Discolored skin

[Long time sufferer]

Hi,
i am a 23 yr old female from india.the skin in my armpits and the back of my thighs and behind my knees are dark in color.i have mocha colored skin and these areas are almost black.the skin is smooth and soft to touch and the skin isn't raised or rough.
i also have dark,spotted pigemntation on my back which was diagonosed as Tinea versicolor.
my question is ,are the afore mentioned areas dark due to tinea versicolor?could it be acanthosis nigricans?
using 20% glycolic acid cream on my armpits,back of thighs and knees for 2 months showed no improvement.
can you please help me?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Acanthosis means thickening, so that seems unlikely.  Tinea versicolor can be dark, but doesn't usually concentrate in the armpits, back of thighs, or knees.

I think it would be reasonable for you to treat the condition as tinea.  You can do this by applying either selenium sulfide shampoo or clotrimazole cream (both over-the-counter) daily at beftime for two weeks.  If that doesn't make a difference, you might want to visit a dermatologist.  You could conceivably have eczema, which leaves dark skin overpigmented.  Some obscure darkenings can be treated with lightening creams, but it takes months of application to tell if that is working.

Good luck.

[Jessica Wilde]

I am experiencing some brown discoloration on my face.  I am 50 years old.  Is thie normal? What can I do about it?

Thank You.

Jessica

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Jessica:

Maybe not normal, but common.  Start by getting a cream containing 2% hydroquinone (nonprescription.)  Apply it twice a day for 2 months.  Avoid the sun, if there is any near you.  If that doesn't help enough, consult a physician.

Best.

Dr. R

[John]

MY NECK IS MUCH DARKER THAN MY SKIN TONE. iT IS LIKE BLOTCHES OF SKIN DISCOLORATION

wHAT COULD THIS BE

[xyz]

the skin in my armpits,neck and buttocks is much darker than therest of the skin tone.i have a dark brown complexion and have tried lightnening creams before.
can u suggest a treatment?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

xyz:

How long have you used lightening creams for?  Were they prescription-strength?  It takes months of intensive treatment to lighten skin.  (45 hydroquinone plus Retin-A is one choice.) You might want to see  dermatologist and revisit the question.

Dr. R

[Jessica]

I am 14 years old, and my armpits are dark. I've always been using deodorant and It wasn't dark as it was before in grade school, and ever since the 6th grade, when i started using deodorant it became really dark. This is very embarrasing and it causes me not to use sleeveless clothes. My mother tells me to scub it everyday, but it doesn't seem to brighten up. Any Suggestions?

[kelley rogers]

i had a photosensitive reaction to the sun from a medication i was taking . my skin was left hyperpigmented on the exposed surfaces,my reaction was bad ,ihad bleeding come to the surface of my skin, i couldn<t walk for aweek because the pain seemed to be in muscles and bones? when it peeled three weeks later you could see layer under layers of skin peeling.this happened when iwas 28, i was diagnosed at 31, with acintic keratoses,i have alot of these, on low side 25. do you think my skin could look like the 34 year old that iam or what harm can the ac/kr cause me,what prognosis can you see for me.

[Josh]

Im 17 and I have these small round dots on my upper arm about the size of a pea.. They are smooth and look like they are just beneath the skin but I cant feel them I can only see them.. They are 6 in one cluser and then like 3 more scattered out.. They are like a greyish black tint.. What could this be? Thanks

[anita]

Hello Doc,
I'm of Indian (Asian) origin. I'm of brown complexion & the skin in my axilla & the back of my upper thighs are much darker than the rest of my body.  After years of secret, self-research I'm convinced that the condition is Acanthosis Nigricans (the onset etc. coincided with the onset of puberty, the velvety feel of the skin etc.)
I know you have dismissed the condition as harmless & can't do much about it in some of your earlier responses to the condition. I hope you can still help me out, because although this is not a serious condition in a "heath" perspective, I am extremely embarressed by it.
I read the following article:
http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic1.htm
which claims that, "Topical medications that have been effective in some cases include keratolytics, podophyllin and topical tretinoin. Oral agents that have shown some benefit include etretinate and dietary fish oils. Cyproheptadine has been used in cases of malignant AN because it may inhibit the release of tumor products. Dermabrasion and external radiation may also be used to reduce the hyperkeratotic material."
What is your opinion on the suggested treatment options?
How expensive do you think this might be (considering insurances do not cover cosmetic precedures) - just an estimate should do.
What exactly is meant by "insulin resistance"? If it hormonal related than is there any hormonal treatment at all (correction of the insulin resistant state)?
I would be grateful for any insight you can throw on the issue.
Thank you.
Anita

[Bob Freiberg]

I am 53 years young. On my right cheek are two brown spots that are getting darker. After reading all the Q & A I understand this is normal and nothing to worry about. Will the 2% Hydroquinone help to fade these spots.
                                       THANKS

[Amanda Pack]

I have a rare facial disorder called Chromhidrosis (or known as blue colored sweat on both cheek bones.  Is there anything that can be done for this.  It is really bad when I work out at the gym.  Anything I can do?

[legs]

what would cause apersons legs to purple and then black over a 24 hour time frame

[Salms]

Hello Doctor

I am a 22 year old woman and i have very dry lips. I have been applying chap-sticks for a very long time and my lips stay in control as long as i use the chap-stick. The moment i stop using chap-stick they become very dry and start bleeding. I tried homeopatic medicine but it did not help me. I tried vaseline and that did not help me either. With time i feel that the effect of the chap stick is also wearing off. Please help me.

[jennifer]

I am biracial with a light brown/olive complexion due to many suntans that never faded.  It looks strange because I have tanlines and I would like to lighten my skin just one or two shades.  I was using something called Reviva brown spot remover containing two percent hydroquinone.  Then, I read somewhere that seventy percent of the people that use hydroquinone get some sort of disease.  Is this true and if so, am I at risk even though I only used it for six weeks?

[Melissa Olivarez]

I have been treating various brown spots that have appeared on my face with an over the counter skin cream that contains a solution of 2% Hydroquinone.  After some time of use, about one month, I am seeing results, but have noticed that sunlight makes it slowly reappear.  Is there nothing that can be perscribed to permanently remove these spots?  It just seems like these lightening creams are a mere bandaid to a more serious problem.  Can this not be cured once and for all, or is this something I will always have to deal with every summer?  

[Melissa Olivarez]

I have been treating various brown spots that have appeared on my face with an over the counter skin cream that contains a solution of 2% Hydroquinone.  After some time of use, about one month, I am seeing results, but have noticed that sunlight makes it slowly reappear.  Is there nothing that can be perscribed to permanently remove these spots?  It just seems like these lightening creams are a mere bandaid to a more serious problem.  Can this not be cured once and for all, or is this something I will always have to deal with every summer?  

[Melissa Olivarez]

I have been treating various brown spots that have appeared on my face with an over the counter skin cream that contains a solution of 2% Hydroquinone.  After some time of use, about one month, I am seeing results, but have noticed that sunlight makes it slowly reappear.  Is there nothing that can be perscribed to permanently remove these spots?  It just seems like these lightening creams are a mere bandaid to a more serious problem.  Can this not be cured once and for all, or is this something I will always have to deal with every summer?

I am a 30 year old female with two small children.  I never had this problem until after the birth of my first child.  Any connection there?

Any information you have would be greatly appreciated.

[jennifer]

I'm 23 and have a five month old.  About 2 to 3 months ago, I also developed some light brown spots on my face.  They're on my upper lip, and at first I thought I was growing a mustache, which, now that I think about it, would be easier to treat.  Instead, I've just got these light brown freckles that won't go away no matter what I do.  So yes, I think it may be connected to having children.  Good luck, I hope you find a way to treat it, I'm trying, and if I discover anything, I'll post it here.

[Maria]

I am 44 years old.  Have had dark patches on my click for about 11 years. patches started when I first started taking birth control.  Can't fine anything to remove them.  Please advise.
Thanks.

[Maria]

I am 44 years old.  Have had dark patches on my click for about 11 years. patches started when I first started taking birth control.  Can't fine anything to remove them.  Please advise.
Thanks.

[Maria]

Asked for advise on Monday October 23, 2000. Dark patches on cheeks for 11 years. Did not give me any advise, thank you. Oh, please remove my comment from you page.

[Marcus_Hilton]

A related discussion, How to get rid of dark spos on my back was started.