White Spots on Skin After Sun: Causes, Treatments and How to Prevent

The White spots on the skin can be caused by prolonged sun exposure.
Learn about these white spots and how to treat them.
After a long day in the sun, you may have noticed that your arms, legs, or face have a smattering of flat, white spots.
What exactly are these white spots, and should you be worried?

White spots on the skin, it turns out, are usually caused by a skin condition known as idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis, or idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis. This condition typically affects areas that receive a lot of suns.
Although they may appear to have appeared on your skin suddenly, they have most likely been forming for some time. Your most recent tan simply made them stand out more. What causes these white spots, and how can you get rid of them?
Here are three tips for treating and preventing white spots on your skin that every man should know:

Sun-induced white spots on the skin are usually caused by a condition known as idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis.
Although this skin condition is not harmful, many people choose to treat it with dermabrasion and topical steroids to make it less noticeable.
Wearing sunscreen and staying out of the sun during peak hours is essential for preventing the worsening of white spots on the skin.

1. Is the Sun Always to Blame for White Spots on Skin?

Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis is caused by a decrease in melanin in the skin.
It mostly appears on areas that receive the most UV damage, such as the face, arms, legs, and back.
This leads many scientists to believe that cumulative sun damage is the primary cause of these small, white spots.

Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis is caused by a decrease in melanin in the skin. It mostly appears on areas that receive the most UV damage, such as the face, arms, legs, and back.
This leads many scientists to believe that cumulative sun damage is the primary cause of these small, white spots.
Researchers discovered a high prevalence of idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis cases in patients over 40 years old in a 2011 study published in the International Journal of Dermatology.
Other researchers argue that there is insufficient statistical evidence to prove that chronic sun exposure is entirely to blame. An earlier study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found a higher prevalence of idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis in families.

Although idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis is harmless, it can harm a person's self-esteem.
There is currently no cure for the skin condition, but there are a few effective treatment options.

If you're concerned about the visibility of your idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis, a topical steroid may help.
Researchers discovered that triamcinolone (a synthetic corticosteroid) significantly improved the appearance of white spots in idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis patients in a 1987 study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Cryotherapy isn’t without its problems (namely, burning as a side effect), but it can be an effective form of treatment for your white spots.
According to a 2017 study published in The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, patients who underwent four months of cryotherapy saw significant improvement in their idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis compared to the control group.

Due to its deep exfoliation of the skin's outer layer, dermabrasion may be a potential treatment for idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis.
You can also use an exfoliating scrub to even out your skin tone and make the white spots less visible.

There is some evidence that retinol, specifically tretinoin (prescription-strength retinol), is effective in the treatment of idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis.
Patients treated with topical tretinoin for four months saw an improvement in their idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis lesions, according to a 1999 study published in Acta Dermato-Venereologica.

Sun-induced white spots on the skin can be difficult to treat. As a result, the best treatment is to prevent them from happening in the first place.
Wearing a daily moisturizer with SPF on your face and sunscreen on any exposed areas of your body is one of the most effective ways to prevent white spots on the skin.
Wearing sunscreen is essential not only for preventing wrinkles and fine lines but also for lowering your risk of skin cancer.
Staying out of the sun during the hottest hours of the day is another way to help prevent white spots from developing on your skin. Even the highest SPF will not protect you.

Although scientists aren’t certain of the exact causes of white spots on the skin, it’s strongly believed that cumulative sun exposure is to blame.
The best way to prevent additional white spots on your skin is by being proactive about your skin with a simple skin care system. With a little TLC and sun safety practices, you can keep your skin healthy and handsome for the long haul.