White spots on the skin of a child 🥝 causes, treatment

Skin color change is a very common problem among people, especially this trend has been observed in recent years in children, including newborns. From this article you will learn how to act if there are white spots on the skin of a child (baby), and the most common causes of this phenomenon.

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Common Causes

When white spots and spots appear on the skin, the reasons for this can be varied. Let's talk about the most common.

Important! The appearance of this pathology in any case is called hypopigmentation - discoloration of some or all parts of the skin, hair and nails. This occurs from a lack of pigment melanin, which gives them a shade.

Vitiligo

This is a condition characterized by loss of melanin in the skin. The causes of this disease are unknown. Also, treatment methods are not provided. That is, vitiligo cannot be cured. The essence of the fight against it is to improve the appearance of the skin by various methods. We will consider this disease in more detail below.

Pityriasis versicolor (fungal infection)

The second most common cause of skin depigmentation is fungi of the genus Malassezia. These “plants” are usually present in small amounts on the body of each person. But in some conditions favorable for their growth (wet and warm skin), their number increases, which causes the appearance of white and whether there are red-brown spots on the skin.

Conditions in which there is a risk of such an infection are a warm, humid climate, excessive sweating. They treat it with antifungal drugs, such as Terbinafine, Clotrimazole and others.

Important! If you have symptoms or white spots on the skin of a child, do not self-medicate. Only a specialist can make a correct diagnosis. Consult a dermatologist.

Idiopathic Teardrop Hypomelanosis

Symptoms of this disease are:

1. Small white spots 2-5 mm in size on skin exposed to sun.
2. The skin in this place is smooth, but may begin to peel off.
3. It is more often manifested in women than in men, in fair-skinned people - more often than in people with dark skin.

Important! The cause of this disease is unknown. All that doctors suggest is the appearance of such symptoms is associated with the natural aging process, as they occur in people over 40 years old. Heredity also plays a role in the appearance of this disease.

Lichen white

With white lichen, a characteristic is a change in the color of the skin. It is more common in children and adolescents in warm climatic conditions. The skin at the site of manifestation is dry and scaly. In countries with more moderate climates are less common and only in summer. The causes of this disease are unknown.

Non-pigmented nevus

Better known as a birthmark. It can pose a threat to health, as the risk of developing melanoma, a severe type of malignant tumor that forms on the skin, increases.

Important! This depigmentation is easy to distinguish from vitiligo, since these areas are stable and do not spread..

Poor nutrition

Often, if you have white spots on your skin, this can be caused by poor unbalanced nutrition.The lack of certain enzymes and vitamins in the body causes such symptoms in humans.

Important! Manifestations of this type are harmless, but mean that it is time to take a more balanced diet and consult a doctor for advice on taking dietary supplements.

Other reasons

There are less common factors for the manifestation of such a symptom as white spots on the skin. The reasons for their manifestation are as follows:

1. Leukoderma is a disease that develops on the basis of a disease such as syphilis.
2. Psoriasis is a chronic, noncommunicable disease, also known as scaly lichen.

Important! Such diseases in children are extremely rare, but we mentioned them, since no one is safe from unexpected situations, especially when it comes to health.

The most common manifestations in children

The occurrence of such a problem as white spots on the skin of a child can be caused by the following of the following factors:

1. Hypomelanosis. It is manifested due to dyschromia of the surface layer of the epidermis. Most often develops during the first years of a child’s life after suffering a serious infectious disease. The exact mechanism of the disease is unknown.
2. Tumor sclerosis. It manifests itself by the appearance of white spots on the skin with a diameter of up to 3 cm. In this case, the spots are only the accompaniment of a more serious pathology, which is manifested by mental retardation, epilepsy, and damage to internal organs.

Important! If you notice that your child has white spots on the skin, consult a doctor immediately. The sooner the cause of the appearance of depigmentation is diagnosed, the faster the correct treatment for these symptoms and the disease as a whole will be chosen.

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What is Vitiligo?

When white spots appeared on the skin, “what is this?” - you immediately ask this question. One of the possible cases with such manifestations is the diagnosis of Vitiligo. This disease is accompanied by the appearance of white round or oval spots. This happens because, for various reasons, melanin ceases to be produced. As a result, these areas of the skin remain unprotected from sunlight and increases the likelihood of burns.

Here are the main manifestations of Vitiligo:

1. Most often, depigmentation occurs on the face, hands, groin and elbow bends.
2. Such spots can occur both localized and generalized. In the second case, they often merge into large pigment areas, which occupy a significant area.
3. Vitiligo does not affect the palm and foot of a person.
4. When such manifestations appear on the head, the hair also loses its color.

Important! Vitiligo can be inherited, but it happens in 1 out of 10 cases.

It is not known exactly what provokes this disease, but among the possible causes of the appearance of white spots are the following:

1. Impaired liver function.
2. Diseases of the organs of the endocrine system and thyroid gland.
3. Deviations from the norm of the pituitary gland.
4. Diseases of the kidneys and adrenal glands.
5. Diseases of the intestinal tract.
6. Immune malfunctions, in which the body itself begins to destroy melanocytes.
7. Infectious diseases.
8. Constant stress.
9. Imbalance of vitamins and minerals.
10. Heredity.

What can be confused with vitiligo?

The appearance of white spots can be associated not only with Vitiligo, and some of the reasons can be confused with it. For example, such as:

1. Pityriasis versicolor.
2. Ringworm.
3. Leukoderma.
4. Physical damage that affected the skin: cuts, burns, etc.

How dangerous are Vitiligo spots?

Assessing the danger of the disease, it is worth considering the fact that the violation of the skin itself is a manifestation of a violation of the body's health. Also a danger is a violation of the production of melanin or its complete cessation.

As a result, the skin remains unprotected from sunburn.

Assessing the danger to others, we can say that Vitiligo is not an infectious disease, therefore, does not pose any threat.

How to predict the appearance of spots?

If someone in your family has already been exposed to this disease, it is advisable to adhere to some rules of caution. To do this, do not:

1. To sunbathe with a sweating body. You must first wipe yourself and only after that take sun baths.
2. To stay for a long time in drafts, in which the body is intensively blown by the wind.
3. For a long time to be in the air with high humidity.
4. Use fans and air conditioners.

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Alternative methods of treatment

There are a number of “grandmother's” methods for treating Vitiligo. But as you know, Vitiligo cannot be cured, since the reason for the appearance is not clear. However, many tools mask these spots quite successfully.

Among these substances for treatment are:

1. Fresh herb hypericum.
2. Dill herb
3. Duckweed.
4. Parsley.

The essence of the application of such methods is to selectively, namely on depigmented areas, apply an extract of one of these plants. They contain substances such as furocoumarins. They increase sensitivity to ultraviolet. Due to the increased exposure of the sun to these areas, the production of melanin is increased, from which the line of difference between the normal and depigmented areas will be blurred.

Important! There is evidence that such procedures increase the likelihood of a disease such as skin cancer. What to believe - decide on your own, based on the complexity of skin problems and your own relationship with various hypotheses.

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Stock footage

In this article, we examined white spots on the skin - the causes of their appearance and methods of possible treatment for each of them. It doesn’t matter where it appeared: on the leg, stomach, back - it is necessary to pay attention to it and not delay the visit to the doctor. Above, we suggest you familiarize yourself with the video on which Dr. Komarovsky speaks about spots. To avoid such diseases, adhere to the rules of hygiene, eat a balanced diet, do not stay in direct sunlight for a long time and take care of your health, because this is the most valuable thing you have.