To be shocked by multiple white patches on child’s face after foreign sun exposure

[TraciePollins]

Currently on holiday in Turkey. Very very very hot.
DD is 12 and after about 6 days of sun, her face has developed multiple very white patches all over her cheeks, forehead, nose and chin. The white patches are really noticeable as in between these white patches is very tanned skin.
I have applied SPF50 waterproof to her face every 2-3 hours all day every day from the minute we leave our hotel until sunset since we've been here. Kept in shade plenty in between sea and pool.
She has never ever had this before and we've been on plenty of summer holidays in hot weather before, but this is her first time in heat as strong as Turkey.
So now she has a face which is white irregular patches of skin in between tanned skin all over her face.
When we left England 6 days ago she had the same normal complexion with the same colour skin all over her face that she's had all her life.
I'm shocked as I've never seen her skin do this before. Never any sign of it ever in her life.
What on earth has happened?
She's crying because it is freaking her out - the multiple white patches really stand out against the darker tanned skin surrounding the white patches. Her face looks completely different now compared to how it did a week ago before coming away.
What is this? Will it go away?

The best course, get it checked and diagnosed. My mum (started when she had my brother) and my aunt (dad's sister) had Virtiligo and my aunt unusually was completely white by her 60s. Mum had patches and certainly more pronounced when she had a tan. However, get a dermatology appointment, as I believe their are treatments for Virtiligo now, as an auto immune disease and if something else, then get it sorted. I hope your daughter is OK

when I tan I get white patches - like sun damage in negative. It fades when I am out of the sun. Buy mineral sun cream for babies. it's like gloss paint and gross to put on but does the job. don't use spray sfp. and hats - like all the time. My kids swim in hats.

I’m a redhead so don’t really tan but I have vitiligo on just one hand, started in my 30s

My brother and partner have vitiligo and it does sometimes come on suddenly due to sun exposure but 12 is very young. See a dr.

Take her to a local pharmacy

If it’s vitiligo, it’s an autoimmune condition. It can happen any time when your body decides to start attacking itself.

At her age, hormones will be at play too.

Another vote for tinea, but see a doctor.

My sister has this on her stomach & uses fake tan to even out the patchy look.
So if your daughter sees a GP & it is vitiligo & she is still very self conscious, maybe try experimenting with some good facial self tanner while she’s still on holiday. But do make sure she still wears a cream with spf50 every day even in the UK.

See a doctor. It could be fungal and easily treated or vitiligo and related to an autoimmune condition. DP developed vitiligo in his 30's and was also diagnosed with a thyroid problem. He's very pale so most of the time he's the same colour as his vitiligo but a light tan reveals the big white patch on his head (it doesn't come and go as some people have said). You need to be extra careful with the SPF because there's no melanin in the skin.

It sounds like vitiligo - Make sure she keeps her face shaded and the highest sun screen as the lighter skin tans very easily.

I didn't get mine until I was about 9, my brother-in-law got his first patch in his 40's. Both of ours was after a lot of sun exposure.

Sounds like Tinea Versicolour

There is obviously only one sun, you are correct but ‘foreign sun’ is actually a thing. The atmosphere, humidity, location all have an effect. Things like how close you are to the equator change things like UV rays. Altitude also has an impact. All those factors make the sun feel different hence the name ‘foreign sun’

But that’s not very practical for a child on holiday, is it? What child is never going to spend more than 15 minutes in the sun? I am extremely careful with sun protection for my child, and use UV hat etc but there’s no point in going on holiday if you don’t let kids out of the shade.

I actually burn in UK only😂 it's ridiculous but I so far have not burned anywhere rlse in Europe (grew up outside of UK), North africa or ME where I spend few years. I am sunburn mystery I guess!

It’s something that develops. It’s not present from birth. DH started getting it age about 19 - on his back and foot mostly. Hes ginger so it’s not very obvious.

I mean the angle means it is more likely to burn. British sun is weak. Because the UK sits far north on the globe, the sun stays low in the sky. This low angle spreads solar energy over a wider area and forces the light to travel through more of Earth's atmosphere, which filters out its warmth and power.

So yes, foreign sun is more dangerous to fair skin.

They shouldn’t be tanned at all if you were applying F50 every few hours.

I know. I literally said no one adheres to that so I assumed PP was pretending to be confused? Now I’m real life confused.

But equally, you can’t deny that proper sun safety is to never be in the sun long enough to get a tan. If anyone is tanning then sun damage is happening, but we all take managed risks every day - that’s not a criticism (see also, the risk of flying to the holiday, the risk of driving to the airport,
the risk of drinking alcohol on holiday, the risk of increased sugar intake from the ice creams the kids have).

You can still tan, my children always wear factor 50 or 100 in Dubai - I re-apply multiple times a day and they always have white bits and are noticeably darker. I wear factor 50 and tan.

I am a very pale person with vitiligo that would show if I got a tan. Around half of cases start in childhood, but I didn't show signs until around 30. It's only really in summer they become more noticeable but even then it's only me who really notices them, and I don't sit in the sun. It's often symmetrical, appearing on both sides of the face and body, and often first affects round openings, eyes, mouth, belly button, and ends of fingers and toes, but can happen anywhere. I'd keep an eye out on your DD in case she develops anymore. Its not serious, and if you're white it's not very noticeable.

My vitiligo started in my 40s. Once my immune system had got bored with only playing with my blood clotting and thyroid. I swear my immune system hates me and is trying to kill me.

DD used to get white patches on her legs in the summer. She had bad eczema at the time so I thought it was related. Even the dermatologist was stumped as to what it was, but never seen evidence of it since. Def see a Dr though to rule out anything else.

My husband tanned normally until puberty and then lost all pigmentation in significant patches of his skin. It doesn't hurt or anything but there is a much greater risk, obviously of burning, but also skin cancer. Keep your daughter very well creamed and out of the sun between 12 and 3.