OBJECTIVES: Vitiligo is a condition characterized by the loss of skin pigmentation in patches, affecting approximately 1% of the global population. The need for vitiligo within the population remains unknown. This study aims to investigate unmet needs and spatiotemporal patterns of public interest in vitiligo.

METHODS: Google Ads Keyword Planner was used to generate web search data for vitiligo in the six most frequently spoken languages in Germany (Arabian, English, German, Turkish, Polish, and Russian), for Germany’s 16 federal states from 10/2019 to 05/2023. Keywords were classified into seven categories: “experts” (e.g., dermatologist vitiligo), “general” (e.g., vitiligo disease), “localization” (e.g., vitiligo face), “other” (e.g., Michael Jackson), “psychological aspects” (e.g., vitiligo due to stress), “treatment” (e.g., vitiligo treatment), and “symptoms” (e.g., vitiligo spots). Monthly search volume (SV) per 100,000 inhabitants was calculated for spatiotemporal comparison.

RESULTS: The SV for all six languages was 7,764,080. "General" was the largest category, comprising 66.4-95.7% of the SVs, except for Arabic, where "treatment" was the highest. In other languages, "treatment" was the second-largest category, accounting for 3.2-14.3% of the SVs. The other five categories varied between languages; e.g., psychological aspects were significant in Polish but negligible in others. Over time, an increase in SV was noted, with seasonal trends showing peaks in June and lows in December/January. Significant differences were observed between federal states (p<.001), with Hamburg (16,800/100,000 inhabitants) and Berlin (13,900/100,000) having the highest SVs, while Brandenburg and Thüringen (both 6,400/100,000) had the lowest.

CONCLUSIONS: The analysis highlights a significant demand for comprehensive treatment information and therapeutic provisions for vitiligo. Cultural backgrounds should be considered for other unmet needs. Spatiotemporal variations show heightened interest during summer and in federal states like Hamburg. Real-time internet data should be analyzed in greater detail to address needs related to vitiligo, especially with emerging therapeutic options.