How Can I Remove White Sun Spots?

asked 1 year ago by srfjmg in Port Saint Lucie, FL
Latest answer by Donna Bilu Martin, MD
Question viewed 2,502 times
Tags: options, sun spots, white

6 answers to How Can I Remove White Sun Spots?

White sun spots need to be diagnosed by your dermatologist.

White sun spots may be a yeast infection called tinea versicolor or keratoses or burned out cells etc... See your derm doc and they will fix you up. sincerely, dr hansen

David Hansen, MD
Beverly Hills Dermatologic Surgeon

White spots from the sun

White spots on the skin can be many things - several of them are mentioned above (tinea versicolor, seborrheic keratoses, vitiligo, etc). The sun can cause darkening of the skin (freckles or lentigines) as well as lightening of the skin. These white spots, or loss of pigment, are called idiopathic hypomelanosis. Although they cannot be reversed, using sunscreen is important to prevent further damage. A board certified dermatologist can evaluate the spots. more

Donna Bilu Martin, MD
Miami Beach Dermatologist

Treating white sun spots

First, make sure to be evaluated by a dermatologist to assess whether you have a skin fungus called tinea versicolor. If the white spots are predominantly on the shins and forearms, then you have idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis which is a type of sun damage and is not correctable.

Benjamin Barankin, MD
Toronto Dermatologic Surgeon

Treatment of white sun spots

It is very important to be evaluated by a board certified dermatologist to have a diagnosis rendered for the "white sun spots." There are many clinical entities which may appear as "white sun spots" ranging from macular hypopigmented seborrheic keratoses to idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis. The former can be treated with liquid nitrogen whereas sun protection is necessary for the latter.

Anthony Perri, MD
Houston Dermatologist

Improving white spots from the sun.

Although it is impossible to remove the "white spots" that result from excessive sun exposure over the years, it is sometimes possible to camouflage them by improving the dark areas that surround them. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) also called the Photofacial, can be used on the face, chest, back of hands and arms to treat the entire sun damaged area. This fades the darkened background color of the area, making the white spots blend in much better. Sun protection... more

Madeline Krauss, MD
Boston Dermatologic Surgeon

Removal of White Sun Spots from Arms and Legs Not Likely

Unfortunately, white sun spots (idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis), commonly found on the arms and legs, is not, to my knowledge, correctable. This condition, in which the pigment-producing cells of the skin (melanocytes) are essentially "burned out", occurs as a result of sun exposure. This is quite common in men and women over 50, especially those who have a great deal of sun exposure from outdoor sports and work. This is the opposite of dark sun spots which, through... more

Sheldon Pollack, MD
Toronto Dermatologic Surgeon

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