RESUMO
Vitiligo is a progressive condition and relatively common depigmentary disorder that affects about 1-4% of general population. There is no effective treatment for it so far. In Iran, no exact estimation of vitiligo prevalence is available, but it has been estimated that 0.9 to 1.2% of the total population are suffering from vitiligo. As vitiligo does not result from a traumatic event or significantly impair physical health and it causes no pain, it represents an ideal model for examining the psychological phenomena of living with an appearance altering disease. Sixteen women who suffered from vitiligo were recruited into this hermeneutic phenomenological study. Data were analyzed using Dickelman and Allen method. Four subordinate themes were identified: perceptions of self, perceptions of disease, adaptation to the disease [acceptance or non acceptance of the disease], others and disease [significant others, supportive behavior and threatening behavior]. Women affected with vitiligo during their marriage-ready years, in addition to their mental problems resulting from a skin disease and marred beauty; face various other social problems such as rejection by associates, isolation, divorce and an obligatory choice of a single life. Since stress is a known exacerebating factor for vitiligo, social support and psychotherapy, increasing awareness level of general population about this disease, revision of social law, may help to break the visicious cycle of disease exacerbation