Sun Spots

Whenever I go in the sun i develop spots on my face that are a little lighter then the tan on the rest of my face. They go away when i lose my tan but I wear sunscreen of about 45 spf and I would like to find away that i can get a nice, even tan, while avoiding these skin discolorations.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

From the symptoms,it looks like pityriasis versicolor.It is caused by a fungus that lives in the skin of almost all adults. Factors that can cause the fungus to become more visible include high humidity and immune or hormone abnormalities.This fungus is a part and parcel of normal skin flora but may become obvious after some conditions and sun exposure is one of them.

Treatment involves topical and oral antifungal medicines.Apply topical antifungal creams or lotions and if the symptoms persist then oral antifungals may be needed.

Hope it helps. Take care and pls do keep me posted if you have any additional queries.