my bald head is discolored

September 21, 2009 12:25 PM

The skin on my bald head is discolored and mottled. I DO NOT want new hair. (Male) Is there some way I can renew the skin condition and color (sheen?) to get a better, healthier look on my head? This is mostly vanity, I suppose; but it looks terrible! Any ideas?
posted by ebesan to health & fitness (9 comments total)

Is it flaky and dry? Use a facial moisturizer with an SPF of at least 30; that should help with the "sheen." Actually, in any case, use sunscreen in the future. If you don't know where to find this, check out the girly section in a Walgreen's or something. In/near that section, there are also skin lightening products that claim to even out skin tone. I don't know anything about those products, though, so I can't help you out in that regard.

I hate it when AskMe gets all fear mongering, but please do check with your doctor to make sure there are no indications of skin cancer.
posted by runningwithscissors at 12:47 PM on September 21

I think the first step would be to see a dr/dermatologist to assess the cause of the skin discolouration. You may have a completely treatable skin condition. Best to get it checked out anyway - before you waste your money and time on cosmetic products that may not solve your issue
posted by missmagenta at 1:09 PM on September 21

Yes, dermatologist. It could be anything (allergy, eczema, dry skin, sunburn, etc.) A doctor can help you figure out what it is and whether/how to treat it.
posted by decathecting at 1:34 PM on September 21

A dermatologist would be good. If you have skin discoloration it might be treatable with a simple retin-A style cream
posted by kathrineg at 2:12 PM on September 21

go to a dermatologist's office which has aesthetic services like chemical peels and laser treatments
posted by Melsky at 3:07 PM on September 21

>If you have skin discoloration it might be treatable with a simple retin-A style cream

This could work but your scalp might get incredibly flaky, dry and sensitive to the sun while it's working its magic.
posted by wiretap at 5:02 PM on September 21

I wouldn't think that retin-a would be the first solution. It'd be a second or third round pick for me, because you're likely to get a fair amount of redness and flaking for a while if you use it. I'd try the facial moisturizer route. While it could be a bad idea, it occurred to me that you might want to try a moisturizer with a hint of self tanner to equal out tone. I'd be tempted to alternate a super-plain moisturizer like cetaphil, with something like olay's regenerist "touch of sun." Ten days or so should give you some idea of whether that was progress in the right direction or not.
posted by mercredi at 7:18 PM on September 21

This is where the advice of a good doctor comes in, they are sure to have a technique for skin discoloration that involves a bunch of mad-chemist stuff, the only thing I (with my lack of MD) can remember of it is Retin-A...
posted by kathrineg at 7:55 PM on September 21

The spots are probably from sun exposure, so to prevent more in the future you should start using sunscreen or wearing a hat outdoors. There are some spray on products that would probably be pretty easy to use.
posted by defreckled at 12:54 PM on September 22