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White Spots on Skin, Dots, Patches, Pictures, Small, Fungus, Sun, Causes, Treatment & Home Remedies

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White spots on skin usually occur in the form of small dots or as patches. There are many possible causes of white spots on your skin, including sun and fungus. The white spots can be unsightly, especially when they appear in open parts of your body such as your face, as the pictures inserted in this post show. However, you can get rid of them with medical treatments and home remedies, depending on what causes them.

Signs and Symptoms of White Spots on Skin

White spots or patches on the skin surface are medically known as hypopigmentation. Generally, white spots, dots or marks on the skin can appear when the affected area of the skin loses its normal pigment. This condition can also be described as skin discoloration.

White spots or patches on the skin have the following signs and symptoms that include:

  • Small or tiny white, pink or red dots on the skin
  • Irregular flat white patches on the skin
  • Bumpy skin with small raised white dots
  • Scaly or dry flaky skin and sometimes leathery
  • Itchy white marks, bumps or rashes like pimples
  • Soft, yellow bumps or blisters
  • Hard painless whitish bumps on the skin

White Spots on Skin Pictures

What is the visual appearance of white spot or patches on the skin? Relevant pictures are provided in this post to show you how white spots or patches on the skin look like. This picture gives an illustration on how white spot on the skin appears for better visual understanding.

These pictures also help you to be familiar on how various skin conditions with white spots can appear. It is important to have a visual understanding of white spot or patches on the skin for your own knowledge. This can help or guide you in case your skin develops a problem of white spots.

Causes of White Spots on Skin

White marks on the skin can develop due to some factors or reasons. The types of white spot that can appear on your skin are determined by its causal agent. It is important to learn about the causes of white dots on the skin which might help you to know how to prevent and escape skin problems that are associated with white spots.

The possible cause of white spot or patches on skin includes:

1. Skin Injury

Cuts and scratches on the skin can cause white marks. Physical damages of the skin can be either minor or major cut that needs a medical treatment from the doctor. Physical injuries can interfere with the upper layer of the skin that contains skin pigments hence white spots can appear.

The thermal burning of the skin can destroy or deform skin tissues that produce melanin. Heat or chemical burns on the skin can peel the outer skin layer that contains melanin or skin pigment which can result in white scars.

Causes of skin injuries include:

  • Accident cuts due to our daily life, major and minor
  • Insect or animal bites
  • Bullet wounds
  • Disaster effects like fire
  • Chemical burning from strong acids and bases

2. Fungal Infection

Tinea versicolor is a known fungal infection that can cause various patches on the skin surface. This is a yeast infection that may lead to white, pink or brown irregular patches on the skin.it also makes the skin dry and scaly with itchy shiny flat patches.

Typically, this condition can affect the face, back, scalp, neck, armpits, upper arms and inner thighs. This condition can affect anybody but it is more common in young children, adolescents, and people who sweat a lot.

You can also be affected by yeast infection due to exposure to risk factors that encourage the growth of fungal infection. The predisposing factors of Tinea versicolor include:

  • Hot and humid environment
  • Use of oily cosmetic products on your skin
  • Poor skin hygiene like accumulated dirty, sweats and grease
  • Weakened immune system after the use of strong antibiotics

Athlete’s foot infection is a fungal infection that attacks lower feet to cause white spots or patches on the skin. This infection is characterized by bad smell from your feet. Wet footwear can encourage yeast growth which causes white spots on feet can show up.

Ringworms or dermatophytosis is also a fungal infection that causes white spots on skin. It commonly affects scalp of children. Usually, it appears as large itchy white patches. Also, it can form a yellow blister at the patches that burst and ooze.

3. Vitiligo

Vitiligo it a patchy discoloration of the skin that may occur when melanocytes fail to make skin pigment called melanin. Lose of skin pigment can appear anywhere on your body. Besides skin discoloration, Vitiligo can as well affect the color of your eyes and hair.

According to dermatologists, vitiligo can affect you when melanocytes on the skin stop producing skin pigment. The death or malfunctioning of melanocytes is the reason why white patches or spots may appear on your skin.

4. Pityriasis Alba

Pityriasis Alba is a skin condition that causes white spots or patches on the skin. This condition makes the skin to look very dry or scaly. Also, it can manifest as pink, red, grey or white spots on the skin. The condition can affect the skin of upper arms, chest, abdomen, face or any other part.

Pityriasis Alba is linked to eczema. Like eczema, it is an immune disorder where body defense mechanism attacks its own body cell to result in skin problems such as rashes and white spots. If your skin has eczema, it increases the risk for you to be attacked by Pityriasis Alba.

This skin condition is common to young babies, children, and teenagers. However, adults can also show up signs of Pityriasis Alba under rare cases.

5. Lichen Sclerosis

This is a skin condition that can result in shiny white patches that corrode the skin to very thin layer. The condition can affect any part your skin but mostly, it occurs at the genital and anal part. Lichen sclerosis is also common skin problem that appears on vulvas of women. Fore male it can affect the foreskin of the penis.

There are other symptoms that accompany Lichen sclerosis that include:

  • Severe itching of the skin
  • Difficult to pass out urine
  • Pain during sexual intercourse
  • Raise bumps on genital parts like blisters
  • Thin skin that can easily tear

The main cause of this condition is not clearly known but it is attributed to be related to the autoimmune disorder, change of body hormones or caused by other skin infections like eczema.

6. Idiopathic Guttate Hypomelanosis and Sun damage

White spots on skin can be the consequence of having a skin condition known as Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis. The condition result in white patches that can appear on the face, the upper part of the back, on shins and arms.

Sun exposure is the main causal agent of this condition. Harmful UV rays from the sun can kill or affects melanocyte to stop producing skin pigment which can result in skin discoloration. The acute effect of sunlight can result in temporal damage of the skin that can restore to normal after some period of time.

In addition, sun exposure might also cause chronic damage on the skin such as age spots, freckles, Melasma, actinic keratosis, and eye problems.it is advisable to use sunscreen to protect your skin against harmful effect of UV light.

7. Skin Cancer

Cancer of the skin can also be the reason for having white marks on the skin. This condition result in various spots on the skin such as pink, yellow, brown, white and dark spots. Skin cancer can attack melanocytes on the skin hence it affects the process of melanin production. When melanocytes are affected, white spots on skin can appear.

Cancer of the skin can develop due to the chronic effect of sunlight on your skin. UV rays can affect the genetic component of the skin cell which can lead to the development of cancerous cells in form of tumors or hard bumps that can bleed easily.

8. Malnutrition

The deficiency of nutrients can result in white spots or patches on your skin. Lack of nutrients such as zinc, copper, vitamin B, and vitamin C can cause skin problems.  Melanin is a protein in nature that is produced in the presence of coenzymes or enzyme cofactors that are composed of mineral salts and vitamins.

9. Genetic factors, Birthmarks, and Macules

According to the study of genetic and inheritance, some recessive genes can cause white birthmarks or macule on the skin. For example, albinism is a genetic disorder that results to lack skin pigment. The intermediate traits between albinism and normal skin color might result to white patches on your skin.

10. Nevus Depigmentosus

This is a rare skin disorder characterized by hypopigmentation that exists without change in its size and shape throughout a lifetime.

Nevus depigmentosus lesions either present at birth as birthmarks or at a very early age, typically at puberty.

11. Thyroid Disorder

Thyroid disorder has a consequence of hypopigmentation of the skin. Tyrosine is a type of protein that helps melanocyte to produce melanin. The decrease in tyrosine can result to decline of melanin production hence white discoloration of your skin.

12. Xanthelasma

Xanthelasma can also cause white spots on skin typically on the face. This is skin condition characterized by white or yellow bumps on the skin due to cholesterol deposits. Xanthelasma is caused by the effect of the high amount of fats in the body.

13. Acne

Acne or face pimples can also result to white spots on the skin of the face. Whiteheads are known type of pimples that show up on the face as white spots on skin. This condition is caused by closed skin pores. It is common to teens, pregnant women, and individuals with oily skin.

14. Milia

Milium cysts are white raised bumps that commonly appear on the skin of the face. Milium cyst usually occurs in clusters on the affected area of the skin. This condition is common to newborns although adults can also be affected. Milium cyst develops when keratin proteins are entrapped under the surface of the skin.

White Spots on Skin Fungus

Fungal infection or yeast attack on the surface of the skin can result in creamy patches or spots.  Tinea versicolor is an example of yeast infection that is characterized by dry or scaly itchy skin with white patches or dots.

Athlete’s foot is also a fungal infection that can affect the lower feet and lead to either white or red spots. Ringworms are large patches of yeast infection that commonly appear on the scalp on young children. These marks can also show up on other parts of your body.

Generally, the growth of fungus on the skin is encouraged by the wet environment, poor body hygiene, use of oily cosmetic products and weakened body immune system.

White Spots on Skin from Sun

Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis is a known skin condition that shows up after exposure to sunlight. Sun damage can result in white flat marks on face, arms, shoulders, and neck region. Long exposure to the sun can also result in premature aging of the skin with white and black age spots and freckles.

The chronic effect of sun damage can affect the functioning of melanocyte on the skin. Occasionally, harmful UV rays from the sun can kill melanocytes on the affected area which results in white spots or patches on the skin.

Sunspots or Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis is a common skin problem to individuals with above the age of 40 years. However, young individuals can as well develop these skin problems when they are exposed to direct sunlight.

Small or Tiny White Spots on Skin

The sizes of the white lesion on the skin depend on the causal agent or skin condition. Some spots on your skin can appear as small or tiny dots like pinpoint size which cannot be easily seen by eyes. For the case of having, harmless small and little dots on the skin, no need to go for medical treatment because they might be a mild skin condition that can fade away without treatment.

However, small, tiny or little spot on your skin can make your skin look less attractive. This can frustrate you when they threaten your beauty. It is advisable to seek the help of a doctor in case tiny white dots on your skin are growing into large spots or marks that affect your beauty.

How to Get Rid of White Spots on Skin

White marks on the skin can be removed by different treatment method based on how the condition appears. Harmless white dots or patches on the skin such as from yeast infection, vitiligo and poor nutrition can be removed by home remedies.

For the case of serious skin problems such as skin cancer, Pityriasis Alba, and chronic sun damage, medical treatment is the best alternative you can go for. It is advisable to seek medical help in case white spots on your skin are becoming bothersome.

Treatment for White Spots on Skin

When white marks on your skin refuse to fade away and keep on frustrating you, it is important to visit your doctor for medical treatment.  After going to the medical center, your doctor will decide the diagnosis plan for you.

The following are possible treatment method that your doctor might use to get rid of white marks on your skin:

  • Nutrients injections into the blood that can help to stimulate melanocytes to produce enough melanin that can help to restore skin tone to normal
  • Laser method that uses beam of electron or strong light waves as a therapy for cancerous cell that causes white dots on skin
  • Prescription of oral drugs and skin care creams that can help to heal white spots or patches on the skin
  • Surgical procedures like Dermabrasion and microdermabrasion to remove upper skin layer that has white spots and patches
  • Chemical peels to remove the affected skin layer with white spots

Home Remedies for White Spots on Skin

You can use the following home remedies to get rid of white marks on your skin:

1. Copper Ions

You can use copper ion as a home remedy to get rid of white spots or patches on your skin. Copper ions are one of the key components necessary for melanocytes to produce melanin. Copper ions are a coenzyme or cofactor that helps melanocyte to make skin pigment. It also boosts the immune system which can help in the healing of white spot.

How to use:

  • Store a drinking water in copper vessel during the night
  • Alternatively get a copper rod and place it inside drinking water in a jar during the night to infuse copper ion into water
  • Drink the infuse copper ion water every morning into your empty stomach

2. Carrot Juice

Carrot juice is rich in a component that makes the skin pigment. it also has carotenoid that can help to restore skin pigment.

How to use:

  • Get one carrot root and crush it
  • Mix the crushed carrot with one glass of warm water to make a juice
  • Drink the carrot juice twice per day for few weeks until white spots on your skin fade away

3. Red clay soil and ginger juice

Red clay soil has mineral content such as zinc, iron, and copper that can help to restore skin color. Ginger has the ability to increase blood circulation on the skin surface to nourish melanocytes to produce enough melanin that can help get rid of white spots on the skin.

How to use:

  • Mix two teaspoons of red clay soil with one teaspoon of ginger juice
  • Apply the mixture on the affected skin whit white spots
  • Allow it to dry off before rinsing your skin with cold water
  • Repeat the treatment two times per day until your skin improves

4. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera has vitamins and minerals that can stimulate melanocytes on the skin to produce skin pigment. It also has antifungal and antioxidant ability that can help to heal white spots or patches.

Aloe vera
Aloe vera

How to use:

  • Use warm water to wash your skin and dry it with a wash towel
  • Apply the Aloe Vera gel directly to the affected area of your skin with white spots
  • Apply the Aloe Vera on your skin two times per day for few weeks until white spots fade away

5.  Honey and Coconut Oil

A mixture of honey and coconut oil is an excellent home remedy that can help to get rid of white spots on skin. Honey has antifungal properties and has natural ingredients that nourish melanocytes on the skin to produce skin pigment.

Coconut oil has ant-microbes properties that can keep away microorganism that causes white spots or patches on the skin. It also sooth itchy patches to reduce irritation.

How to use:

  • Mix two teaspoons of coconut oil with equal amount of honey
  • Clean the affected area with lukewarm water and dry it off with a wash towel
  • Apply the mixture on your white spots or patches
  • Repeat the treatment twice per day for few weeks until the spots on your skin fade away

6. Cabbage Juice

You can use fresh cabbage juice as a home remedy to treat white spots on skin. Cabbage juice has natural vitamins and amino acid that can help to heal white spots on your skin.

How to use:

  • Crush fresh leaves of cabbage to extract a juice
  • Apply the extracted cabbage juice on the affected skin with white marks
  • Allow it to stay for 20 minutes before rinsing it off
  • Repeat the treatment two times per day until white spot on your skin go away

When to See a Doctor Over White Spots on Skin

It is advisable to see your doctor over white spots on your skin if you noticed the following conditions:

  • When white spots or patches have persisted on your skin for more than three weeks
  • When the white spots on your skin are too painful and cause a discomfort
  • If white spots are becoming a threat to your beauty
  • If your infant, toddler or young child develop white marks on the skin
  • When white spots has a characteristic of hard painless bump

The sudden appearance of white spots on your skin can be a sign of a serious health condition that can make your skin less attractive. It is important to go for medical treatment in case you noticed any strange white marks on your skin.

Sources and References

[showhide type=”links” more_text=”Show Sources and References” less_text=”Hide Sources and References”]

  1. White spot, dots, marks on the skin: https://www.healthline.com/health/skin-disorders/white-spots-on-skin#overview1
  2. White marks or patches picture: https://skinvision.com/library/white-spots-on-skin-pictures
  3. Causes of white spots, dots or marks on the skin: https://www.healthline.com/health/skin-disorders/white-spots-on-skin#overview1
  4. White spots and marks cause: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/vitiligo-common-cause-loss-skin-pigment
  5. White spots or patches on skin fungus: http://www.medicinenet.com/tinea_versicolor/article.htm
  6. Sun damage and white spots: https://skinvision.com/en/articles/white-spots-on-the-skin-from-sun-exposure-are-they-dangerous
  7. How to get rid of white marks on skin: https://skinvision.com/library/how-to-get-rid-of-white-spots-on-skin
  8. Treatment of white dots on the skin: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/vitiligo-common-cause-loss-skin-pigment
  9. Home remedy for white spots: http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/natural-ways-to-get-rid-of-white-spots-on-skin/
  10. When to see a doctor over white spot: https://www.healthline.com/health/skin-disorders/white-spots-on-skin#see-your-doctor9 [/showhide]

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