As we age we notice changes in our skin, like white spots suddenly appearing, which can be worrying. Loss of skin pigmentation has a wide variety of causes, mostly benign and unknown and can range from patchy and passing to solid and permanent. The internet will give you lots of information, but a visit to your Dermatologist is recommended.
1. Pigment Loss After Skin Damage
A skin injury, from simply picking a blemish or a significant wound, may damage, or completely destroy melanocytes (pigment-producing cells), leaving an area with decreased pigmentation.
What can you do about it?
Care for skin during the healing process with a cream or gel to support the regenerative processes of the skin after injury such as laser resurfacing and chemical peels. To camouflage the skin use a foundation to lighten your overall skin tone to decrease contrast.
2. Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a condition that causes the skin to lose its color, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. It affects between 0.2% and 2% of people around the world. This skin disorder can occur in people of any race. It’s most noticeable, though, among people with darker skin, because the contrast between normal skin tone and the white patches affected by vitiligo is more pronounced. People with vitiligo experience skin color loss in various areas of the body. Often it’s symmetrical, affecting both sides, such as the left and right hands or both knees. Some experience discoloration in the mouth, on the scalp, or of their hair, eyelashes, or eyebrows.
What can you do about it?
Unfortunately there is currently no cure for vitiligo. There are some medicines that can help restore skin color in some cases, but their effectiveness depends on the individual and how severe pigmentation loss is. In a small number of cases, light and laser therapies have been effective in returning skin color in people with vitiligo. Wearing a sunscreen daily is important.
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3. Pityriasis Alba
Pityriasis alba is a low-grade type of eczema/dermatitis mainly seen in children. The name describes its appearance: pityriasis refers to the characteristic fine scale, and alba to its pale colour (hypopigmentation). Pityriasis alba mainly affects children and adolescents aged 3 to 16 years, but can occur in older and younger people.
The hypopigmentation of pityriasis alba is more prominent, and the condition perhaps more common, in dark skin compared to white skin.
What can you do about it?
No treatment is necessary for asymptomatic pityriasis alba, but a moisturising cream may improve the dry appearance. A Dermatologist may prescribe a mild topical steroid which may reduce redness and itch if present.
4. Idiopathic Guttate Hypomelanosis
Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis is a common acquired form of leukoderma that presents as small flat pale or white spots on the sun-exposed limbs. It can affect both sexes, all races, and all skin phototypes and becomes more common with age. It is uncommon in children and often runs in families. It is a result of combination of skin ageing, chronic sun exposure, genetic factors and possibly autoimmune factors.
What can you do about it?
It does not require treatment, but it is always beneficial to apply daily sunscreen for prevention of many skin conditions.
5. Tinea Versicolor
The fungus Malassezia is a type of yeast found on the surface of the skin, which can grow out of control and affect the natural color or pigmentation of your skin. Acidic bleach from the growing yeast causes areas of skin to be a different color than the skin around them.
The spots may disappear during cool weather and get worse during warm and humid weather.
What can you do about it?
Treatment options may include topical antifungal creams or antifungal pills to keep yeast growth under control. Treatment usually gets rid of the fungal infection, but the skin discoloration may take several months to resolve.
6. Halo Moles
A halo mole is a mole with a white ring, or halo, around it. Halo moles are not uncommon and are usually seen in children or young adults of either sex. Why halo naevi develop is not fully understood. They are currently classified as autoimmune in origin.
The onset of a halo naevus may be triggered by sunburn or an injury, which causes the mole to be recognised by the immune system as foreign, resulting in an attack by circulating antibodies and CD8+ T lymphocytes. The reaction also affects the normal skin around the mole, which also has pigment cells in it, causing depigmentation.
What can you do about it?
Because moles can be problematic, anyone with a halo mole should visit a Dermatologist to check for vitiligo or melanoma, since it could be a sign of a greater condition. No treatment is normally required for a typical halo naevus. The white skin of a halo naevus will burn particularly easily in the sun Cover up or apply sunscreen daily.
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