[Tiffany Brockman]

Do any of your children have a patch of white skin discoloration? I am as white as a ghost, so I don't really know anything at all about tanner skin. I am attaching a picture, but it's still a little hard to see. She has a very tiny patch(about the size of a pencil eraser) of lighter skin below her right eye, then a larger patch(about the size of a quarter) right below that on her cheek. It really just looks like dry skin. However, I've been putting lotion on them like crazy. I realize that once it's discolored, it will take time to "tan" again, but this is pretty noticeable. So, if there's anything else I can do, or if anyone knows that maybe this isn't just dry skin, I would appreciate any advice!

Thanks
Tiffany

[ana-mom]

Ana has patches like that on her legs and arms from having excema this winter. The doctor says that her blotches are temporary.

My sister has some kind of pigment condition (started about 5 years ago) where she has white blotches on her face, neck and arms. In her case, her skin will stay that way.

[BethanyB]

Does she have excema? My son has a few patches on his face but he is AA. I thought they were dry patches but they don't feel dry at all. I am a little scared that it could be Vitilligo (sp?) which is a disease where your skin starts to turn white in small patches. I am thinking of asking my doctor about it.

[CT4]

My sister has vitilligo (sp) on her legs. It spreads a little if she is exposed to sun, until you find out what it is, keep sunscreen on it. Good luck. It's probably just dry skin. I would get it checked out just in case.

[Jayci]

My son gets these patches on his face too...they come and go..usually about the size of of a penny or dime..he has one on his chin now..my pediatrician advises that i use hyrdocortisone cream on the spot..it has always worked for him. His is bascially a dry skin patch..it doesn't feel like REALLY dry skin but it is a little more dry than the rest of his skin on his face. I too was worried about the skin condition where they get these really white patches...but thank goodness it is not that.

[DeeVee]

Has she always had them, or have they recently appeared?

My bio DS has a patch of white skin on his leg -- about the size of two half dollars. He was born with it, but it is much more noticeable when the skin around it tans. Just a birthmark, according to the doctor.

[KarynB]

My youngest African son also gets these from time to time - they are dry skin (in his case) related to exzema (sp?) and come and go. Sometimes it takes a month or so for them to completely disappear.

[wildboyz2]

My son use to get them and it was a sign of iron defenciency. Gave him iron drops and they gradually went away.

[ourdreamcametru]

My blonde haired fair skinned younger cousin go them when he was little and it was either a definciency of eggs or not enough, I can't remember but it had to do with eggs.

[angelkisses0102]

My very fair CC son has eczema...and I have noticed that the affected areas do not tan...not really noticeable since he is so fair. I would mention it to the pedi...DS has two seperate prescriptions since he will itch the areas until it gets raw and bleeds. The newest prescription for his face works wonders and it doesn't bother him at all. In between breakouts we use Lil Goats Milk Baby Butter to keep these areas smooth. The common areas for eczema are...face/cheeks, back of neck, inside of elbows and knees, above the knees...at least according to our pedi these are the spots we need to check on DS.

[guatparents2be]

fungus can also cause this.
bring her to a dermatologist to get it diagnosed. you certainly don't want to use steroid cream unless you absolutely have to!

[Tiffany Brockman]

She actually had this last year, but not as bad. It went away over the winter, but came back when she started to tan again. I do always use sunscreen on her, but it definitely seems to "come out" once we start using our pool.

Thanks for the advice.
Tiffany

[LadyTink]

Gabriella sometimes gets white spots on her arms and legs.

[annaguat]

My DS 18 has vitiligo and from what I can see on your DD's cheek it does not look like it but I would ask the MD. As others have mentioned exzema or fungus. My DS 18 and DD 17 both from Guatemala have the fungal too but not as large a patch. I hope you can find out what it is. Anna

[jimanddarla]

I have vitiligo. If the white patch has only appeared on her face and nowhere else on her extremeties (fingers, hands, toes, feet, etc...) then it probably isn't vitiligo. I was diagnosed with it about eight years ago and now almost all of my fingers are white and some areas around my mouth (that's why I have the goatee.) The whiteness only "appears" in the summer when I get sun. In winter it blends with the rest of my pasty white skin
The doctor says it will eventually move up my arms and legs and, by the time I'm a dirty old man, I'll be white as a ghost year round.

I would echo what the others have said. Take her to a dermatologist and have it checked out. Good luck!

Jim