Red bumps or rashes on my skin?

So, I was grabbing drinks with a buddy the other night and he starts venting to me about these weird circular patches popping up on his face. It’s pretty obvious since he usually rocks this thick beard, but now there are just these bald spots appearing in circles all over the place...

He already went to see a dermatologist and they prescribed some cream, but honestly? It hasn't done squat... the spots are still showing up. Now he’s low-key freaking out that it might spread to the hair on his head too.

If anyone here actually knows what's going on with this, please reach out...

Thanks a ton!

Sounds like that autoimmune thing where the immune system just decides to go after your hair follicles for no reason. It often clears up on its own, too. I think it’s called alopecia areata. Or, honestly, it could just be some fungal infection or something else entirely.

So, how long does it usually take before things actually start moving?

I reckon for some people, it’s over pretty quick—maybe six months tops. For others, it drags on forever, and then you’ve got the folks who just deal with complications for life. It might clear up only to come back later, too; honestly, I couldn't tell you for sure. Just pull up "alopecia areata" on Google and see for yourself. Besides, his dermatologist probably knows the situation better than anyone else.

So, does he have any mice at home, by any chance? I’m wondering if he might have picked up microsporosis... To me, it smells more like some kind of fungal infection, but he really needs to have a dermatologist take a look and sort it out. 🙂

About a year ago, my girlfriend started noticing some issues in the area between her navel and her chest...
I guess I should probably mention that I've noticed these two circular spots appearing on my skin, right around the stomach area. They're both just a little bit larger than a centimeter in diameter, if that makes sense.
I suppose if you're looking for those "spots" to actually look like they have the right shape, they should probably be about two or three shades darker than the base color itself, I guess.
So, I suppose we’re talking about those tan shades—those more muted, brownish tones. Looking back over the course of this past year, it seems like things haven't really shifted all that much, I guess.
I suppose they've been changed, though I imagine they might be just a few millimeters wider than when they first came out.

She asked me to look into this a bit, so I was wondering if anyone might have some suggestions or perhaps some insight to share?
If you happen to have any ideas, we would certainly be grateful if you could share them with us.

I guess I should go ahead and say thanks in advance for any answers you all might have.
Hello to everyone in the group.

I truly hope they aren't some kind of illusions or parlor tricks, right?

Honestly, if I were her, I'd tell her to just go see a dermatologist—or at least show those spots to her primary care doctor first. Trying to play doctor yourself with stuff like this? It’s a total shot in the dark and you're probably just gonna miss the mark.

I mean, I keep telling her she really needs to go, because if she stays on this path, she’s never going to get any real answers. It seems like that typical female stubbornness is just getting in the way right now, I suppose 🙄

Thanks for the heads-up, though; maybe I'll just give her a little nudge and insist she sees a dermatologist!

Best regards,

It seems quite likely that we are looking at some sort of fungal skin infection, perhaps something similar to tinea versicolor. I would suggest they start by seeing their primary care physician first. If it turns out to be an infection, they will probably be prescribed a topical cream to be applied twice daily for a couple of weeks.

Thanks, I think I'll probably take her to see the doctor myself.
Best regards

Hey everyone!

About two months ago, I noticed these little red circles appearing on both of my legs. Nothing major—maybe about an inch in diameter—and they don't itch, but the look of them is just... unsettling. I didn't think much of it until I spotted one on my stomach, too.

The patch looks sort of mottled and red, almost like there are tiny white spots scattered throughout it.

I went to see my primary care doctor, and over the last month, I've cycled through four different types of creams, but honestly? None of them have done a thing.

Then today, I saw a spot pop up on my right thigh, and I’m starting to panic. It feels like it's spreading, and I'm genuinely worried about what this means for my overall health. I've already booked an appointment with a private dermatologist for this coming Monday.

Does anyone have any idea what this might be, or if it's even treatable??

I'm just so confused as to why this is happening—I eat really well, I'm super diligent about hygiene (probably more than most people!), my house is spotless, and I shower every single day. Is it possible I caught this from someone else?

So, I’ve got these red circles popping up under my armpits. It’s weird because I shave regularly, but the redness isn't actually where the hair grows or where I swipe on deodorant—it’s more like a ring surrounding the area. I haven't changed anything lately; I've been using the exact same deodorant and body wash for months, so I really doubt it's an allergic reaction or some sudden irritation. I even tried taking a break from shaving and skipping the deodorant for a few days just to be sure, but nothing changed. It doesn't feel like typical razor burn either, since, again, it's this distinct centimeter-wide red border circling the spot where I shave. To top it off, the skin feels like a nasty sunburn—just super dry and tight—even though I haven't spent a single minute out in the sun.
Does anyone have any idea what this could be or how I can get rid of it?

Could be Lyme disease; ticks love hiding under the armpit.

Keith Watson72 said:Hey everyone!

About two months ago, I noticed these little red circles appearing on both of my legs. Nothing major—maybe about an inch in diameter—and they don't itch, but the look of them is just... unsettling. I didn't think much of it until I spotted one on my stomach, too.

The patch looks sort of mottled and red, almost like there are tiny white spots scattered throughout it.

I went to see my primary care doctor, and over the last month, I've cycled through four different types of creams, but honestly? None of them have done a thing.

Then today, I saw a spot pop up on my right thigh, and I’m starting to panic. It feels like it's spreading, and I'm genuinely worried about what this means for my overall health. I've already booked an appointment with a private dermatologist for this coming Monday.

Does anyone have any idea what this might be, or if it's even treatable??

I'm just so confused as to why this is happening—I eat really well, I'm super diligent about hygiene (probably more than most people!), my house is spotless, and I shower every single day. Is it possible I caught this from someone else?

Have you been around any ticks lately? You might not even remember, but maybe you were out hiking or in the woods when these started appearing? Could also be a fungal skin infection. Or maybe an allergic reaction to some kind of fungal patch. Can you post photos of the changes? Any meds you're taking? It’d be smart to get some blood work done (CBC with differential, CRP, ESR, plus AST, ALT, GGT...) basically start with the standard labs. It wouldn't hurt to bring those results to the dermatologist, though you want them to be as fresh as possible. With skin stuff, it's incredibly hard to say anything without seeing it in person and getting a full history. We're just guessing here, but hopefully the dermatologist figures it out.

jadetinker85 said:Could be Lyme disease; ticks love hiding under the armpit.

I’ve been scrolling through images online, and that isn't it. I haven't even been out in nature lately—just work and my apartment. I barely spend any time outdoors. Besides, I’ve already checked my whole body; there aren't any ticks. To me, it looks most like a bad sunburn, just that dry skin feeling you get afterward. It doesn't itch, it doesn't sting, and I don't have any other symptoms. Is it possible it's from sweat? Lyme usually has that redness right in the center where the tick bit, but I don't have that at all. The area with the hair looks totally normal. I'm using some Neosporin ointment, but nothing is changing.

It looks more like this — http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&ne...1nPndBg&zoom=1
Even though it doesn't itch or peel. I shower regularly, and now that the heatwave is hitting, I'm showering multiple times a day. I change my towels and sheets constantly; honestly, where would I even pick up a fungal infection?
I dealt with a yeast infection a couple of months ago, used some Monistat and a pill—can't remember the name—and that cleared up pretty fast. I don't have hygiene issues, so why would I have fungus under my arms? About two weeks ago, I was on a course of Azithromycin... could there be a connection with antibiotics?

Mod can probably merge this post—might help someone else dealing with the same stuff. I’ve got a yeast infection, and my doctor just handed me some Lamisil cream to rub on once a day.