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Health advice on treating white spots

My daughter has white spotting on her shoulders. It won't tan and almost looks like there is no pigment. Is this a fungus? What should she do?
(26 Oct 2007)

White spots appear on the skin due to the inadequate production and improper distribution of the natural skin coloring component, melanin. These spots might also be caused by fungal growth on the surface of the skin, but in such cases, the depigmentation is accompanied with itching, burning and inflammation. In the absence of these symptoms, it is safe to assume that the white spots are not the result of microbial growth on the skin, but are, rather, indicative of a disorder called leucoderma, which is characterized by small discolored spots on the skin that gradually spread out into pale patches.

The problem is especially prominent in dark complexioned people.

There are a few home remedies that you may find useful in treating this condition. Soak a handful of psoralea seeds in a bowl of ginger juice for three days. Make sure that you replace the juice every day. Then take the husk off the seeds and grind them to a fine powder. Mix this powder in a cup of fresh milk and drink this solution every morning. This is an effective remedy for treating white spots on the skin. Simply grinding these seeds into a fine paste and applying it on the affected area also helps. Alternatively, you could soak equal portions of psoralea and tamarind seeds in water and wait till the water evaporates completely; then grind the seeds together to a powder and add some water again to make a fine paste. Massage the white spots with this paste daily to make them less prominent. Another time-tested remedy is to keep some water in a copper vessel overnight and drink it the next morning on an empty stomach. Rubbing the spots with a freshly cut piece of ginger also helps restore pigmentation to the affected area as the pungent juice of ginger contains strong chemicals that improve blood circulation and stimulate the glands that lie beneath the skin. For another remedy, grind some radish seeds and add two tablespoons of vinegar to it, and apply this mixture on the white spots. You could also mix turmeric powder and water in the proportion 1:2 and boil it till a viscous extract is obtained. To this add some mustard oil and apply this decoction on the white spots regularly to make them disappear. Besides these specific remedies, you should also follow a healthy diet that includes raw vegetables and fruits, as they supply essential nutrients to the skin that help regularize melanin production and prevent the appearance of white spots.

answered by G M on 23 Apr 2010, 5:28:44

Health advice on treating white spots

White spotting on the upper body could be due to Tinea Versicolor. This benign, but unsightly, skin condition results from a type of fungus, which normally resides on the skin. It can get inflamed due to hormonal imbalances or overexposure to humidity. It is not a life-threatening disorder and neither is it contagious. With adequate treatment it usually clears up over the course of a few months. As this is a primarily fungal treatment you could try various anti-fungal remedies. One such natural solution is the use of tea tree oil. Tea tree oil has been shown to have antibiotic and anti-fungal properties. It is relatively strong in its pure essential form so a good idea would be to blend a few drops of the oil in water and wash the affected parts twice a day. Don not ingest this oil orally.

Dietary changes that help fight this include consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables for their anti-oxidant properties. Garlic when consumed in the raw form or in pasta sauces or dips also has similar anti-fungal properties. Finally yogurt contains probiotics that can tackle fungal infections so eating plain, unflavored yogurt is another dietary change that can prove beneficial. To prevent the return of the infection make sure bedding and other clothes are and changed and washed daily.

answered by M W on 27 Feb 2008, 12:22:20

Health advice on treating white spots

My daughter has white spotting on her shoulders. It won't tan and almost looks like there is no pigment. Is this a fungus? What should she do? (26 Oct 2007)

My daughter has white spotting on her shoulders. It won't tan and almost looks like there is no pigment. Is this a fungus? What should she do?
(26 Oct 2007)