It is a type of a fungus infection which generally affects the skin of young people. Although the condition is unsightly but is neither serious nor permanent. The spots which are formed are either light or reddish brown or are lighter as compared to the surrounding skin. Either there are a few spots or there might be a number of those.

It is not a contagious disease. This condition strikes people mostly during the warm weather and it becomes noticeable when people wear revealing clothes and the sun tans the rest of the skin and highlights the fungus affected parts.

Generally people suffer from this condition when they are teenagers or young adults. It rarely occurs in children and elderly except in the case of places with tropical climates where it can occur at any age. Both light and dark skinned people have an equal chance of developing this condition. People who have an oily skin are more prone to this disease as compared to those with a naturally dry skin.

In case of tropical countries which experience high heat and humidity, people suffer from these spots year round and these spots fade away in cooler and drier months of the year.

Cause

It is caused due to yeast called Pityrosporum orbiculare. The yeast is lipophilic therefore this condition is common on regions of the body that have a lot of sebaceous glands, generally the back, chest and shoulders. At times the spots may appear on the legs, arms or groin.

Symptoms

Although the infection produces few symptoms but some patients develop itching while sweating. The condition gets worsened with warm weather. One should avoid tanning booths as they are warm places. It is still not known why some people experience this problem and others don’t.

Treatment

The disease can be treated with either topical or oral medications. In cases which are mild, non prescription antifungal creams would work. Prescription antifungal lotions and sprays work quite well. In severe cases a few tablets of Nizoral pills help. The uneven color of the skin generally remains for several months.

Since it is a type of a fungus therefore no treatment can prevent one from catching it up. In many cases the rash reappears for the next few years. In order to prevent its reoccurrence, preventive re treatment with the same medication might be advised. The condition does not last beyond mid life.

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