blotches on skin?

[CarSmithUGA]

I just noticed tonight after my shower a few blotches on my back and upper chest.. they are very small areas on my skin that are lighter then the rest of my skin.. i have about 4-5 blotches.. they are very small and not very noticible, but I see them. I have tanned 3x a week since Jan. I use moisturizing lotions and moisturize with Cocoa butter twice a day... Its not overexposure... anybody know why i am getting these blotches??? thanks!

[Anya1976]

lighter as in white? they could be sunspots. to get rid of them wash your hair with dandruff shampoo (cus it's comes from the hair) it's actually a fungus that falls from your hair to parts of your body, it's very common. and wash the spots with the shampoo as well and it should clear up quickly.
i personally use dandruff shampoo on my hair a couple times a week as a preventative measure.

[colorgod]

I had those spots and I agree with Anya. Get you some dandruff shampoo and that should eradicate those spots.

[CarSmithUGA]

Anya & colorgod,
thanks for the advice... yes the spots are white and my friend told me they do look like sunspots. I will start using dandruff shampoo.. thanks again!

[engfant]

Well it's called Tinea Versicolor and has nothing to do with your hair. It has to do with sweating and oily skin. It'll go away in the winter but as soon as things heat up (tanning on a regular basis) they'll start showing up. Everyone has this "yeast" as it grows in your pores. Most people wash it off before it can show up but some people it grows faster. I know this because I've been getting it for 20 years (thanks dad) but has since gone away until I started tanning. MOST makes a product that clears this up but you really need to stop tanning for it to work properly.

[TanPimp]

I thought that was a little weird when people said the hair causes it, I've never heard that. Building on what engfant said, it is a fungus that is already in your skin, its just that you can't see it until you start to get darker. Tanning doesn't make them bigger, just more noticeable. You might want to try a product by Body Drench called "Wipe Out"

[colorgod]

I've tried Wipe Out. It is a dud! I don't know of any of the tanning products made for sun spots that actually work. Try the dandruff shampoo. It will help to get rid of the fungus.

[TanPimp]

I've heard of using Head and Shoulders on it. But I've heard you just use that to put on the actual sunspot, I don't think it really has anything to do with your hair

[BrOnZeDbOmBsHeLl]

wow engfant you know your stuff

[Anya1976]

i've been told by many salon owners that it does come from your hair and to wash your hair and body with dandruff shampoo. i personally have never had a problem with sunspots and tinea versicolor

[janngood]

I've had these spots too. Try Nizoral shampoo. The active ingredient is called selenum sulfide. My Doctor had given me a script for this, but you can get the shampoo. Also Selsum Blue has this ingredient. Put it on the patches for 10 minutes then rinse. It may take some time but it should work. Good Luck

[Brown Buns]

Tinea Versicolor (TIN-e-ah VER-si-color) is a common skin condition due to overgrowth of a skin surface yeast (type of fungus). This overgrowth results in uneven skin color and scaling that can be unsightly and sometimes itch. The yeast normally lives in the pores of everyone's skin. It thrives in oily areas such as the neck, upper chest and back.

What does tinea versicolor look like? How do you recognize it?
The rash has small and scaly white-to-pink-to-tan-to-dark spots. These spots are scattered over the upper arms, chest and back, and may sometimes appear on the neck and face. On light skin, they may be faint or they may show up as tan-to-pink spots, while on dark skin they may be light or dark. The fungus grows slowly and prevents the skin from tanning normally. As the rest of the skin tans in the sun, the pale spots, which are affected by the yeast become more noticeable, especially on dark skin. When the rash occurs on the face and neck, it may be very disturbing to the patient.

What are the symptoms?
Tinea versicolor usually produces few symptoms. Occasionally, there is some slight itching that is more intense when a person gets hot.

Who may get this rash?
Most people get tinea versicolor when they are teenagers or young adults. It is rare in the elderly and in children, except in tropical climates where it can occur at any age. Both dark and light skinned people are equally prone to its development. People with oily skin may be more susceptible than those with naturally dry skin.

Why some people get tinea versicolor and others do not is not clearly understood. Since the yeast is normally present in small numbers on everyone's skin, anyone can develop an overgrowth of this yeast. It usually grows slowly in the skin so that normal washing and cleansing removes the yeast along with dead skin. During the summer months when the temperature and humidity are high, the yeast can increase. The excess yeast on the skin prevents the normal pigmentation process, so both light and dark colored spots can result.

In tropical countries with continuous high heat and high humidity, people can have these spots year round. In other climates, the spots generally fade in the cooler and drier months of the year.

How is tinea versicolor diagnosed?
Although the light or dark colored spots can resemble other skin conditions, tinea versicolor can be easily recognized by a dermatologist. In most cases, the appearance of the skin is diagnostic, but a simple examination of the fine scales scraped from the skin can confirm the diagnosis. Scales are lightly scraped onto a slide and examined under a microscope for the presence of the yeast. A special light may help to make the diagnosis by showing a yellow green color where the skin is affected.

How is it treated?
Tinea versicolor is treated with either topical or oral medications. Topical treatment includes special cleansers including some shampoos, creams or lotions applied directly to the skin, once or twice a day. After any form of treatment, the uneven color of the skin may remain several months after the yeast has been eliminated.

Several oral medications have been used successfully to treat tinea versicolor. Because of possible side effects, or interactions with other medications, the use of these prescription medicines should be supervised by your dermatologist.

Tinea versicolor may reappear. To prevent recurrences, special cleansers may need to be used once or twice a month.

[engfant]

bingo

[Flora]

I had several noticeable sunspots(on my arms and back) last summer when I was tanning with a tingle. This year, I've been tanning since March and have only used bronzers or browning lotions on my arms(where most were located last year) and have noticed a significant difference. I don't know if this will work for you but it certainly has for me.