You are not my dermatologist, but do I need to go see one?
May 25, 2017 5:25 PM Subscribe
Small red blotches on my feet, legs and a little on my lower torso have been appearing over the past few weeks. They're not itchy or raised, and I haven't changed diets, detergents, locations, etc. that I can think of that might cause an allergic reaction or expose me to something unusual. Pictures inside.
I'm female, in my mid-20s, and live in Houston, if it's relevant. I have no other symptoms, aside from perhaps fatigue that I can attribute to a mixture of house-hunting and being a teacher finishing up the school year.
Pictures with details.
I'm female, in my mid-20s, and live in Houston, if it's relevant. I have no other symptoms, aside from perhaps fatigue that I can attribute to a mixture of house-hunting and being a teacher finishing up the school year.
Pictures with details.
Some kind of bug bites? I am neither an entomologist nor a dermatologist, but the warm weather is here, and lots of critters are becoming more active. Most insect bites do itch, but I've had spider bites that didn't and still left red marks. Since the red marks are on your legs and feet, maybe something that lives in or on the ground is noshing on you.
posted by Nibbly Fang at 6:04 PM on May 25, 2017
posted by Nibbly Fang at 6:04 PM on May 25, 2017
Looks like ringworm.
Uh, not really. Just go see a dermatologist.
posted by jamaal at 7:04 PM on May 25, 2017
Uh, not really. Just go see a dermatologist.
posted by jamaal at 7:04 PM on May 25, 2017
Uh, if you look at the photos, it looks like ringworm. Go see a doctor. You can't typically see a dermatologist without a referral.
posted by My Dad at 7:16 PM on May 25, 2017
posted by My Dad at 7:16 PM on May 25, 2017
Best answer: If it's ringworm then you don't need to see a dermatologist. A primary care physician will do fine.
But I do not particularly think that that is what this is. Those spots look like they could be anything. The first spot looks almost exactly like my case of ringworm did three weeks ago, but they look just about as much like a bug bite. If it is ringworm, the spot will expand to be a little bigger and will get less red in the middle. (It's easily treated with an antifungal ointment.) if they've been the same size for a couple of weeks and are not getting bigger, then they're probably not ringworm.
posted by artistic verisimilitude at 7:31 PM on May 25, 2017
But I do not particularly think that that is what this is. Those spots look like they could be anything. The first spot looks almost exactly like my case of ringworm did three weeks ago, but they look just about as much like a bug bite. If it is ringworm, the spot will expand to be a little bigger and will get less red in the middle. (It's easily treated with an antifungal ointment.) if they've been the same size for a couple of weeks and are not getting bigger, then they're probably not ringworm.
posted by artistic verisimilitude at 7:31 PM on May 25, 2017
Best answer: A few years ago I happened to look at the back of my legs one day and there were what seemed like hundreds of variable sized round red circles everywhere. Not raised, not itchy. And if you looked closer they were actually comprised of very tiny pinprick sized red dots. They looked exactly like yours but I had many more spread all over. It was very alarming.
The dermatologist diagnosed me with a now-forgotten condition that was basically that my capillaries in my leg blood vessels had burst. She attributed it to long hours on my feet at work. Said they may never go away, they might go away, they may come and go. I bought compression stockings/tights and was about to start wearing them at work when they suddenly disappeared, never to have returned.
posted by canda at 8:08 PM on May 25, 2017
The dermatologist diagnosed me with a now-forgotten condition that was basically that my capillaries in my leg blood vessels had burst. She attributed it to long hours on my feet at work. Said they may never go away, they might go away, they may come and go. I bought compression stockings/tights and was about to start wearing them at work when they suddenly disappeared, never to have returned.
posted by canda at 8:08 PM on May 25, 2017
Best answer: The first two do look like they could be fungal to me. That's easily enough tested by getting some over the counter cream and seeing if it reduces or clears it up. Minor infections, which can be triggered by stress, can be treated without seeing a doctor, though you might want to do so for peace of mind and to make sure there's not something else going on causing it.
posted by Candleman at 8:09 PM on May 25, 2017
posted by Candleman at 8:09 PM on May 25, 2017
End of year is stressful, teachers are under constant microbial assault. Then again, they all look like they about the size of a thumbprint, so I guess contact dermatitis, from a substance that stays on your hands because of teaching.
posted by Oyéah at 9:21 PM on May 25, 2017
posted by Oyéah at 9:21 PM on May 25, 2017
It'll bet it's hot in Houston this time of year, could it be tinea versicolor?
posted by le_salvo at 9:31 PM on May 25, 2017
posted by le_salvo at 9:31 PM on May 25, 2017
Response by poster: Thanks all -- planning on getting some antifungal cream and seeing where that takes me.
@canda -- I definitely do stand a lot... curious to see if the summertime will "cure" those tiny red dots.
posted by Cruller at 5:43 AM on May 26, 2017
@canda -- I definitely do stand a lot... curious to see if the summertime will "cure" those tiny red dots.
posted by Cruller at 5:43 AM on May 26, 2017
If it's fungal (tinea versicolor), Selsun Blue dandruff shampoo can make it go away. Don't ask me how I know.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 1:30 AM on May 27, 2017
posted by Joseph Gurl at 1:30 AM on May 27, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 5:48 PM on May 25, 2017