White Spots on Skin Causes

Have you ever come across people who have either mild or prominent white spots on their skin? I always wondered what those white spots on skin causes were but I didn't really give it a second thought until the time my aunt developed them all over her skin. Some in patches, some in spots and some just mild discolorations. That was when I got down to it and researched the whole topic and tried to find logic in the whole hoopla about white spots on the skin. And then I got around to understanding what it all actually means. If you've ever had this problem and want to know what the white spots on skin causes are, read the following article for some clarity on the topic.

Causes of White Skin and White Spots

There is a medical term for white spots on the skin. The condition is called vitiligo or leucoderma. It is a type of skin disorder that affects certain people and results in the formation white spots on skin. The reasons for this happening could be either genetic or environmental. Let us get into these white spots on skin causes in more detail.

Vitiligo
Most of the times the reasons that lead to white spots are pigmentation problems. In vitiligo, the skin develops these specific white patches. This is not painful or contagious but it can, and usually does result in a lot of psychological distress in a person 'coz it directly affects the appearance. Vitiligo can come about due to genes - if someone in the family already has it or due to the auto-immunity factor in which the tissues of the body are attacked by the body's own immune system.

Idiopathic Guttate Hypomelanosis
This is a type of genetic disorder that results in white spots on skin. This comes about when the thickness of the skin starts reducing and the number of melanocytes cells diminish. One major reason that leads to this is over tanning, like in the case a tanning bed or overexposure to the sun.

Nevus Depigmentosus
This condition could be a factor right from birth. When there are abnormalities in the functioning of melanocytes, thereby producing little pigmentation and resulting in the white spots.

Pityriasis Alba
When there is sub-normal activity of the melanocytes which results in smaller and fewer melanosomes it causes the characteristic white spots to appear. This condition is more prominent in children.

There are certain other causes as well like skin fungus and white spots are in a way connected, and tinea versicolor which is another type of fungus that affects the skin and causes white spots to appear.

How to Treat and Prevent White Spots on Skin

And now that we know what some of the white spots on skin causes are, let's move onto the question of how to cure white spots on skin:

• Prevent overexposure in the sun.
• Increase the intake of iron through your diet and other supplements.
• Avoid certain foods that will trigger any reaction like tamarind, citrus fruits, prawns, sodium and salt.
• Be absolutely sure about the kind of skin care products you use. Don't use anything that has harsh chemicals in it.
• Have ginger juice which will increase the flow of blood in your system and fade the white spots.
• Drink buttermilk regularly.
• Mix red clay and ginger powder with a few drops of vinegar and make into a paste, then massage onto skin.
• You can also take over the counter medication like lotions and creams. But make sure that you consult your dermatologist before you start out on one yourself.

And now that it's clear what some of the white spots on skin causes are, make sure that you administer proper skin care and do not allow this problem to develop.