Tinea versicolor is caused by a buildup of yeast that’s naturally found on your skin in smaller amounts. An overgrowth of this yeast can lead to small spots that may be white, yellow, pink, red, tan, or brown. They are most commonly seen on the chest, shoulders, and back. As with vitiligo, the spots may become larger and eventually connect with one another.
Unlike vitiligo, tinea versicolor is treatable with topical antifungal medications. In more extreme cases, a dermatologist may prescribe oral medications to treat it.
How Do You Know if It’s Vitiligo?
So, how do you know if you are living with vitiligo? Like many of the above conditions, vitiligo also causes patches of depigmented skin, but other symptoms include:
- Itchy skin
- Spots on your skin that are more prone to sunburn than others
- Patches of hair color loss on your scalp, eyelashes, or eyebrows
- Eye color changes
- Hearing loss
Additional features set vitiligo apart from other skin diseases. For one thing, the depigmented patches of skin associated with it tend to be symmetrical. They usually grow quickly and may connect and cover large areas of your body. Early signs of vitiligo also tend to develop during childhood, or before the age of 20. Its symptoms are most often visible on the face, arms, hands, and feet.
How Is Vitiligo Diagnosed?
While there’s no cure for vitiligo, treatment can help slow the progression of the disease and even encourage melanocyte regrowth. But before you seek out treatment, it’s important to get a vitiligo diagnosis first — and rule out the possibility of another condition with overlapping symptoms.
“In most instances, the diagnosis of vitiligo is straightforward and made on clinical grounds,” says Alpana Mohta, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and medical adviser for Better Goods, who is based in the United Arab Emirates. “In order to predict the disease progression and outcome, your dermatologist will ask about your family history, including vitiligo, thyroid disease, or any other autoimmune disorder.” She adds that a diagnosis may include autoimmune blood testing and a skin biopsy to examine melanocytes.
“A very common noninvasive office procedure to differentiate vitiligo from other similar conditions includes the evaluation of the vitiligo patches under a specific UVB light-emitting device known as a Wood’s lamp,” says Dr. Doctor.
If you’re diagnosed with vitiligo or another autoimmune disease, it’s important to keep up with lab testing and follow-up appointments, as recommended by your physician.
When in Doubt, Speak to a Dermatologist
Vitiligo causes light patches of skin to develop over time, but it’s not the only condition that can do so. Knowing how vitiligo differs from other skin conditions on this list can help you narrow down potential diagnoses. If you’re experiencing new or unexplained skin symptoms, reach out to your dermatologist or healthcare provider, who can help make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
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