Vitiligo, a condition commonly associated with skin discoloration, can also affect other melanocyte-rich areas in your body—including your inner ear. These color-producing cells play an unsung (but critical) role in our hearing abilities. Damage to these melanocytes can lead to difficulties with hearing certain sound frequencies, especially the higher ones.

Now, let’s not single out vitiligo too harshly. Hearing loss is hardly its exclusive domain. It’s a widespread issue, affecting millions across age groups, ethnicities, and health conditions. In the U.S. alone, over 25 million people wrestle with some degree of hearing loss.

In laboratory conditions, the ideal human hearing range spans from about 12 Hz all the way up to 28 kHz. But like hairlines, our hearing range tends to shrink with age. Most teenagers can detect sounds up to 18 kHz, those under 40 hover around 15 kHz, and by the time we hit 50, many of us can’t hear much above 12 kHz. This gradual drop in high-frequency hearing can make noisy restaurants and dinner parties slightly more frustrating. That said, an “average” person still hears well between 250 Hz and 8 kHz — the range needed for everyday conversations.

Now to the meat of the matter: can vitiligo affect hearing? For years, researchers have debated this point. Some said yes, others shrugged. But recent studies increasingly suggest that people with vitiligo are indeed more prone to subtle high-frequency hearing loss — usually without any noticeable symptoms.

Specifically, they may have trouble hearing higher-pitched sounds (from 2 kHz to 8 kHz) while still picking up lower “speech-frequency” tones (250 Hz to 1 kHz) just fine.

Here’s how that plays out in real life:

• Low frequency (50 - 250 Hz): The hum of a refrigerator or air conditioner. 
• Low-mid frequency (250 - 500 Hz): A car idling or driving past. 
• Mid frequency (500 Hz - 2 kHz): Human speech, particularly vowel sounds.
• High-mid frequency (2 - 4 kHz): The ringing of a telephone or doorbell. 
• High frequency (4 - 20 kHz): Birdsong, particularly of small birds like sparrows or finches.

Given that most of life’s audio landscape sits in the low to mid frequencies, high-frequency hearing loss often flies under the radar.

But here’s the new twist: a fresh study published in Nature (March 2025) sheds light on previously overlooked factors. Researchers found that environmental conditions — like whether you live in a city or up in the mountains — significantly influence cochlear function. Yes, you read that right. Elevation, urban noise levels, and possibly even air quality may affect how well our ears perform, especially in populations already prone to hearing differences, such as people with vitiligo.

This study also reinforced earlier findings: there’s no strong link between hearing loss and the type, duration, or spread of vitiligo. However, people who developed vitiligo later in life, and older individuals in general, tended to have more pronounced hearing loss. Other known risk factors include being male, having high cholesterol, heart disease, or certain autoimmune conditions. The role of ethnicity? Still a mystery.

In conclusion, while only a small fraction of vitiligo patients may notice a dip in their high-frequency hearing, it’s something worth keeping an ear on — especially if your job relies on fine auditory detail (hello, musicians and sound engineers).

It’s a good idea to get your hearing tested now and then, especially if you have vitiligo. Protect your ears from loud noises, ototoxic meds, and other auditory bullies. Your future self will thank you.

It's recommended that people with vitiligo get their hearing checked and take precautions to prevent additional hearing loss from factors like loud noises, certain chemicals or harmful medications. 

🎧 Want to dive deeper into this topic?

Check out our brand-new podcast episode: Episode #29 – “Melodies and Melanin: When Vitiligo Affects What You Hear”

Suggested reading:

• Which diseases most commonly accompany vitiligo?
• Any link between vitiligo and military service?
• How to get insurance coverage for vitiligo treatments?