Blotchy skin only on my right hand, near thumb

For a few years now I have had discoloration only on my right hand that begins at the base of my thumb and goes down my wrist two inches. It's never caused me any sort of discomfort, so I've never worried about it. It seems to show more when I'm cold, or hungry but is always there. I have dealt with anemia in the past and have always considered it to be something to do with my iron. I'm very vigilant about my iron intake now, and the discoloration still exists. It's just my skin tone with blotchy red-ish spots. Is it just my pigmentation, or is it an indicator of something I should look into?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
I cannot confirm anything without examination but it can be solar lentigo. They are harmless, flat, brown discolorations of the skin which usually occur on the back of the hands. They are caused by the skin being exposed to the sun over many years and are a sigh of sun damage. The only way to prevent age spots is to use liberal amounts of sunscreen before the age of forty, avoid the sun, and wear protective clothing. The newest treatment for age spots is an alpha hydroxy acid gel or beta hydroxy acid gel.  Retin-A cream, alpha hydroxyacid peels, and liquid nitrogen therapy are other options.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.