You are probably more concerned about brown spots or freckles appearing on your skin than white ones. If you notice white spots appearing, you are not alone. They tend to appear as you age and while they are usually not a cause for concern, white spots are trickier to treat than brown ones. Read on to find out more about this condition and how it can be treated.

Types of White Spots and Their Causes

Hypopigmentation 
This is the absence of normal amounts of melanin on the skin. Melanin gives the skin its colour, when melanocytes, the cells in our skin that produce melanin reduce their production, hypopigmentation occurs. Hypopigmentation is commonly caused by trauma on the skin. Overuse of intense pulsed light (IPL), the use of lasers, and chemical peels can cause skin damage that results in hypopigmentation.

Idiopathic Guttate Hypomelanosis (IGH) 

This type of hypopigmentation is a skin condition with flat white spots on the face, neck, shoulder, arms and legs that are round or oval in shape. Doctors are not certain the exact causes of IGH, but have pinpointed the most likely causes as UV damage, light damage and advancing age. Women in their forties tend to start developing IGH.

Vitiligo

Vitiligo usually appears as white patches and it is believed that this is a genetic condition. Patches of white skin appear when skin cells that produce melanin die or stop production.

Tinea Versicolor

This is a condition caused by the fungus that lives on the skin’s surface and starts to grow out of control. The white patches are dry, scaly and sometimes itchy.

Treatments and Prevention for Hypopigmentation and IGH

Avoid Light Treatments
Avoid laser or IPL treatment if your skin is dark coloured. The low cost of IPL and the instant results that it promises can appeal to you and you may be attracted to undergo IPL several times. But remember hypopigmentation is very hard to treat. For some people, this problem can be temporary and it can go away after many months and in some cases, years. Visit a dermatologist for professional treatment if you require.

When in The Sun - Cover Up and Use Sunscreen

If you enjoy basking in the sun or frequently carry out activities under the sun for long hours, put on sunscreen with SPF factor of 50 on your face and, as for the other part of your skin that is exposed to the sun, you can use SPF 15, 30 or 50, depending on how tanned you would like to be. A broad spectrum sunscreen contains both physical and chemical sun filters to protect you from the damaging effects of UVB and UVA. Choose a sunscreen with stable sun filters as they offer even better protection against skin diseases caused by overexposure to the sun, furthermore, stable sun filters provoke lower allergies and skin sensitisation. bSoul’s Sunday Morning sunscreen range is one of our favourites. Containing Uvinul® A Plus and Tinosorb® S, these UVA broad spectrum sun filters effectively protect the skin from the constant sun exposure. For the areas such as the arms and legs, you can cover up with UV protective clothes for even more protection against the sun.

Cover With Skin Friendly Foundation

White spots are hard to treat and many times, the supposed treatment may cause more harm to the skin than good. You can choose not to treat it since it does not cause any symptoms. You can cover the white spots with bSoul’s certified natural and Vegan-friendly Hydra BB Repair Cream.

Should You Be Too Concerned About White Spots?

White spots on the skin do not usually require any medical treatments. However, it is recommended to visit a dermatologist to make sure there are no underlying conditions when you experience:

• Continuous reoccurrence of the white spots
• Spread to other parts of your body
• The white spots start to hurt or itch