Red spots on palm and wrists that come and go...

[john_19]

I get these red spots on my hands. They almost always occur in the same place. They occur on my wrists. Sometimes they feel itchy and sometimes they don't. The color is reddish/pinkish. They are not raised and they are not sores or pimple like. They look like as if the color of my skin has turned red only. When I press on them, the reddish color goes away. They go away completely by themselves. It usually takes a day or so.

Could this be allergic?
  

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
I cannot confirm anything without examination but it can be lichen planus. Lichen planus is an inflammatory disease that affects the skin and the oral mucosa, and presents itself in the form of papules(flat spots) or rashes. Treatment is available only on prescription and consists mainly of steroids, retinoids, hydroquinone and phototherapy.

My sincere advice is to consult a dermatologist and get the diagnosis confirmed. 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.

[john_19]

I should also add that a better description would be that they look like superficial discoloration. When I press on adjacent skin, I cannot see the spots anymore. Should I be worried?