Small White Spots On Arms
Have you noticed small, white, pimple-like bumps on the back of your arms? In case those small spots on the arms are not becoming large in size or spreading, there is no need to worry. Some of the common causes of these types of blemishes include the following:
- Keratosis pilaris
- Post-inflammatory hypopigmentation caused by skin lightening
- allergic reactions to certain foods and medicines
White Spots On Skin And How To Get Rid Of It
Skin discoloration is a common problem whereby some people may develop black spots or red patches on the skin. There are some spots that can raise a lot of concern since they can result in an infection.
Get more insight about the causes of white spots on the skin, how sun exposure leads to white spots development, dry spots, best cream for white spots, and other ways of getting rid of white spots.
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Best Treatments For Tinea Versicolor Skin Infection
Casey Gallagher, MD, is board-certified in dermatology. He is a clinical professor at the University of Colorado in Denver, and co-founder and practicing dermatologist at the Boulder Valley Center for Dermatology in Colorado.
Tinea versicolor is a fungal infection. It is caused by overgrowth of a fungus that naturally occurs on human skin.
When you have tinea versicolor you may have patches of discolored skin and mild itching. The infection is not contagious.
This article will discuss tinea versicolor and its causes and symptoms. It will also discuss common treatment options and how long you can expect the infection to last.
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Ringworm Of The Scalp
This fungal infection affects the skin of the scalp and the associated hair shafts. Its most common in young children and needs to be treated with prescription oral medication as well as antifungal shampoo. The symptoms can include:
- localized bald patches that may appear scaly or red
- associated scaling and itching
- associated tenderness or pain in the patches
When To See A Doctor
Donât hesitate to visit your health care provider if the white spots on your skin are characterized by the following:
- White spots on the skin that wonât heal easily even after using home remedy treatments.
- If the spots are accompanied by other symptoms such as pain, burning sensation, itching or bleeding.
- When the spots appear on an infant or a toddler.
- The severe appearance of white spots or patches on your skin that causes a cosmetic concern.
- When the spots become painless or causing numbness in the affected areas.
The doctor will perform a physical examination, blood test or both to determine the exact cause of your problem.
He or she may recommend various treatment that may include fractional carbon dioxide laser, phenol, topical calcineurin inhibitors or cryotherapy.
More sources and references:
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Treatment Options For Tinea Versicolor
Tinea versicolor can be treated a few different ways. The fungus lives in the epidermis, or top layer of skin. This means it is usually possible to treat with topical antifungal medications.
These medications are most effective in the early stages or first occurrence of the infection. Extensive rashes may need to be treated with oral antifungal medications.
If you have tinea versicolor, ask your healthcare provider about treatment options. Treatment is usually based on the extent of your rash, how long you’ve had it, and if it is your first rash or a recurrence.
Tinea versicolor comes back 80% of the time. This means many people need repeat treatment. Patients may also need long-term maintenance treatment.
Who Is At Risk For Developing A Fungal Rash
Anyone can develop a fungal rash. Superficial infections of the skin and nails are cited as the most common form of infection, affecting up to 20-25% of the worlds population at any given time. For example, athletes foot often affects otherwise healthy people. You may have a higher risk for developing a skin rash if you:
- Have a weakened immune system .
- Take long-term or high-dose antibiotics.
- Have excess weight.
- Are pregnant.
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What Kinds Of Treatments Are Used Directly On The Skin
Topical medication is usually effective enough to get rid of tinea versicolor. It comes in the form of medicinal shampoos for your head and body, as well as special creams, gels and solutions. These products are available from pharmacies without a prescription.
They contain different types of substances that stop the growth of the fungus. Products that have been proven to be effective include the following:
- Shampoo containing selenium sulfide
- Shampoo containing a combination of sulfur and salicylic acid
- Shampoo containing zinc pyrithione
- Products containing drugs known as azoles
- Products containing the drug terbinafine
One of the main differences between the products is how often and for how long they need to be put on. Most of them are applied once or twice a day and are used for a total of one to four weeks.
Common Questions & Answers
Tinea versicolor occurs from an overgrowth of fungus that normally lives on the skin. Factors that contribute to the overgrowth include a humid environment, oily skin, hormonal changes, and a weakened immune system.
Using antifungal creams, shampoos, soaps, and lotions can stop the fungus overgrowth and get rid of tinea versicolor. If symptoms dont respond to topical treatments, a dermatologist can prescribe an oral antifungal to kill the fungus.
Tinea versicolor causes white, pink, or brown skin patches. These patches are often dry and scaly, and they typically appear on the shoulders, upper back, neck, and chest.
The duration of tinea versicolor varies from person to person. On average, treatment takes about one to four weeks. But in some cases, it can take weeks or months for skin color to return to normal.
If left untreated, tinea versicolor doesnt cause any serious complications. Yet you might experience worsening of symptoms, such as increased itching or discoloration.
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How Is Pityriasis Versicolor Diagnosed
If you have pityriasis versicolor, your doctor might diagnose it just by looking at the patches. He or she also might ask about the symptoms and your lifestyle. Sometimes a doctor will scrape off a small sample of the flaky infected skin to look at under a microscope or to test in a lab. Don’t worry this doesn’t hurt.
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.
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Symptoms Of Fungal Skin Infections
The symptoms of a fungal skin infection depend on the type of fungus or yeast thats caused it, and where it is. You may notice changes in your skin, hair or nails, which may or may not cause discomfort. The fungus can affect just one area or several areas of your body.
Fungal skin infections can cause a variety of different skin rashes. Your skin may:
- be red, scaly and itchy
- produce a fine scale, similar to dry skin
- become red and sore, with pus-filled spots
Fungal rashes can sometimes be confused with other skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema. However, unlike these conditions, fungal skin infections often look more inflamed around the border than they do in the centre of the patch.
Fungal nail infections often have no symptoms. But over time, they may cause pain or pins and needles, which can interfere with standing and walking or exercising.
Fungal infections of your scalp can cause your hair to become brittle and break off, leaving bald patches, but it usually grows back after treatment.
How To Cure A Skin Fungal Infection
Fungi are microorganisms that live in different places, including the human body. They can appear for different reasons and cause different symptoms such as skin irritation and redness that can lead to infections. These infections are usually found in moist areas of our body, since these are the areas where more fungi can be found. An infection can be caused by a weak immune system or from suffering from an illness, although in most cases we contract it due to contact with various factors. Fungal infections can appear on different parts of our skin and body as well as for example our nails and scalp.
These infections produce itching and discomfort, and it’s important to treat them well. In this article we explain how to cure a skin fungal infection.
Before starting, we must understand the reasons why a fungal infection can occur in our body. Causes of a fungal infection:
- First, it is essential to have good personal hygiene, as it is one of the main causes of fungal infections.
- A poor diet that leads to an immune system deficiency.
- Contact with people who have a fungal infection. Fungal infections are contagious and among humans they are mostly spread through sexual intercourse.
- Antibiotics. Antibiotics and other medicines can increase our chances of developing fungal infections by weakening our immune system.
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Causes Of Fungal Skin Infections
Many different fungi and yeasts can cause infections of your skin, hair and nails. These may be spread:
- from person to person
- from animals to people
- more rarely, to a person from the soil
Some fungal skin infections for example, candida usually come from an overgrowth of your own previously harmless fungi.
You can pick up fungi which might cause infection if you come into contact with an infected person or animal. Thats why people who play close contact sports such as wrestling are more likely to get fungal skin infections. You can also pick up fungi by sharing contaminated items such as clothes, towels, hairbrushes or bedclothes. Walking barefoot in shared showers and pool areas may mean you pick up fungi on your feet.
Fungi like warmth and moisture so youre more likely to get an infection if you:
- wear tight clothing, or shoes that dont let your feet breathe in a warm, humid environment
- are overweight and so have skin folds which rub against each other
Youre also more likely to have a fungal skin infection if you:
- have a weakened immune system through illness such as HIV or use of medication such as corticosteroids
- are pregnant
How Can I Prevent A Fungal Rash
In some people, fungal rashes tend to come back even after treatment. Recurring infections may be due to genetics you may be more prone to developing these infections. These steps can help prevent a rash from recurring or developing in the first place:
Good foot hygiene
- Change your socks and wash your feet regularly. Avoid shoes made of plastic, which doesnt breathe.
- Dont walk barefoot, especially in places that may be wet, such as gym showers and locker rooms.
- When cutting your toenails, cut straight across the nail. If you have an ingrown toenail, you may need to see a podiatrist to care for it. And if you have a fungal nail infection, dont use the same nail clippers on healthy nails and infected nails.
Proper medicine use
- If your healthcare provider prescribed a cream , use the medicine as long as directed. Even after you can no longer see the rash, the fungal infection may still be there, so keep applying the cream as long as your provider recommends.
- Your healthcare provider may recommend the same course of treatment for all the members of your family. Often, people living together can pass an infection back and forth. Treating everyone will help make sure the infection is truly gone.
- Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you should use an antifungal cream regularly on your feet and nails to help prevent infections.
- Using antifungal powder in your shoes every day may help prevent athletes foot.
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White Spots On Skin Dots Patches Pictures Small Fungus Sun Causes Treatment & Home Remedies
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.
What Is The Outlook For Pityriasis Versicolor
Pityriasis versicolor generally clears satisfactorily with treatment but often recurs when conditions are right for malassezia to proliferate. The fine surface scale is the indication of active infection and once this has disappeared, infection is no longer ongoing. The colour may persist for weeks or months, particularly the hypopigmentation, and do not indicate treatment failure.
Pityriasis versicolor often recurs when the weather becomes warm and humid again. Regular use of topical treatment minimises this risk.
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Why Do We Get Fungal Infection On Skin
In humans, fungal infections occur when an invading fungus takes over an area of the body and is too much for the immune system to handle. Fungi can live in the air, soil, water, and plants. There are also some fungi that live naturally in the human body. Like many microbes, there are helpful fungi and harmful fungi.
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.
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Vitiligo White Splotches On Skin
Vitiligo on hands courtesy of Wikipedia
Vitiligo develops when cells called melanocytes die. Melanocytes give your skin and hair color. It causes the skin to lose its pigment in patches or blotches. This skin disease is chronic and starts to show symptoms slowly as parts of the skin start to become lighter than the rest of the skins complexion.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the loss of skin color or pigment may not be limited to the skin alone. Parts of the body with hair may be affected as well. Patients may exhibit white patches on skin and hair depending on the affected area.
There are two main types of vitiligo: segmental vitiligo and non-segmental vitiligo. Segmental vitiligo affects only one side of the body while non-segmental vitiligo affects skin on both sides such as both knees or both hands.
- The risk of vitiligo skin pigment loss is high in people with autoimmune disease.
- It occurs equally in people of all races and skin colors.
- Vitiligo rarely disappears once one gets its symptoms of skin depigmentation.
Does Exposure To Sunlight Treat Toenail Fungus
UVB from the sun is a very potent germicidal agent and, if you suffer from a common and chronic nail infection known as onychomycosis, you could find a daily dose of sunlight would finally get rid of your problem. Nail fungus is a very stubborn condition because it lives deep under the nail and not on the nail’s surface – with the infection growing off as a healthy nail grows in. The treatment you use to treat your nail fungus needs some help and the regular sunlight to the feet provides the best rescue plan. You might have to use this method for several months or the whole of the summer. But would that be such a hardship? Carry out your foot sunning on grass or perhaps a sandy shore and you get triple benefits a treatment for nail fungus, attractive tanned feet and all the good things that come with grounding or earthing!
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How To Prevent Skin Fungus
This article was co-authored by Neal Blitz, DPM, FACFAS. Dr. Neal Blitz is a Podiatrist and Foot & Ankle Surgeon who runs private practices in New York City and in Beverly Hills, California. Dr. Blitz is The Bunion King® and is the creator of the Bunionplasty® Procedure which has revolutionized bunion surgery. He has over 17 years of podiatric experience and specializes in minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery. Dr. Blitz received his DPM from the New York College of Podiatric Medicine, then completed a residency focused on Elective & Reconstructive Foot & Ankle Surgery at the Swedish Medical Center, and was awarded an AO Trauma fellowship in Dresden, Germany, focused on trauma and reconstructive techniques. He is board certified in Foot Surgery and Reconstructive Rearfoot & Ankle Surgery and is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Foot & Ankle Surgery and a fellow of the American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons .There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 370,645 times.