Why do age spots appear and how to get rid of them?

Causes and mechanisms

The hands, along with the face, are open areas of the body, and therefore defects in the skin in this area create significant psychological discomfort. But before you worry about a missing or insignificant problem, you need to understand the origin of the phenomenon.

There are two mechanisms involved in the formation of white spots on the palms: decreased pigmentation and microcirculatory changes. The first category includes conditions with so-called leukoderma or local discoloration of the skin, which is based on defects in the accumulation or increased destruction of melanin. A similar symptom can occur with a wide range of pathologies:

• Vitiligo.
• Dermatomycosis (pityriasis versicolor).
• Autoimmune diseases (scleroderma, lupus erythematosus).
• Infectious diseases (syphilis or leprosy).
• Helminthic infestations.
• Endocrinopathies.

White spots can be the result of exposure to chemicals (through professional contact) or occur against the background of certain genetic defects (Ito hypomelanosis). And lighter areas of a microcirculatory nature often appear on the hands of people with vegetative-vascular dystonia. This is precisely the reason we have to deal with in most cases.

The causes of white spots on the hands vary. Leukoderma occurs after skin diseases or in connection with other pathologies, but most often light areas are the result of microcirculatory changes.

White spots on the skin: photodermatitis

04.10.2021

What to do if white spots appear legs , chest Will this really stay forever?

White spots on the body, especially in the indicated places, are a manifestation, that is, a symptom of a particular disease. Very rarely, in individual cases, spots are an independent disease. It is important to know whether pigmentation appeared on its own, or whether it is a consequence of past rashes, vesicles, papules, pimples , etc. This is a very important point, one might say that it is key in making a diagnosis. A correct diagnosis guarantees correct treatment.

In most cases, the described spots on the skin are a manifestation of the so-called “sun allergy”, or more precisely, photodermatitis. This allergy does not mean that if you go out into the sun you will always get spots. Photodermatitis is caused by the fact that ultraviolet rays react with certain substances on the skin or in the skin, forming spots. Very often, the spots are preceded by a rash, or “pimples,” but it happens that just spots appear, which can be either white or any other color.

Photodermatitis is divided into exogenous and endogenous. Accordingly, exogenous dermatitis is a reaction of ultraviolet radiation with carcinogenic substances on the surface of the skin. Such substances include cosmetics (deodorants, creams, ointments, perfumes, lipsticks, etc.), pollen, and other substances released by the environment.

As a remark, you can make the following: The most carcinogenic substances found in perfumes and most often causing photodermatitis include: Eosin, para-aminebenzoic acid, retinoids, essential oils, salicylic acid, mercury preparations, phenol. Also, spots of this type can appear after cosmetic procedures ( peeling , tattooing, etc.)

Endogenous photodermatitis is caused by an ultraviolet reaction, or by ultraviolet reaction products in the skin itself. Especially often, photodermatitis manifests itself in diseases of the liver , gastrointestinal tract, and endocrine system .

You need to understand whatever dermatitis or other disease is, it is primarily an allergic reaction , against the background of decreased immunity .

If your problem appeared in the spring, when the sun begins to shine more and warmer, and all the plants begin to turn green and bloom, then we can assume that this is an allergic reaction . Moreover, the stains appeared in those places that are covered with clothing in winter, and become exposed with the arrival of warm weather.

Whatever the reason, be sure to consult a dermatologist and allergist . It is rare to achieve a quick positive result by simply adjusting your lifestyle, although this is extremely important.

You need to take a number of antihistamines, use special ointments, creams or gels, and apply special cosmetic procedures.

We hope our answer helped you and you will soon solve your problem. We wish you and your loved ones all the best.

Published in Dermatology Premium Clinic

Symptoms

Analysis of the clinical picture gives an idea of ​​the probable causes of spots on the skin. But a physical examination is the competence of a doctor, so you cannot do without a specialist in this matter. Based on a survey, examination and other methods, a preliminary conclusion is made about the origin and nature of the identified condition.

Leucoderma

Melanin is a black or brown pigment that gives the skin its characteristic color. With its deficiency, the color of the epithelium becomes lighter, even white. If the process is observed in limited areas, then hypopigment spots appear.

Leucoderma is a symptom, but not a disease as such. It appears in various disorders. One of them is vitiligo, in which the spots are completely devoid of pigmentation. At first, the light area is single in nature and small in size, located on any part of the skin, including the palms. For a long time, the spot can be in a stable phase, but as the disease progresses, the number of depigmented areas increases, they merge with each other and form fields of different shapes.

Hand-foot-mouth syndrome or enteroviral vesicular stomatitis with exanthema

These viruses are quite widespread among the population, but most often affect children under 5 years of age. The disease is more common in the spring-autumn period, sometimes there is a seasonal increase in incidence upon the return of children after vacationing from southern resorts. The infection is transmitted by airborne droplets, and also has a fecal-oral transmission mechanism, i.e. In addition to sneezing and coughing, transmission factors can include toys, dishes and household items.

Viruses of this family are quite stable in the external environment - they can remain viable at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

This is an acute infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the picornavirus family: Coxsackie viruses A16, A5, A10, A9, B1, B3 and enterovirus 71.

Based on the characteristic clinical picture, the disease is called “hand-foot-mouth” syndrome (or enteroviral vesicular stomatitis with exanthema) derived from the English Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease (HFMD) and is a symptom complex consisting of lesions of the oral mucosa - enanthema and the appearance of a rash on the upper and lower extremities - exanthema.

The incubation period lasts from several days to 1 week. The first manifestations of the disease are an increase in temperature to 37.5-38.5 degrees, a feeling of malaise, weakness, headache, and sore throat. These symptoms persist for several days and are very similar to the symptoms of any ARVI. But unlike ARVI, after 1-2 days on the skin of the hands, palms, and soles; somewhat less frequently, a rash appears on the thighs and forearms in the form of vesicles with transparent contents against a red-pink background. The vesicles are generally the size of a match head. Similar rashes appear in the mouth area and in the oral cavity itself - they are in the nature of microulcers (ulcers), painful and sensitive to contrasting foods. All eruptive elements tend to reverse within a few days.

Resolving rashes in the area of ​​the palms and soles can leave quite pronounced peeling for some time and, what is typical, some patients experience peeling and cracking of the nail plates (onychodystrophy) after a short amount of time, which is especially frightening for parents and often serves as a reason to look for a fungal infection . These manifestations are also completely reversible.

The prognosis of the disease is most often favorable. Spontaneous recovery occurs. It is necessary to isolate the child from other children, because it is extremely contagious for children's groups. All therapy comes down to symptomatic drugs (antipyretics, antihistamines), local solutions of aniline dyes for vesicles (Fukortsin), rinsing the mouth with weak solutions of antiseptics (miramistin, chamomile decoction), drinking plenty of fluids and a gentle diet is recommended. However, rarely, complications such as the development of meningitis and encephalitis are possible. Alarming symptoms of “hand-foot-mouth” disease, which will allow you to suspect an unfavorable course of the disease and require an urgent call to a doctor: fever above 39º, persistent high temperature, vomiting (sometimes multiple times), increased headache, pain in the eyeballs, constant crying and capriciousness of the child against the background of fever, constant drowsiness or, conversely, psychomotor agitation of the patient. If such symptoms appear, you should immediately call emergency medical help.

If you suspect hand-foot-mouth syndrome, you can always consult pediatricians, infectious disease specialists and dermatologists at the clinic by phone / +7 495 735-88-77

or make an appointment via the feedback form

Yours sincerely,

Dermatologist A.Yu. Putintsev

How to lighten pigment spots with melasma

1. Provide skin protection from excess exposure to ultraviolet rays and blue light. UV rays and visible light rays are the main trigger for the appearance and recurrence of pigmentation. Their use is mandatory, regardless of the time of year.
2. Lightening agents that help:

• decreased division of melanocyte pigment cells
• suppression of pigment formation inside melanocytes
• destruction of formed melanosomes

Those. a full range of effects on the mechanisms of melasma.

The Latin American Academy of Pigmentary Disorders Academy-PDA has developed an algorithm for selecting therapy depending on the degree of its development:

• Mild degree - use of drugs based on Azelaic acid up to 20%
• Moderate and severe degrees - only combination therapy, including several ingredients with a brightening effect, with different mechanisms of action.

What should be included in the combination drugs, see below.

Causes of Melasma Pigment Spots

Reason number 1 is ultraviolet rays. They stimulate the production of the hormone melanocrine, which activates the work of pigment cells.

Normally, a tan appears on the skin, but if there are other provoking factors, or an increased dose of UV rays, spots appear.

Clinical observations have proven that high intensity of visible light (sun, energy-saving lamps, computer and smartphone screens) increases the intensity of pigmentation in people prone to its formation.

1. Pregnancy and lactation
2. Taking hormonal medications, including oral contraceptives
3. Endocrine system diseases
4. Genetic predisposition
5. Medicines or external agents with a photosensitizing effect

A study conducted on 324 women with pigment spots showed that the onset, protracted course and reappearance of pigmentation occurs when the main trigger factors are combined. Namely: pregnancy, prolonged exposure to the sun, age, taking hormonal contraceptives, genetic predisposition.