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Suggest Treatment For Patches Of Hyperpigmentation Near Eye And Nostril
Question: Hi! over a period of last one year I have developed two black patches near my right eye and left side of my nostril each. Probably this is due to exposure of sun..but am not sure..Please suggest cause, cure and preventive measures.
Brief Answer:
Lichen planus actinicus
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to healthcaremagic
I am Dr. Kakkar. I have gone through your query and I have understood it.
I would keep a possibility of Lichen planus actinicus, which can present as patches of hyperpigmentation, sometimes with a hypopigmented halo around it (but not always), on sun exposed sites. Exposure to strong sun in tropical countries is the underlying cause.
Sun protection is an essential part of the management of any pigmentation over face and other exposed areas. A good sunscreen should have broad spectrum UVA coverage in addition to UVB coverage, in order to be effective and it needs to be applied in sufficient quantity and every 2-3 hourly.
A sunscreen with minimum 30 SPF would be adequate. It should mention both UV B and UV A coverage. Therefore it is important to select the right sunscreen for desired effects
It should be applied in sufficient quantity : 3ml for face and neck(a little more than 1/2 teaspoon)
A sunscreen should be applied every 2-3 hours.
Neutrogena Dry Touch Ultrasheer Sunscreen is available OTC. It is broad spectrum, non oily and non greasy.
At night, you could use a Melalite-XL cream OR Clearz-Max cream for the dark patches. It is a triple drug combination of hydroquinone, tretinoin and mometasone. It is the gold standard combination for hyperpigmentation. However, this cream can cause irritation, therefore you need to apply it as a thin film for just 2 hours at night, wash your face and then apply Elocon cream for the whole night.
Continue this for 2-3 weeks and you will notice improvement.
Regards
Lichen planus actinicus
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to healthcaremagic
I am Dr. Kakkar. I have gone through your query and I have understood it.
I would keep a possibility of Lichen planus actinicus, which can present as patches of hyperpigmentation, sometimes with a hypopigmented halo around it (but not always), on sun exposed sites. Exposure to strong sun in tropical countries is the underlying cause.
Sun protection is an essential part of the management of any pigmentation over face and other exposed areas. A good sunscreen should have broad spectrum UVA coverage in addition to UVB coverage, in order to be effective and it needs to be applied in sufficient quantity and every 2-3 hourly.
A sunscreen with minimum 30 SPF would be adequate. It should mention both UV B and UV A coverage. Therefore it is important to select the right sunscreen for desired effects
It should be applied in sufficient quantity : 3ml for face and neck(a little more than 1/2 teaspoon)
A sunscreen should be applied every 2-3 hours.
Neutrogena Dry Touch Ultrasheer Sunscreen is available OTC. It is broad spectrum, non oily and non greasy.
At night, you could use a Melalite-XL cream OR Clearz-Max cream for the dark patches. It is a triple drug combination of hydroquinone, tretinoin and mometasone. It is the gold standard combination for hyperpigmentation. However, this cream can cause irritation, therefore you need to apply it as a thin film for just 2 hours at night, wash your face and then apply Elocon cream for the whole night.
Continue this for 2-3 weeks and you will notice improvement.
Regards
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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