white spots

[littleman253]

what would cause white spots on skin and what is it i noticed it about 2yrs ago and i never did before there is one on my chest and on my back it dont hurt or bother me in any way and it is as flat as my skin?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
It can be due to tinea versicolor or vitiligo skin. Tinea versicolor is caused by a fungus that lives in the skin of almost all adults. Factors that can cause the fungus to become more visible include high humidity and immune or hormone abnormalities. Treatment involves topical and oral antifungal medicines.

Vitiligo is a pigmentation disorder in which melanocytes (the cells that make pigment) in the skin are destroyed. As a result, white patches appear on the skin in different parts of the body. Diagnosis can be confirmed by external examination, blood tests to check skin cell count  for melanocytes and biopsy of the skin patches.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[BeeFree]

If they are not raised at all then they are probably just hyper-pigmentations-- lighter colored spots on the skin. Totally harmless. I used to have a couple on my cheeks as a kid that were more noticeable with a tan.
If you are still concerned it never hurts to get it checked out.