, for unknown reasons, the process stops. Cycles of pigment loss, followed by times where the pigment doesn't change, may continue indefinitely.