It can affect people in any ethnic group. Teenagers may be more susceptible than people in other age groups due to their more oily skin. Eczema atopic dermatitis is characterized by red, itchy rashes with raised bumps. These rashes may include white spots or patches. Commonly affected areas include :. Over time, areas of the body most affected by eczema may become thickened, dry, and scaly. Eczema rashes may flare up and recede without an obvious pattern.
Symptoms may even remain dormant for years at a time. Eczema is common in children but can affect people of any age. It may be a lifelong condition. It commonly begins before age 5, and may even start during infancy. Vitiligo occurs when certain skin cells called melanocytes stop making melanin.
Melanin is the pigment that gives color to your skin, hair, and eyes. Without pigment, white patches form. These patches can appear anywhere on the body. Vitiligo is usually symmetric, though it can appear on only one side of the body. Typical areas affected by vitiligo include the knees, hands, genitals, and hair.
It can also affect areas with mucous membranes, like the inside of the mouth and nose. Vitiligo typically develops in your 20s, but it can occur at any age. Its cause is currently unknown. Vitiligo may be connected to genetics or autoimmune diseases, like hyperthyroidism. Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis IGH manifests as small white spots on skin that receives high amounts of sun exposure. This includes areas like the arms and legs. The white spots are painless and benign. IGH is more common in people with light skin and may appear in women at younger ages than it does in men.
However, it usually affects women older than Pityriasis alba typically starts out as pink, slightly scaly plaques on the chin and cheeks. They may be round, oval, or irregular in shape, and are usually dry and scaly to the touch. The patches may clear up on their own or fade to white over time. The skin disorder is most commonly found in children and teens.
Pityriasis alba is likely related to eczema. Lichen sclerosus is a rare condition seen in younger and older people. In women, it causes white patches of thin skin, usually around the anus and vulva. Error Include a valid email address. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information.
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Request Appointment. White patch on skin: A cause for concern? Products and services. Several months ago, my son developed a small white patch on the skin of his arm. Guttate hypomelanotic macules are usually seen on the outside of the arms and the legs.
There is less pigment than normal in the first living skin layer called the epidermis. The top dead cell layer, called the stratum corneum, is a little thicker than normal but very compact, resulting in a slight shine if you look closely at the spots. They are especially likely to be seen in people who have had a lot of sun exposure during their lifetime, leading us to believe that they are somehow a part of sun damage.
I recommend that people try really hard to prevent them. The best way I have found to prevent or reduce the number of guttate hypomelanotic macules that your skin wants to make is to exfoliate really well. I use a combination of a physical exfoliation shower cloth or sponge followed by application of a professional strength glycolic acid moisturizer. The glycolic acid loosens the dead cells and the physical exfoliation helps them slough off.
I've even seen this get rid of these persistent and annoying spots! For years I have used this exfoliation combination in my practice. I've seen it slow the rate at which people collect guttate hypomelanotic macules. I watched it do the same on my own skin once I started developing them on my arms.
Patients in my practice have proven for years that daily use of sunscreen helps reduce both white and brown spots on the arms and legs. Another tip is to apply self-tanning lotion to the skin of the arms and legs.
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