Patchy tan on child

[Shuttersun]

Let me start off by saying by child is not trying to tan, she always has factor 50 on and a rash vest, and sits in the shade.

However, she has caught the sun on her legs whilst in Spain - due to spending a lot of time in the pool.

However, this ‘tan’ is really patchy - and the same happened last year. Has anyone else experienced this as I’m wondering if it’s natural or some kind of skin condition?

I’m really pale and her dad isn’t tan either so her olivey skin colour is a bit of a mystery to us!

Could be a fungus - https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tinea-versicolor/symptoms-causes/syc-20378385

Yeah I saw this, but it doesn’t really look as striking as that. Maybe I’ll just send some photos to the doctor and see what they think

Sun cream rubbing off in places - is she in a swim ring / armbands / you holding her etc?

Sorry, no she’s 10 should have mentioned that. Guess it could be patchy suncream. But I googled that and nothing came up!

Is she mixed race? My mixed race child looks white but has patches on her body that can go very dark in with a suntan. To the extent I've been called into school and asked why I wasn't washing her properly

Nope, both white. I’m very fair, dad is darker but not tan.

My friends very blond kids used to get a patchy tan in summer, we lived in the sun and they swam all the time. They'd get a lovely brown, then it would go patchy, with lighter areas most across the shoulders upper back. Friend wasn't bothered, she said her and her sisters all did that as kids too. I thought it was a bit odd.
They had no blistering or burned areas at all.

My sister had vitiligo maybe it can be that?

Is the sunblock waterproof, and do you re-apply it every time she gets out of the water? I know it’s a faff keeping on top of sunblock. I’m super pale, late father had red/orange hair and my DD2 always burned if I missed a tiny patch while applying sunscreen.

Birth mark? I have a birthmark on my leg which is only visible when I've been in the sun and my leg has got a tan

Vitiligo? I have it only on my hand and it looks patchy but not obvious like the google pics

This is what it looks like…could be vitiligo I guess.

Did you get an answer from your GP on this? My daughter has similar after returning from a holiday too!

No, I never bothered going. Figured it doesn’t really matter and like everything else they’ll just say ‘it’s nothing’. It’s probably the water

It looks like pigmentation, I have something on my leg and my daughter gets a big patch across the top of her arm and shoulder. Fades when not summer.