White Spots

[Robin24209]

About a year ago, I started getting these white spots on my shoulders, then it spread to my back, neck, chest and stomach. They fade as my tan fades but as soon as I go out into the sun they come back. Sometimes they itch, sometimes they don't. Is there anything I can do to make them go away for good? I have never had this before.

[whisperingocks]

I dont just have spots that don,t tan I have large areas. What could cause this

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Two possibilities are there for such depigementation.Firstly,it can be due to tinea versicolor. Tinea versicolor 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.Treatment involves topical and oral antifungal medicines.

Second possibility is of vitiligo. It is a pigmentation disorder in which melanocytes (the cells that make pigment) in the skin are destroyed. As a result, white patches appear on the skin in different parts of the body. Diagnosis can be confirmed by external examination, blood tests to check skin cell count  for melanocytes and biopsy of the skin patches.
I think you should consult a dermatologist and discuss these possibilities with him.

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

[ddt123]

It's probably either Idiopathic Guttate Hypomelanosis or tenia versicolor.  Take a look at the pictures and see which it looks like.  If it is tenia versicolor you can be treated for it and it will go away.  There is much to do for the Idiopathic Guttate Hypomelanosis
but I have it and I had the Fraxel repair laser on my chest and it helped amazingly.