permanant tan

Hi, I live in New Zealand so in the southern hemisphere, and the tan is quite harsh down here. In January of this year on a particularly hot day, I went to the beach in Auckland and got very burnt on my back. I applied aloe vera every couple of hours while I was awake for the next two weeks. While I did peel a bit it was not as much as I expected. After this I did not expose my body to the sun much at all and it is now mid august and I still have a noticeable tan on my back and the tan line from my lower back where I was wearing my shorts is still quite noticeable. My question is can a tan be permanent or last a very long time because this tan line does not seem to fade at all and I have had zero sun exposure for the last few months as it is mid winter here

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Suntan may take some time to go away. Apply aloe vera gel on this area. Other treatment involves hydroquinone, azelaic acid, corticosteroids, tretinoin cream and laser treatment. Please discuss these options with your dermatologist before using them as they are not without side effects.

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 doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.