Darkening of face, neck, arms and trunk, known as Ashy Dermatosis, is commonly found on dark skins. It’s a chronic skin condition characterised by asymptomatic, slate-gray or hyperpigmented macules distributed most commonly over the trunk and proximal extremities, and less frequently over the face and neck. Lesions, which occur in otherwise healthy persons, may initially present as erythematous macules that slowly progress to a blue-gray hue. They vary in size and may occasionally demonstrate a raised border
It most often affects darker-skinned patients, most frequently Latin Americans and Indians. However, people of lighter skin colour and various ethnicities also are affected. Ashy Dermatosis may occur at any age but it appears to be more frequent in young adults with the majority of patients being younger than 30. More often, women are affected, as opposed to men.
Treatments that may help improve the appearance of Ashy Dermatosis include: • Exposure to ultraviolet radiation • Pigment lasers, such as Q-Switched ND:Yag Laser (available at Lasermed) • Chemical peels (also available at Lasermed).
