Q: I am a 38-year-old woman with fair skin. Recently, I noticed many new black moles on my hand and neck. Many tiny brown, red and white spots have also appeared. Is it due to pigmentation and is there any way to remove them?

A: You mentioned widespread skin conditions and it would be difficult to make a precise diagnosis based on such a brief description.

From clinical experience and the frequency of occurrence, I would think that the black moles on your hand and neck are not truly black. As these occur on sun-exposed areas such as your hand (I assume it is the back of the hand) and neck, I think you may be referring to sun spots.

These are a common form of brownish pigmentation that develops from years of unprotected sun exposure. The recommended treatment is a combination of creams, laser or light treatments. Strict sun protection with a good sunscreen and sun avoidance are necessary.

As for the red spots, you may be referring to cherry angiomas. These flat or raised red lesions are harmless proliferations of tiny blood vessels, which increase in number with age. They can be removed with electro-surgery (surgery that is performed with a high-frequency electric current to destroy or remove tissue) or laser.

As for the white spots, I suspect you may have idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis, where multiple small circular whitish spots appear, usually on the limbs of older individuals and more commonly in women. It mainly affects fair-skinned individuals but those who are darker can get it too. Treatment is usually not required as the marks are harmless.

I suggest that you visit a dermatologist to get a confident diagnosis and appropriate care.

Dr Derrick Aw

This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times.