When you start tanning your skin regularly, after a few days, you may notice small, white spots on various parts of your body like the face, shoulders, back, legs, etc. It can happen if you are tanning outdoors under the direct sun as well as indoors in a tanning bed. No doubt the spotty appearance makes you frustrated and self-conscious and you want to eliminate them as fast as possible. Before we discuss how to get rid of white spots on the skin, let us find out about skin discoloration causes.
Causes of White Spots on Skin
The ultraviolet rays of the sun are responsible for causing the tanning of the skin. The same light is being used in the tanning bed as well. Some people get white spots when the pigmentation process of the skin is disturbed in certain areas. It can happen because of genetic factors or some skin injury. In this condition, those skin cells do not get tanned on exposure to the sun but the skin of the adjoining area turns dark. As a result, the white spots of the skin becomes prominent. Otherwise, these spots are not visible when sun exposure is low.
As you lie down in the tanning bed, a number of pressure points are created where the body comes in contact with the bed and the entire body weight is distributed on these points. The blood flow in these areas gets restricted due to the extra pressure on them. As a result, the ultraviolet rays are not absorbed adequately in those parts. Thus the white spots from tanning are developed on the skin surface. There are some medicines which when taken can block the effect of the ultraviolet radiation on certain spots and prevent the darkening of the skin. If you are under any such medication while tanning, it is likely that you will get white spots on the body. Growth of skin fungus can be responsible for discoloration of the skin. Tinea versicolor is a form of fungal infection that commonly affects tanners. Heat and sweat often promote the growth of this fungus.
How to Get Rid of White Spots
White sunspots on the skin are not a serious issue and you can try out some remedial measures at home to get rid of them. First of all, you have to stop tanning altogether. Once the white spots have developed, it will take months to get back the even skin. So, more tanning of the skin will delay the process of eliminating the spots even further.
Application of vitamin E oil to the spots will provide adequate nourishment to the skin and help to reduce the appearance of the patches. Ideally, it should be applied twice a day, once in the morning and once before retiring for the day. Hydroxy acid is a natural acid that promotes the growth of new cells. It is a key component of various lotions, serums, etc. When applied topically, it replaces the old skin cells with new ones. Thus it facilitates faster elimination of the white spots.
Protect your skin from any further exposure to the sun by applying a generous amount of sunscreen two times a day throughout the year. The SPF value of the sunscreen should be at least 15. Avoid going out in the sun during the daytime. If it is unavoidable, then cover your skin with long-sleeved clothes, pants, shoes, and hats so that the white spots do not come in direct contact with the sunlight.
If you notice that the size or the number of white spots on the skin are increasing every day, then you must consult a dermatologist for treatment for white spots on the skin. They will ascertain the cause first and then treatment for white spots on the skin. When it is caused by a fungus, then anti-fungal creams are prescribed for topical application. For the treatment of skin fungus and white spots, a good skincare regime with cleansing, exfoliating and moisturizing is also very important. If it is caused due to the side effects of some medicine, then the medicine needs to be changed. If the white spots result from other underlying diseases such as vitiligo and leucoderma, then suitable medicines are prescribed to slow down the process of whitening of the skin. Sometimes, the skin pigmentation related issues are corrected with the help of laser resurfacing treatment.
Hope you got a clear idea on how to get rid of white spots on the skin. The chances of such spots are higher when you use a tanning bed. This is because you lie in one position on it for a long time. Prevention of white skin spots after tanning can be prevented if you change your position in the tanning bed after every few minutes.
Tiffany is a Medical Student and also works as a fitness coach in part-time. She is also a writer and writes on health and fitness articles. Tiffany loves to engage with users and help them provide various useful information on General Health. She provides researched-based information and also featured on various blogs and magazines.