30 October 202610 min read

White Spots on Skin: Common Causes and When to Worry

Medical Review

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera, MD

Licensed Physician No. 484814280 · Official Medical College of Bizkaia (Spain)Last reviewed: 31 October 2026

White spots on skin are usually harmless: a yeast rash, pityriasis alba or sun spots. How to tell the causes apart, what helps and when to see a doctor.

A young woman with tan skin smiles at a sunlit kitchen table, talking to someone off-camera, with a cup of tea.

Need help now?

You don't have to figure this out alone

Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera is an independent, bilingual GP licensed in Spain. Book a 15-minute video consultation in English or Spanish for €50, with a private electronic prescription issued under Spanish law when clinically appropriate.

Book a Video Consultation

Most white spots on the skin are harmless. The most common causes are a yeast rash called pityriasis versicolor, a dry-skin patch called pityriasis alba, small sun-related spots, and pale marks left after a rash heals. Vitiligo is less common but important to recognise. A doctor can usually tell them apart by looking.

TL;DR

Fine, scaly pale patches on the chest, back or upper arms in warm weather are often pityriasis versicolor, a harmless yeast rash.
Round, dry, pale patches on a child's face are often pityriasis alba. They fade by themselves over months.
Tiny white dots on the shins and forearms of older adults are usually sun-related and harmless.
Sharp, milk-white patches that spread, often on the face and hands, may be vitiligo and need a doctor's check.
None of these common causes spreads from person to person.

Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera is a GP licensed in Spain (Colegiado No. 484814280).

For a medical emergency, call 112 or go to the nearest local emergency department. Do not wait for a video consultation or an online reply.

What causes white spots on the skin?

Skin colour comes from a pigment called melanin. A white or pale spot means that patch makes less of it. Shape, place, age and season give the best clues:

Pityriasis versicolor. Fine, scaly patches on the chest, back, neck or upper arms. Often teens and young adults, often in hot weather.
Pityriasis alba. Round or oval pale patches, often on a child's face, upper arms or chest. Common in children with eczema.
Sun spots (idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis). Small, flat white dots on the shins and forearms. Common after 40.
Pale marks after a rash or injury. Eczema, psoriasis, burns and scrapes can leave lighter skin behind.
Vitiligo. Milk-white patches with clear edges. They often start on the face, hands or in skin creases.

Is it a fungal infection? Pityriasis versicolor

This is the classic cause of white spots in young adults living in a warm climate. It is caused by a yeast called Malassezia that normally lives on everyone's skin. MedlinePlus says it is most common in teens and young adults and in warm, humid places. It is not caused by poor washing.

The patches can be paler or darker than the skin around them. On white skin they may look pink or pale brown.
They may feel slightly scaly and sometimes itch.
Mayo Clinic notes they stand out more after sun, because they do not tan.
In children, MedlinePlus notes it can also appear on the forehead.

It does not spread from person to person. Antifungal creams and antifungal shampoos used on the skin clear the yeast. The NHS says a pharmacist can advise on treatment. Do not expect the colour to return at once. It can take a few months, and the rash often comes back in warm weather.

In Spain you will see it called pitiriasis versicolor or tiña versicolor. US sites call it tinea versicolor. It is the same thing. In Spain, every ketoconazole gel and cream on the AEMPS register (ketoconazol) needs a doctor's prescription. Their AEMPS product sheets list use in teenagers and adults only, so a doctor should choose the treatment for a child. A pharmacist can tell you what is sold without a prescription.

Pale or scaly patches that have not cleared with a pharmacy treatment?

You can book a video visit with a GP licensed in Spain, in English or Spanish. He looks at the patches on camera, asks how they started, and helps you plan the next step.

See available times

White spots on a child's face: pityriasis alba

MedlinePlus describes pityriasis alba as a common cause of light patches in children and teens. The cause is unknown, but it may be linked to eczema. The patches often start slightly red and scaly, then turn pale. They are easier to see in children with darker skin and after a summer tan.

It is harmless. It usually goes away by itself, but the colour can take many months to return. Daily moisturiser, mild soap and sunscreen help. A doctor may suggest a mild steroid cream if the patches are itchy or red.

Small white spots on the legs and arms in adults

Tiny, flat white dots, often a few millimetres wide, on the shins and forearms are very common with age. A StatPearls review on the NIH bookshelf calls this idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis. Sun exposure seems to play a part. It is harmless and carries no cancer risk. The spots usually stay, and no treatment is needed. Sunscreen is the best way to stop new ones.

Is it vitiligo?

Vitiligo happens when the skin loses its pigment cells. The NHS describes pale patches that turn fully white, with smooth or uneven edges. They often appear on the face, neck, hands and in skin creases. Hair in the patch may turn white. It does not usually itch or hurt.

The NHS says the common type is thought to be an autoimmune condition. It is not an infection and you cannot catch it. It is linked with other autoimmune conditions, such as thyroid disease, so a doctor may check a blood test. Treatment options include steroid creams, light therapy and skin camouflage. They can bring back some colour, but none is quick. Pale skin burns easily, so use a high-SPF sunscreen. In Spain a GP can refer you to a dermatologist (dermatólogo).

Pale patches after a rash, burn or injury

Inflamed skin can lose some colour as it heals. MSD Manuals lists past skin injury, burns and healed inflamed rashes, such as eczema or psoriasis, among the causes of pale patches. Mayo Clinic notes that on brown and black skin, healed psoriasis can leave lighter patches that usually regain their colour within a few months. Treating the rash underneath is what helps.

When should you see a doctor about white spots?

The patches keep growing, or new ones appear in other places.
The skin has changed colour and you do not know why.
Your child has pale patches.
A pharmacy treatment has not helped, or the rash keeps coming back.
The patches cover a large area of your body.
You notice a new mole, or a mole that changes size, shape or colour.

White spots on the skin are not an emergency. Use 112 only for true emergency signs, such as trouble breathing or swelling of the lips and tongue.

Talking it through with a doctor by video

Dr. Yelamo is a GP licensed in Spain. He sees adults, children and pregnant patients by video, every day from 07:30 to 20:30 (Spain time). In the visit he will:

Ask when the spots appeared, whether they itch, and what makes them stand out.
Look at the patches on camera in good daylight, and at clear photos if you have them.
Explain the likely cause, agree what to try, and tell you if you need a dermatologist or an in-person exam.

He does not promise any test or prescription before the visit. Where clinically appropriate, following a genuine evaluation. Treatment and prescriptions are issued solely at the doctor's discretion based on evidence-based clinical guidelines.

A prescription is never guaranteed: it is issued only where clinically appropriate after a genuine evaluation, as a private electronic prescription under Spanish law. This service is for urgent, non-emergency care. In an emergency, call 112.

See how the Urgent Care video visit works. It lasts 15 minutes and costs €50.

This guide is general information. It does not replace a consultation with your doctor.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common cause of white spots on the skin?

In young adults in a warm climate, a harmless yeast rash called pityriasis versicolor is very common. In children it is often pityriasis alba, linked to dry skin and eczema. In older adults, small spots on the shins and forearms are usually sun-related.

Are white spots on the skin a fungal infection?

Sometimes. Pityriasis versicolor is caused by a yeast that lives on everyone's skin. The patches are often fine and scaly, sit on the chest, back, neck and upper arms, and show up more after a tan. Vitiligo and pityriasis alba are not infections.

Are white spots on the skin contagious?

The common causes are not. The NHS says pityriasis versicolor cannot spread from person to person, and vitiligo cannot be caught from someone else.

Why do white spots show up after I tan?

Patches of pityriasis versicolor, pityriasis alba and vitiligo do not tan, so the skin around them darkens and they stand out more. Sunscreen makes the contrast smaller and protects the pale skin, which burns more easily.

How long does it take for the colour to come back?

After treatment for pityriasis versicolor, the NHS says it can take a few months for the skin to return to its usual colour. Pityriasis alba usually fades by itself over many months. Vitiligo is harder to predict.

Can white spots be a sign of vitamin deficiency?

Rarely. Most white spots have a skin cause, and a doctor will only check blood tests when the picture suggests it.

When should I see a doctor about white spots?

See a doctor if the patches keep growing or new ones appear, if the colour change has no clear cause, if a child has pale patches, or if a pharmacy treatment has not helped. Also see one about any new or changing mole.

Sources

Related guides

Medical Citations & Sources

This content is written and reviewed by a licensed physician with reference to the following official health authorities.