Accutane and Pigmentation/Genital Bumps

Im on my 4th month of accutane at 40 mg a day.  I got back from Hawaii a couple weeks ago.  While in hawaii, I got a moderate tan; I only got burned the last day.  Even so, I was just a little pink and there was no pain at all.

After the burn became tan, I noticed something.  I had several pigment-less blotches on my right upper arm.  They were circular, about 1 inch in diameter.  As time went on, these spots develpoed on my left arm, then my forearms.  The spots got bigger too.  Ive lost about 1/4 the pigment on my right forearm.  The skin that loses its pigment starts out normal, gets really dry, cracks up, and then it loses all of its pigment.  

Is this normal with accutane?

Also, i have a little more embarassing problem.  For a while, ive had several acne like bumps on the shaft of my penis.  There are like 30, and they arent inflamed like acne.  You can pop them and everything like acne, and pus comes out.  They never go away though.

I though accutane may help this too, but I was too embarassed to ask my dermatologist about this.  What is this?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Accutane doesn't cause white spots.  People get white spots from fungus, but those are generally on the chest and back, not one arm.  I don't know what these are--you'll need to ask your doctor to look.

The bumps on your penis are cysts, not acne.  Accutane won't make them go away.  It's best to leave them alone.  Ask your doctor to look at these too, so you'll know for sure.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

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