White patches on skin? Really eczema?

[BerryGood]

Last year I noticed on my son's forearm (aged two) a white 2p sized splodge, it was noticeable in summer and the area was paler the year before so I presumed it was a birthmark and thought little of it. When tanned it was obvious, but otherwise it was subtle as he's white.

This year the area is much bigger, more a irregular band with more white areas. I took him to the GP who said it was eczema and gave cream. I'm not happy really with the diagnosis as it doesn't make sense to me.

1, the white areas have joined and spread up the back of his upper arm to an untanned area. They can't be untanned damaged skin, they are pure white on his normal (sallow white) skin.
2, he doesn't have dry skin! his skin is good

One arm is now very noticeably mottled/ stripped as he's tanned, much worse than last year, about 50% pure white overall. The white areas have no colour, flat pure white.
Any ideas? I'm just worried it's getting bigger and tbh I'm a bit worried about slowly getting worse and worse. It's big irregular areas, not white spots or anything. Imagine if you where to spill coffee over a sleeve.

Is it vitiligo?

www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/diseases-and-treatments/u---w/vitiligo/signs-symptoms

is it under/in the skin or something on top of the skin in which case it could be psorasis?

There is no change at all to the surface of the skin, not dry, rough, bimpy etc.

His siblings have psorasis and it looks nothing like the patches they get in summer after a flare up.

have you clicked on the link?

It does look like those images I must say. I was a bit shocked at the eczema opinion, as he has nice skin. Never had to mosturise him.

Time to ask for a referral to dermatology my the sounds of it!

Bollocks.

He's the lucky one skin wise, the other two have been the concern with awful psorasis (thankfully improving with age)

could it be an intolerance or allergy ? I know on My husbands niece she had patchy skin, turning slightly lighter than her own. She is Asian but quite a dark skin tone, it was turning a few shades lighter and patchy. Gp said to eliminate eggs and go easy with dairy in general problem was resolved. But now she's older she still has to be careful not to have too much .

Can happen on Caucasian skin it's just more common and obvious on Asian, and other minority skin.

What ever it is I hope it's sorted I know it's frustrating push for a referral they may give you the run around persevere. Good luck!

I'm with you on the psorasis front, I have very mild vitiligo so I hope they haven't got that as well!

Vitiligo or pityriasis versicolor (fungal infection that looks like vitiligo). Ask for a dermatology referral.

Might be pityriasis versicolor, try buying some shampoo with ketoconazole in it like Nizoral and wash his skin with it. If it is pityriasis versicolor you will cure it yourself without a dermatologist referral!

Thanks, the fungal ones in pictures I've found look quite different. They have a more rash-like look, lots of small circles, joining. His his huge plotches, irregualar shapes and not many. There is only one on his upper arm at the back but it takes up half the length. The ones on his lower arm vary from a wide band. There are no small circles, and no change in texture at all, the patches have changed shpae as they've grown.