Sunlight can cause pigmentation even in normal people, something commonly known as tanning. This basic quality of sunlight is frequently exploited in treating vitiligo when it is combined with concurrent treatment. A number of physicians prescribe sun exposure in combination with medicines like Protopic/Elidel or topical steroids for vitiligo. PUVA-Sol is another technique where sunlight is simultaneously used.

While exposing skin to sunlight one must be very careful because burning the skin can damage it and possibly cause the vitiligo to spread. When starting a helio-therapy, one should start with a short exposure and gradually increase the exposure time. The vitiligo affected areas become pink after an exposure of few hours which is the desired effect. As skin becomes habitual to sunlight, it can take longer to gain pinkness on the affected area. Sunlight would need to be used at therapeutic levels consistently to achieve positive results.

Researchers have found that sunlight can damage deeper layers of skin in the absence of s superficial injury. This may in the form of wrinkling, spotting, lost elasticity and the dangerous skin cancer melanoma. Narrowband UVB is a safer alternative to sunlight. The same benefits can be achieved in few minutes. The safety of UVB is still being explored but currently it is believed to be less harmful.

People with autoimmune diseases often have low levels of vitamin D but it is not known whether it is a cause or the effect of disease. A sun exposure of fifteen minutes a day for at least three days a week usually sufficient to maintain good vitamin D reserves. Vitamin D helps in supporting the immune system and also helps in stimulating pigment cells. Vitamin D supplements can also be used to boost the reserves.