White spots on the skin of a child

Skin discoloration is a very common problem among people, especially this tendency is seen in recent years in children. From this article you will learn how to act if there are white spots on the skin of a child, and the most common reasons for this phenomenon.

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Common causes of

appearance When white 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 individual or all parts of the skin, hair and nails. This is due to a lack of pigment melanin, which gives them a shade.

Vitiligo

This condition is characterized by the loss of melanin in the skin. The causes of the appearance of this disease are unknown. Also, there are no methods of treatment. That is, to cure vitiligo will not work. The essence of the fight against it is to improve the appearance of the skin by different methods. We will consider this disease in more detail below.

Odruid lichen( fungal infection)

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

Conditions in which there is a risk of such an infection - a warm, humid climate, increased sweating. Treat her with antifungal drugs, such as "Terbinafine", "Clotrimazole" and others.

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

Idiopathic drop-shaped hypomelanosis

Symptoms of this disease are:

1. Small white spots 2-5 mm in areas exposed to sunlight.
2. Skin in this place is smooth, but can begin to peel off.
3. More common 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 presume - the appearance of such symptoms is associated with the natural process of aging, since they occur in people older than 40 years. Heredity also plays a role in the appearance of this disease.

White lichen

In white lichen, a characteristic change is the color of the skin. It is more common in children and adolescents under warm climatic conditions. The skin in the place of manifestation is dry and scaly. In countries with a more temperate climate occur less frequently and only in the summer. The causes of this disease are unknown.

Non-pigmentary nevus

More commonly known as the birthmark. May pose a health threat, as the risk of developing melanoma, a serious type of malignant tumor that forms on the skin, increases.

Important! Such depigmentation can be easily distinguished from vitiligo, since these sites are of a stable nature and do not spread .

Poor nutrition

Often, if you have white spots on your skin, this can be caused by a poor unbalanced diet. 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's time to take a more balanced diet and consult a doctor for advice on taking dietary supplements.

Other causes of

There are less common symptoms 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 non-infectious disease, also known as squamish.

Important! Such diseases in children are extremely rare, but we mentioned them, since no one is immune from unexpected situations, especially if it concerns health.

The most common manifestations in children

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

1. Hypomelanosis. Appears due to the dyschromia of the surface layer of the epidermis. Most often it develops during the first years of a child's life after suffering a serious infectious disease. The precise mechanism of the development of the disease is unknown.
2. Tumorous sclerosis. It is manifested by the appearance of white spots on the skin covering up to 3 cm in diameter. In this case, the spots are only an accompaniment of a more serious pathology, which is manifested by mental retardation, epilepsy, and internal organ damage.

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

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What is Vitiligo?

When there are white spots on the skin, "what is this?" - you immediately ask this question. One of the likely causes of such manifestations is the diagnosis of Vitiligo. This disease is accompanied by the appearance of white round or oval spots. This happens because the melanin ceases to be produced because of various reasons. As a result, these parts of the skin remain not protected from sunlight and the probability of a burn increases.

Here are the main manifestations of Vitiligo:

1. Most often depigmentation occurs on the face, arms, in the groin and elbow folds.
2. Such spots can appear both localized and generalized. In the second case, they often merge into large pigment areas that occupy a considerable area.
3. Vitiligo does not affect the palms and feet of a person.
4. If such manifestations appear on the head, the hair also loses its color.

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

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

1. Disturbance of liver function.
2. Diseases of the endocrine system and thyroid gland.
3. Deviations from the normal functioning of the pituitary gland. Diseases of the kidneys and adrenal glands.
4. Diseases of the intestinal tract.
5. Immune malfunction, in which the body itself begins to destroy melanocytes.
6. Infectious diseases.
7. Constant stress.
8. Violation of the balance of vitamins and trace elements.
9. Heredity.

What can be confused with vitiligo?

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

1. Peregrine lichen.
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 very violation of the skin is a manifestation of a violation of the health of the body. Also, the danger is a violation of the production of melanin or its complete cessation.

As a result - the skin remains not protected from sunburn.

Assessing the danger to others, it can be said that Vitiligo is not an infectious disease, so it 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 certain rules of caution. For this it is not necessary: ​​

1. Sunbathing with a sweating body. You must first wipe yourself and only after that take a sun bath.
2. To be in the draft for a long time, under which the body is intensively blown by the wind.
3. Prolonged exposure to air with high humidity.
4. Use fans and air conditioners.

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Popular therapies

There are a number of "grandmother's" methods for the treatment of Vitiligo. But as is known, Vitiligo can not be cured, since the cause of the occurrence is also incomprehensible. However, many tools mask these spots quite successfully.

Among such substances for treatment are:

1. Fresh herb St. John's wort.
2. Grass of dill.
3. Duckweed.
4. Parsley.

The essence of the application of such methods is to apply selectively, namely to the depigmented areas, to apply an extract of one of these plants. They contain substances such as furokumariny. They increase sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation. Due to increased exposure to sunlight on these areas, the production of melanin increases, from which the distinction between the normal and depigmented area is blurred.

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

In this article, we examined the white spots on the skin - the reasons for their appearance and the methods of possible treatment for each of them. To avoid such diseases, adhere to the rules of hygiene, eat well, do not stay in direct sunlight for a long time and take care of your health, because this is the most valuable thing that you have.