unexplained white spots on your skin could be caused by …...pityriasis alba: scaly patches of...

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UnexplainedWhiteSpotsonYourSkinCouldBeCausedbyAging

ByGERRIESUMMERS.June12,2019

Manyofustakegreatpainstomakesureourskinisclearandpristine.(AtByrdieHQ,we'vegottherobustskincareregimenstoproveit.)So,anytimesomethingoutoftheordinarypopsupthatwedon'tautomaticallyknowhowtodealwith,thingscanreachpanicmodeprettyquickly.

Forexample,agespots.Andwe'renotjusttalkingaboutdarksunspots;we'vegotaprettygoodhandleonthose.We'retalkinglittlewhitespots,whichcanlookabitlikeconfettiorwhitefreckles."Itisalittle-knownfactthatsundamagecausesnotonlybrownspots,butalsowhitespots,"saysDr.AnnaGuanche,board-certifieddermatologistandcelebritybeautyexpertatBellaSkinInstitute."Ilikenthemto'grayhairs'intheskin."

Morethanlikely,thesearearesultofaharmlessconditioncalledIdiopathicGuttateHypomelanosis(IGH)."IGHisaskinconditioncharacterizedbymultipleround[or]ovalwhitespotsthatareusuallyflat.Itisverycommonlyfoundonthearmsandlegsofpatientsover50,"saysDr.MarlaDiakowofSchweigerDermatologyGroupinGardenCity,NY."[It's]acompletelybenignentity,butoftenoneofcosmeticconcerntopatients."

Thesewhitespotsoccurduetolocalizedlossofpigmentationoftheskin.Readontogetthefullscooponthisconditionandhowitcanbetreated.

HowtoTreatIGH

Ifyoubegintonoticeunexplainedwhitespots,youshouldvisityourdermatologistASAPtoruleoutotherconditionsthathavesimilarcharacteristics.IfitturnsouttobeIGH,yourdermwilldefinitelyadviseyougetbetteraboutsunprotection."Theuseofbroad-spectrumsunscreensandphoto-protectiveclothingarerecommendedforprevention[ofIGH],"Diakowsays.

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Thekeywordisprevention."Oncespotshaveformed,therearenouniversallyeffectivetreatments,"Diakowsays."However,severalmodalitieshavebeenreportedwithlimitedsuccess,includingcryotherapy,intralesionalsteroidinjections,topicalretinoids,chemicalpeels,andlasers."

Guanchesays,"Forfairerskintypeswithsundamageandfreckling[or]brownspots,photofacialsorlasertreatmentstoremovethesurroundingexcesspigmentationcanmakethewhitespotslooklessnoticeable,duetolesscontrast."

Manyofthesetreatmentsusetherapeuticwoundingofthelesionstostimulatemelanocytesandtherebyaddpigmentbacktothespots.However,someofthesetherapies,suchaschemicalspeels,cancausepost-inflammatoryhyperpigmentation,soit'scrucialthatyouconsultyourdermatologistfirsttodeterminewhatsolutionwillworkbestforyou.

Thesamegoesforanyhomeremedies,includingtopicalapplicationoffreshginger,cabbagejuice,orlimejuice,andeatingantioxidant-richfigsandwalnuts."Therearenolarge-scalescientificstudiesshowingthatanyoftheseingredientsareeffectivetreatments.Inparticular,patientsshouldavoidputtingmanyofthese,especiallylimejuice,onanysun-exposedareasoftheskintopreventworseningofpigmentationandirritationoftheskin."

It'slikelythatnoextrememeasuresneedtobetakentotreatIGHsincethespotsarebenign.ButDiakowadvises,"Ifthelesionshaveanyassociatedsymptomssuchasitchingorpain,iftheyseemtobegrowingorspreading,oriftheyareraisedandflaky,theyshouldbeevaluatedbyadermatologist,"Diakowsays."Lightareasofskinontheface,back,orabdomen,andinayoungerpatientwouldbelesslikelytobeIGH."

IfIt'sNotIGH,ThenWhatCouldItBe?

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"Otherpossiblecausesofwhitespotsontheskinincludefungalinfection,autoimmuneconditions,andpost-inflammatoryhypopigmentation,"Diakowsays.ThoughunrelatedtoIGH,somecommonissuesthatarealsoassociatedwithwhitespotsincludethefollowing:

Vitiligo:Lossofcolorinpatchesofskin

Pityriasisalba:Scalypatchesoflightpinkorredskin,mostcommoninchildrenandyoungadults,andassociatedwitheczema

Tineaversicolor:Afungalinfectionthatresultsinpatchesoflighterordarkerskin

Guanchesays,"Ifwhitemaculesorspotsaredevelopinginnon-sun-exposedareas,itwouldbeimportanttobeseenandgetadefinitivediagnosis."

Thebottomline:Whiteagespotsonyourskinareprobablynotanymoreconcerningthanyourtypicalsunspots,butgettoadermatologisttomakeabsolutelysure.Anddon'tforgettoslatheronsomesunscreenbeforeyouheadout.

https://www.byrdie.com/white-age-spots-2442903