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185634 tn?1257071139

Thyroid problems and dark patches on face

I'm in the process of trying to figure out what's going on with my thyroid and how to fix it.  As it stands, my doctor found that my thyroid antibodies were high and referred me to an endo.  I also had a ultrasound, which found a pretty good size nodule on my thyroid.  Anyway, the endo suggested either Hashimotos or Graves, but needed more bloodwork done to see where my levels were.  The first time I had bloodwork done, my levels were not that far out of line, although I have many of the hypo symptoms.  I believe that I'll have another appt. with the endo after she goes over my latest bloodwork, and she suggested I start thinking of how I want the nodule removed (she believes it's a hot nodule).  Now, on to my question:

A couple of years ago, I developed these patches of darker skin on my upper lip.  They're on either side, and at first I thought it was hair and waxed it.  To my amazement, I found that it was the SKIN!  I was horrified, and have searched the web for answers.  I can somewhat cover it with makeup, but I HATE having to wear all that, especially in that location.  Anyway, in my searching on the internet, I found that this is common with adrenal problems.  I mentioned this to my endo (before I'd found the adrenal thing on the internet), and she didn't think it was from my thyroid.  I beg to differ, because it was never there before, and it's not like sun damage would PICK my upper lip - and not the whole thing either - it's two spots about the size of a pinky fingerprint on each side of the lip.  Has anyone else experienced this, and if so - is there anything that can be done to make it go away????  I hate it!
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Avatar universal
I have the exact same dark patches over my top lip.  I noticed them around 2 years ago, and hate them.  They make it look as if I have a mustache, drives me insane.

I've been birth control free for 17 years.  I noticed these patches around the exact time I started experiencing other hypo symptoms.  Also the same time an adrenal nodule was found.  I'm not on any thyroid meds yet.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I also am hypothyroid and have black spots on either side of my mouth, and a large patch on my right side of the chin. I have not had any skin problems before-but I am on Levothyroxine and am wondering if that could be causing the skin problems. I was sent to see a dermatologist-who has given me creams-which have not helped.
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Avatar universal
I also have the dark spots on my upper lip and on both cheeks.
They developed just shortly before I was diagnosed with Lupus and subsequently thyroid disorder.
The dermatologist claimed it was sun damage, but that was absurd.
I asked a few other doctors if it could be related to Lupus and they said no.
Finally, I asked my new rheumo and he said it was related to the Hashimoto Thyroid disorder.
Apparently, he wrote several reports on this skin reaction.
I have been using bleaching creams for a year and a half and they never really go away.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I too have hypothyroidism. I was diagnosed after the birth of my second child. I have dark brown spots on either cheek. They are extremely noticable. However, I am not completely sure when they started showing up. The spots are visible in photographs taken at the hospital following the birth of my second daughter. They are large enough and noticable enough that a member of our church (a retired pastor none-the-less) ask me if I was safe at home. I hate walking around with what appears to be bruising on my cheeks. I also have darkened skin in my underarms. Has anyone on here ever tried chemical peels for this sort of darkened skin? I do not like to wear makeup with a lot of coverage due to the heaviness it creates on my skin so I am looking into alternate measures in covering up or possibly removing the spots all together. Thanks!
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Avatar universal
Hello all... I too have a recently diagnosed thyroid condition... even though I have been complaining for 7 years with all the symptoms.. my new doctor just filled me in. I too have the brown spots which started when I was on birth control 10 years ago. Started on my upper lip. That went away moved to my forhead and slowly over the years has spready. I am VERY self concious of it as it makes me look so much older and not even like myself. People used to compliment me on my skin.. now i look 60. I have actually had full face lazer treatments and it does go away... i love how I look.. but then it comes back. If I could afford to get lazer done once per month for the rest of my life i would do it. That is the only thing I have ever seen that works.
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519736 tn?1253986826
birth control and hyperpigmentation, very common. i'm a skin care specialist..i've seen this alot. above the lip is associated with this.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I too have dark spots on either side of my mouth and also large spots at the outer corner of each eye. The ones at my eyes are the worst. Like many of you on here, I too used Nuvaring...really makes you wonder. I have not used it in over a year but the spots are still there and seem to have gotten worse over the last few weeks. I cant even find a cosmetic that totally conceals the spots! Anyone know of anything??
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Avatar universal
I have just recently discovered that I have severe hypothyrodism...  I just had my second child within the las year and have only ever had the dark "patches" on my skin during the last part of my pregnancy and they went away very quickly after both kids were born.  Unfortunately, they are back now for the first time not due to pregnancy!!!  My doc says it has nothing at all to do with thyroid but that seems to be the only explaination for them as all other blood work for any other "endo" problems came back just fine.  I hope somewhere we can find the answer... the patches on my face are very noticable and bother me a lot!  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
i too suffer from what appears to be melasma. never had any problems at all with respect to my skin until the nuva ring. what a price to pay for lazy birth control. i wonder how many of us have been affected? perhaps just a small percentage of at risk due to hormonal issues.? maybe alot. i wish we had a lawsuit. the shot or pill never gave me this prob, i've not used the ring for 2 yrs and still have leftover, albeit smaller, patches.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi guys.... I know exactly what you are going through. I have a feeling the dark spots above the upper lip are thyroid related. I noticed I had one small dark spot above my lip about a year and a half ago, and I went to the dermatologist and he seemed to think it was because of birth control. He gave me some cream to put on it and I stopped taking birth control shortly after that. I know have two dark spots above my upper lip and they seem to get larger with time. I am not on any birth control and I know it isnt related to sun. In April of 2007 I had to have my entire thyroid removed due to thyroid cancer and I currently take synthroid........ it seems like every year the spots get a little bit larger and  bit more noticeable...... I HATE it and there is nothing I can do? I use to NEVER wear make up on my face..... now I wont leave the house without putting it on trying to cover up these spots. Even if I am going to the beach or to the gym I put make up on because it looks like a have a mustache...... does ANYONE know of anything that will make this go away or help?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I too have one large patch on my uppper lip along with a dark line (almost like lip liner), down my chin and on one cheek.  I too am hypo thyroid and am on sythroid and have been most of my life.  I am 44 yo, was checking internet to see what is going on.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have the same two dark patches on either side of my upper lip as well as one on each cheek. It started about a year and a half ago and has been gradually worsening from a thin dark line above my lip to two dark patches! About 9 months ago the patches on my cheeks appeared. My mother started getting these patches when she was pregnant w/ me at 22. I am 23 and have never been pregnant. My doctor told me it was my nuvaring birth control that was causing these patches because of the surge in hormones. I don't know why it just started about a year and a half ago when I have been on the nuvaring for 4 yrs! Does anyone have any idea what it may be? There is a history of hypothyroidism in my family so I will go get checked on the thyroid.
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185634 tn?1257071139
Wow.....that post was a long time ago.  Fast forward to today - that nodule that I had was actually thyroid cancer and I had a complete TT in August of 07.  Shortly after that, I noticed that the dark patches faded to almost nothing.  I'm currently on levoxyl .175, but unfortunately the spots are back.  They vary from day to day as to how noticeable they are.  I noticed that if I get really warm, they tend to show more??  I'm not on any birth control and haven't been for 20 years or better.  Given my age, I suspect that I'm in that pre-menopause mode and that definitely could have something to do with it.  I don't know.  What I do know is that I'm very self-conscious of them and wish they'd just disappear!!!!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have suffered with dark patches on my face for most of my childbearing years Ladies.

You will find that female hormones have a lot to do with it, especially the contraceptive pill.
Melanin is the substance in the body that commonly causes pigmented blemishes to be brown and is usually caused by an imbalance of female hormones or excessive hormones.
I had them up until about 4 years ago (when confirmed I had finished early menopause) and they have not been back since and I have Graves, was hyper then had RAI and TT and currently on T4 med.

The T4 med has never caused them to return at any stage.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
did u ever get rid of your dark patches above ur lip? just saw this on medhelp and i have these same patches and i need to get rid of them. three kids later, birth control pills and thyroid med.  just wanted to know if you ever got help. thanks
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
jd2
hi
so sorry to hear that you have the dark patches on your face! i also have some dark patches of skin too (big one on my back - gets bigger when im hyper or hypo but never gets smaller, and one each on my arm and neck) - not sure what yours look like but mine look like a collection of freckles up close - except im pretty sure they're not freckles (although i spend a lot of time in the sun).i asked my endo about them and she said they were from thyroid and that there was nothing i could do about them. i think (cant really remember though coz i was hypo..) ive tried fungal and cortisone creams but they dont work sorry.
at least they stop getting bigger with treatment though! (eg. treatment of thyroid with synthroid)
if you find a way to get rid of them could you please post it on here? if i find one i will too, but im not overly concerned about mine as they are not on my face - although am a bit worried about the one on my neck! someone else was asking about this too a couple months ago.
good luck, i hope we find a way to get rid of them!
ps. i forgot, i think there is a new skin treatment for scars and discoloured skin (i think its called recell) - i was going to investigate this for my  appendix scar.... they might be able to get rid of these patches but i dont know. - i just looked up the website - www.recell.info - says in the case studies section it can treat areas of the skin that are darker than the surrounding skin. dont know how much it costs but!! please lemme know if you investigate this further coz i wanna get rid of my appendix scar!
Helpful - 0
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