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Tanning Spots

I posted a question last week about white spots possibly from tanning in a tanning bed but some of my questions were not answered.  I will try again.  After tanning for about a month, I noticed small round white spots on my stomach, back, parts of my upper arms and inner thighs and on my rear end.  I was told it might be either (a) a skin fungus or (b) that is just the way my skin develops after tanning and possibly a lack of skin pigment.
I tried Selsun Blue, I researched it and that is what everyone is saying to use.  I have tanned in the past either by tanning bed or by laying out in the direct sun light and have never experienced such "Spots".  But, I have been tanning in a tanning bed more often than in the past.  About three times a week for 20 minutes with tanning excelerator with nutmeg as in ingredient.

1. Can I still tan in a tanning bed; will it make the spots worse  and spread and more noticible?
2. Will Selsun Blue really make my skin turn back to normal.
3. What else can I try?

I am a somewhat dark complected white female.  Please help! Shelley

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Avatar universal
hvw
The white "sun spots" are called tinea versicolor. It is a fungus and is not directly caused by tanning beds. I played beach volleyball for years with no tanning beds and I have had the sunspots ever since. Selsen Blue did not work for me or the prescription I got from the doctor.  The only thing that works is something called Sun Drench Sun Spot Solution Gel or Wipe Out. Type it in Google on the internet and order it--it's less than $8 per bottle. Take a shower and exfoliate your skin with a brush. Put it on every day for a week and the spots will be gone. Put it on once a week to keep it at bay. After a week of applications, tan again and the spots will truly be gone. I mix the sun spot gel in with my tanning stuff--now if I decide to go to a tanning bed I don't worry!  This stuff works. Good Luck!
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I am a tanning bed junky, and like you people I have those little white spots. At first I thought they were from mixing tanning bed sun with real sun, I was wrong.
I found that if you don't exfoliate your skin properly(use one of those body wash scrubbers) dead skin doesn't get removed ,and when you go to tan in the sun or inthe bed , the skin blisster up and forms a pocket, and then when you touch that spot oe have a shower the skin, then falls of because it's so dry and that's why most people have those little white spots or nasty discolouration.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Gone to the doctor & here is my diagnosis:
TINEA VERSICOLOR. It is in fact a skin disorder not caused from any kind of tanning bed or sun DIRECTLY.
Apparently, its a non-contagious yeast/fungus that grows on the skin when it gets moist. This can happen from coming right out of the water, & then laying out in the sun. It can also come from sweating in a tanning bed. So either way, you mix water/sweat with heat from either a bed or sun & you get a moist place for the yeast/fungus to grow. Its just your own chemical make-up of your skin.
Every summer, the spots will always show up if I get any kind of tan. There is no cure, so if I want to be tan, I have to live with them. In the winter however, when my skin goes back to its natural color, the spots will not show up at all. In the meantime, my doc said to use SELSUN BLUE shampoo for 7 nights for ten minutes, & wash off. If that dosen't work, she'll prescribe another cream that is stronger to use basically the rest of my life!
To the people like me out there- we are just S.O.L!!!!!
Hope I helped,  Renee
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
H
I have been to a couple Dr's regarding small round white spots on my arms and legs.  I started getting them about 6 years ago and they keep getting worse over the years.  I was diagnosed with Idiopathic Guttate Hypomelanosis.  It is a loss of pigment in the skin.  There is not a cure for this.  It is mainly seen in women who have tanned alot during their lives.  Most of the info I read said that it is generally seen in middle aged women.  My doctor even thinks that it might be hereditary.  You can check with a doctor to see if a cream might work or else light burning of the area with liquid nitrogen.  Thought I would share what I found out. :)
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Amy
I'm not an expert but I do own a salon with tanning
services.  From what I have learned in the industry is that
this is a sanitation problem.  Some salons may not have the
recomended sanitizer.  I use professional strength Lucasol diluted as recomended on the container.  Some clients
do not sanitize the surface well before and after use
I recomend to my clients to do this.

Periodicly I go in and spray everything down and leave the
entire surface wet with the solution for 10 min. Then I wipe
it down well. This is also recomended on the bottle.  I have
not heard any complaints of white spots on my customers.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I, too used to be an avid tanner and would get tan patches.  Once on my chest and another time aound my mouth or tan moustache as someone else put it.  It turns out that birth control can cause white patches and darker patches.  I didn't want to give up my pills so I gave up the sun.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I don't think those spots have anything to do with a tanning bed.  I get them too and I have always said they "come" from the sun.   Your describing exactly what I have which sounds more like a fungus irritated by the sun.  I will know for sure in just a few days when I actually go to the doctor.  I will keep you posted.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal

I have the white spots all over my back & they have spread since April when they began. A friend told me it could be a reaction to birth control. Some forms leave the skin unevenly colored when tanning. I have also had problems with a "tan mustache", so I believe she could be right. Anyone else with the same problems or comments to this? Thanks, Renee
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I believe that the parts you are refering to being white are the pressure points that you are laying on in the tanning bed.  They won't tan unless you turn over in the bed.   Right now I am fighting the fungus problem of the tanning beds and I know that's not what you have.  100%.  I have been going for over 10 years never had any problems.  One day I started breaking out on my face and now a year later, tons of doctors visits and months of not leaving my house I have found out it is the tanning salon and no one at the tanning salon bothered to tell me til yesterday.  I was told the shampoo too.
Helpful - 1
242489 tn?1210497213
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Shelley:

Tanning will probably highlight the spots, because the skin around them will get darker.  I don't know if Selsun will help, because I'm not sure it's a fungus.  Even if it is, and you kill all the fungus, the color may take months to return, so you won't be able to tell till then whether it worked or not.  No, there isn't anything else I can think of you can try.  Perhaps you should see a doctor for more definitive diagnosis.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I never had these white spots on my body till this yr, I dont go tanning im brown (Mexican). I started having it on my face,my fingers,under Arm, and my private parts that look brown now there white lol. I started taking pills called Iron,and dont work now I am about to take Noni tables so will see if it works wish me luck. Ill keep post if it works
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The medical term for it is tenia versaicolor. I have had mine for as long as I can remember. I never used the tanning bed when they first started coming up. But my mom got hers from the tanning bed. It is a fungus that grows on your skin and that's why you can not tan in certain spots of your. A dermatologist can prescribe you something that will get rid of them. But after so long they will end up coming back a little at a time. I have heard the tanning bed can help get rid of them but I'm not sure on that. Lol that's actually how I came across this I was trying to figure that out lol.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Im having the same problem..and its on my face..after ive been tanning for a month and I used a tingle lotion on my face..they are so bad its embarrasing..the owner of the tanning salon told me it was because I used a tingle on my face!! I am trying selson blue..hopefully it works
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I recently purchased two wk tanning starting last Monday the 28th I've only gone maybe 5 or 6 days to this date, never tried tanning salons before and never found white spots on my skin when tanning under the sun. Just recently found one big quarter sized white spot on the front of my leg and two tiny ones on each leg. I have been using the tanning beds facing up always, I read that tanning at the salon while on birth control can cause the spotting from the uv radiation and gradually cause lupus. Too many varying possibilities for these white spots I'm thinking its probably my own chemical reaction between showering right before and the heat mixing with the lotion as well as sweat may b my problem as described by Renee, I'm trying the booth next to see if it could also b a sanitation problem with the beds! Guess I'm just gonna play scientist for a lil while until I figure my own skin case. Doctors won't b able to help with something that has too many different causes... hope everyone finds a solution or atleast a way to lessen the spots and wish me good luck!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I recently went into a new bed with new bulbs and got burned. Ever since I have had white spots up and down my legs. They were on my back, belly and legs. I let my tan fade out and started again. Now i just have them all over my legs. I have been tanning for a couple years now and have never had this happen. Fungus, pigment, what??? What do I do????? I had a perfect tan til this.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have had a bad case of white spots on my face and I don't know what to do. I'm only a 15 year old guy and I have this horrible fungus! It can't be the tanning bed thing because I don't even tan. I'm dark skinned and it's very noticible. Please tell me what I have and how to get ridd of it.
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