45 replies to this topic

[Undercover123]

Hey guys,

I thought somebody would be able to help me diagnose what seems to be growing on my body.

Ever since I was 16 I started getting these white spots on my chest. I ignored the problem and it wasn't severe. Soon enough, I started getting acne on my body and it wasn't until recently until I got rid of it (I'm 20 years old now). My acne was pretty severe. I still have the marks to prove it.

I'm still on Accutane but 100% acne free. The problem is, as I progressed through my Accutane treatment, I started developing the same white spots on my shoulders and back. My chest still looks the same, but the spots seem to have spread really well on my upper back. Anyone know what these things are? They don't look that bad, but coupled with red acne marks they look terrible. They seem to be unaffected by everything I've tried so far.

Picture: http://i30.tinypic.com/10p9b3r.jpg

[Ecotrons]

Yeah anyone got info on this? I have like no bacne just this shit which imo is way worse.

[Homer0001]

I'm curious too

[joeshep]

I get this too! All over my uper arms and shoulders.

[geowoman]

I think what you have is a type of scarring unfortunately. I have it too. All over my my upper arms, top of shoulders and shoulder blade area on the back. You can look up follicular macular atrophy. I think there is a couple other names for it as well. I have researched a lot and have never found anything that will make it look better or go away. It sucks.....

[mi55fit]

I am sorry to tell you, but if you mean white pustules...it sure sounds like you could have folliculitis. I have it. Just started getting it at age 38 after battling 20 years of acne. It was misdiagnosed by my dermatologist the first time...she said it was acne. However, the pustules seem to have a different consistency then regular whiteheads - more watery, and they are ALL over. It started on my neck & face, then progressed to my chest, upper back, and now it is down my shoulders and making it's way down my front and back. I am sick. I had a biopsy done on my skin to determine what this was because I didn't believe the derm. when she said it's just acne. Sure enough...folliculitis. You can go to a dermatologist & have them culture one of the spots to see if it is bacterial, fungal, or viral. Then they will put you on some antibiotics. I have tried 2 different antibiotics so far, and they are not working. I am getting very discouraged and emotionally drained. I hope I'm wrong, but that's my input. Best of luck. Hope it's just acne - this folliculitis is terrible for me.

[TomUK]

I was just about to make a thread on this lol! I was looking in the mirror earlier to check my back and as I took a closer look, I also saw these white bumps. Mine look pretty similar to the pic you linked Undercover123.

So, anyone else shed some light on this? I guess it could just be from previous acne?

[meow_]

Ughhh what is this, I have it allllll over my back! Looks horrid! It's pretty bad on my chest too, very obvious.

Everyone who has this, have you all used lots of benzoyl peroxide in the past? I'm thinking these might be a type of scarring from overdrying with BP. That's the only thing I can come up for my case anyways.

So, any hope for remedies?

[joeshep]

Apparently it's called Perifollicular Elastolysis.

Sort of looks like http://dermatology.cdlib.org/DOJvol7num1/N...ysis/case1c.jpg

Obviously that's a close up view.

[White Fox]

Hi

It's relieving to know that i'm not the only one dealing with these mysterious spots. I get them exactly like Undercover123(OP) on my upper back/shoulders, but I also get it on my chest, but the spots on the chest are smaller. Also, I just finished a 6.5 month Accutane course and it wasn't until I were taking accutane that I noticed the spots, maybe there's a correlation between accutane and the spots.

joeshep, how did you find out it's called Perifollicular Elastolysis and are you sure that's what it is? I will be researching this right now on the net and I will offcourse post any usuful tips I find.

[Undercover123]

Hey guys, didn't notice anyone replied till I got a PM about it.

Thanks for all of your replies. Mine started long way before accutane but developed new ones during my Accutane course. My dermatologist insists they're scars, but I've never really had acne there that turned into the "scars"; they just popped up all on their own.

I've been off Accutane for 2 months now (taking a break) and my face is oily again (just 1 zit so far), but my body has been clean ever since. I noticed the actual acne marks are fading away and so are these "scars". They are definitely less noticeable. I'm assuming it's because there isn't much VOLCANIC activity on my skin anymore.

To meow_: Hmm, that's kind of strange.. I started getting them when I started using BP...I did only apply it on the face and back and got them on my chest though.

To mi55fit: I'm pretty sure it's not folliculitis...Maybe my pic isn't that clear, but it's not what folliculitis looks like.

I'll ask my dermatologist about it next month when I start Accutane again.

[White Fox]

"Follicular macular atrophy is more likely to occur on the chest or back of a person with acne. These are small, white, soft lesions, often barely raised above the surface of the skin—somewhat like whiteheads that didn't’t fully develop. This condition is sometimes also called "perifollicular elastolysis." The lesions may persist for months to years."

From: http://www.elanmedispa.com/cosmetic-treatm...-treatments.asp

It seems like it's called either "Follicular macular atrophy" or "perifollicular elastolysis", but you will find more information on google using the first name. Looks like AHA might be used to treat this, so I will probably buy Dan's AHA and try it out.
More info on AHA to get rid of it: http://provenacnetreatment.com/acne-treatm...acular-atrophy/

Hey guys, didn't notice anyone replied till I got a PM about it.

Thanks for all of your replies. Mine started long way before accutane but developed new ones during my Accutane course. My dermatologist insists they're scars, but I've never really had acne there that turned into the "scars"; they just popped up all on their own.

It's the same for me, the spots doesn't necessarily appear exactly where the acne were. Online I've read that they appear because of decreased collagen production so they probably appear in the area close to the old acne or something.

The deeper inflammatory lesions in acne vulgaris are often associated with scarring. Scars may show increased collagen (hypertrophic scars and keloids) or be associated with loss of collagen ('ice-pick' scars, depressed fibrotic scars, superficial and deep soft scars and atrophic macular atrophy).[1] Perifollicular elastolysis is the term used to describe the relatively inconspicuous small, follicular macular atrophic lesions, a common type of scarring on the back and chest.

http://www.ijdvl.com/article.asp?issn=0378...9;aulast=Sharma

Edited by White Fox, 13 December 2009 - 04:40 PM.

[White Fox]

For anyone wondering wheter this is what they have go to this link: http://books.google.no/books?id=nW2788AGzl...%22&f=false

and scroll some centimeters up on the page and there is a pic


There is some hope for us sufferers. On this page: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/16596112/Reduc...f-Acne-Scarring
it says that even though "Follicular macular atrophy" are scars they are less permanent by nature and have been known to fade away after a few months or years.

Edited by White Fox, 13 December 2009 - 04:34 PM.

[d-layer]

Im wondering.. You may have Vitiligo.. Vitiligo has nothing to do with acne.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitiligo

It sounds very much like that.. but without seeing it I couldnt tell you.

[Undercover123]

No, vitiligo has nothing to do with this.

[White Fox]

No, vitiligo has nothing to do with this.

Agreed, the spots are raised above the skin and is not vitilgo.

Have your Follicular macular atrophy gradually cleared after you quit accutane or what's the deal with that undercover?

Edited by White Fox, 17 December 2009 - 12:51 PM.

[White Fox]

How are people doing with this shit? Has anyone found something to treat it with?

[Ken_H]

I'm having these stubborn white spots on my body too, they have been here like for a year, and sometimes they itch....I wonder if they'll fade away as time passes...

[clearskin2009]

I've had this condition for about 10 years now on my chest, and I'm hoping to find some remedy. For the most part, the spots have softened to the point that they're only really visible when I turn red from working out or being hot, etc... but it's still bothersome. Since they are still raised somewhat, I'm wondering if laser treatments or dermabrasion would help. If anyone has treated this successfully, please reply.

[jasota]

my 2 cents in..if it itches maybe its some kind of a fungus...maybe try applying selsun blue on just 1 isolated spot to see..