I am asian and have discoloration on my back – what can I do?

Dr. Irwin
June 2, 2014
Hi Dr. Brandith, I am an asian and have a bad acne dark spot on my body. And I was trying to exfoliate it using a loofah. And now, there is a discoloration area on my back which about 2 inches. Is it caused by rubbing loofah too hard? Can it be cured? The discoloration isn't too dark (less dark than acne spots) I'm using salicylic powder too at night. Thanks ♡

I’m glad you wrote and I saw a patient similar to you in the office last month. 

In general, when darker skin types are rubbed, scratched, over exfoliated, over peeled, over scrubbed, etc.   –  it will make the pigment darker!!!!

Please stop and let your skin rest!  That means – no scrubbing, no rubbing, no chemicals (like the sal acid), no exfoliation, no loofahs –   you get the picture.   Your skin needs to rest –  you don’t even need soap on your back unless you’ve been rolling in mud.    Just a bland lotion please on your back and nothing else.

Your skin should begin to be more even and the color fading over the next 30-60 days.   See your doctor if it doesn’t start  lighten up again in about 2 months.  There are sometimes causes of pigment that are due to other medical problems. 

Dr. I

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

Ask me your skincare question!

Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

  • All our content is written and researched by myself.
  • My medical office in Seattle has treated thousands of patients for 15+ years.
  • This site is not affiliated or financially tied to any product, treatment or device.
Ask Me Something
SkinTour Skincare
One of the best investments in your skin is your daily skincare. Why? Because you can prevent many problems with blotchy skin color, lack of glow, texture, some types of acne, and fine lines with good skincare products. You can also correct some of these problems with effective skincare products. Great skincare is often more expensive because quality ingredients are expensive. Some companies spend on research/development which benefits all of us and adds to the cost. Are they worth it? In general - yes! I have handpicked some of what I consider to be the best skin care products, and offer them for sale on SkinTour's shop. This is based on my team and I's testing and research at our clinic. Many of the products are in my own regimen. What could be better than using skin care products a dermatologist uses?!
Browse Shop