I noticed a spot on my son's ribs about the size of a quarter where the pigment does not appear to be tanning. Has anyone heard of this or have any idea what it could be? I have schedule a doctor appointment but am wondering if anyone has any experience beforehand. I have read stuff on the internet but it is all over the place as to what causes it. Thanks for any insight.
It's just a patch of skin that is lacking pigment, it's not a big deal.. I have a few spots on my arms, and a couple of my kids have a few spots here and there. One even has one like you described, and it's only annoying when tanning.
Could be Vertiglio (sp) an autoimmune disease causing the immune system to attack the pigment cells in the skin and hair.
I have it and my arms and back are spotty, my legs never did tan even when I was a kid and now they are getting whiter.
Eventually his skin will be all white and his hair could grey when he is still young. As far as I know there is no treatment.
I have a splattering of small spots on my left thigh that don't tan. They are small and I've have them since I was a teenager (or at least that is when I noticed them). I think of them as reverse freckles and are totally not bothersome. If that is what he has, no biggie. I'd ask at the next Dr. visit though since I can't see his spot to compare.
I have a fairly large area on my stomach/side area that doesn't tan. I first noticed it when I was a young teen, and now I'm 43. I never asked a doctor about it, and it never changed or got worse. It doesn't seem to be connected to any other problems like the ones mentioned here. It's just a light spot that is only noticeable in the summer. I've never worried about it, but it will be interesting to hear what your son's doctor has to say.
My 5yo dd has what you described on her butt cheeks. We noticed it about a year ago, and I'm not sure if its bigger now than before. I have a tiny spot on my index finger (about an inch long) that I've had all my life, that has always looked exactly the same, so I just figured it was nothing to worry about. However, I'm a bit concerned now :/ ...Or maybe it's nothing...hmmmm....
Because his spot is only the size of a quarter, I *doubt* this is what it is, but my first thought was tinea versicolor, a fungal infection (related to athlete's foot and which can be treated with athlete's foot cream).
Maybe it's vitiligo, like Rev. Ruby suggested...
One of my family members had something like this, but it resolved somehow (I don't remember what the doctor did). So it's good that you are going to the doctor about it.
