skin discoloration

[helppp2]

please help, i have some skin discoloration on my upper lip, but the thing is that it it lighter than the rest of my face..it has made me feel very self conscious and i wanted to know what there is i can do to make it blend in with the rest of my colour. thank you!

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Alopecia can be due to stress, fungal infections, alopecia aereata, hormonal imbalance(overproduction of dihydrotestosterone and thyroid hormones irregularities),malnutrition, telogen effluvium and sebum plugs on skin.

My sincere advice is to consult a trichologist and get these possibilities ruled out. In the meantime take care of your diet and eat a healthy nutritious diet. There is no shampoo which can tackle alopecia.

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.

[helppp2]

Hi! I went to see someone and they recommended me a product called Tanwards which apparantly helps stimulate melanin production and also increases tanning which helps the skin blend in with the rest of the skin colour but I can't seem to find it anywhere. Have you ever heard of this product before?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Before deciding the treatment we have to find out what is causing this skin lightening or hypopigmentation. It can be due to post inflammatory, fungal skin infection or vitiligo. Vitiligo 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 suggest you to get an examination done from a dermatologist. Treatment is different for all.
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.