The cause is possibly an autoimmune

The cause is possibly an autoimmune disease. This is when the body's immune system attacks a part of the body. This causes inflammation and damage to the affected part of the body. In people with lichen sclerosus the genital area of skin may be attacked by some parts of the immune system which then causes inflammation. However, this has not been proved and it is not known what triggers lichen sclerosus to develop.