slow spread of dark pigment

[Fyrewol]

I am 24 years old. Starting around the age of 15 or so... i started developing dark spots or patches on my skin. The texture is grainy and more elastic feeling than the surrounding skin. I have been tested for several skin infections and every doctor just blows it off after that. I dont have any bad symptoms from it. I dont feel any pain or discomfort from it. But it is starting to concern me as it is taking over pretty much my entire upper torso at this point. Still nothing on my face or hands, but its all over my upper arms, chest, back and stomach. I am going to try to find a digital camera from a friend so i can send pictures. The best way i can describe what it looks like is the inverse of vidaligo(sp?). Any idea what this might be and is there anything i should worry about or can do to fix it?

[sweetleo]

Hello. I started to have a dark pigment skin spot in my arm pit/ arm when I started to go thought purity, at the age of 11. First the spot was small, but over time I noticed it started growing down my arm, sometimes small little patches would show up next to the main dark pigment spot and over time they would become part of the big spot (growing),  So at the age of 15 it had spread half way down the inside of my arm. So I went to the Dr. And well they had no idea, along with five other doctors, then I was sent the best skin Dr. in Nor Cal. Here the Dr. looked at my arm (never took a sample), He then left and brought back all the Dr.s in the office. All looking dumb founded. Then about 20 min's later one of them comes back with a book. He says he's only seen this once in his 50 years of working and only heard of one other Dr. who had 2. He told me that there's only been boys reported with this, starting at the age of 15ish, most reports find the start of the dark spot on the left side of the arm. Mine is on the right. He says this happens because of a very thematic experience, while in my mother. I had a twin, who died b4 birth. I am also part Native American. I am now 20 and it has spread down my arm and onto the top of my hand and also down the back of my arm in areas, and on half of my back. He told me of a cream I could put on it to make it go away. I decided not to do this because I think it's something special, but if one of you want the name of this cream I can ask my mother, she knows.

[davidmart24]

this sounds like something i have also it started at about 18 on myu lower back i am now 21 and it has spread all the way up my back to around my shoulders...and on parts of my stomach it doesnt feel like normal skin it is very ugly and i hate it it is also startign to spread to my arms chest and bottom of my neck its very ugly and after i take a shower it looks very dry and it turns white....and i am african american and irish i have light skin so you can see it very easily  i ahve some pictures of the one on my stomach i might be able to post them if you can tell me if this looks anything like what you have?

[Fyrewol]

Oh and just to give more information i should have given before. I am white. i have native american and russian ancestors. No latin american or really anything but those two.

[Fyrewol]

I looked that up and it doesnt look anything like what i have. Thanks for the suggestion though. I have been to a dermatologist. I dont have insurance so the only information i can get out of them before i run out of money is that im not dying and i dont have an infection. I'd really like to know what this is before it develops into something potentially harmful, or i start to look any worse. I dont want to sound vain, but realistically... "nothing says sexy like unexplainable skin discoloration".

Im going to talk to my ex wife today and see if i can borrow her digital camera to take some pictures of this. I have a webcam i can try to use but i think the resolution would be too low to really make it out.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

So these are dark pigmentations? There is such a condition called ashy dermatoses which is more prevalent among those with Latin American or Hispanic lineage.The patches of skin may appear like "dirt" as the name implies ashy dermatoses.This is also known medically as Erythema dyschromicum perstans. This may be due to some genetic factors, ammonium ingestion and parasitic infections. Other differentials would be drug related eruptions and even hormonal problems.

Have you been to a dermatologist for this?