Hello everyone! I am 20 years old/ a male and overweight (but have been dieting for quite some time), anyways I don't have diabetes or any other condition besides high blood pressure. I know I don't have diabetes because I had blood work done about 1 month ago. Anyway I noticed some light brown spots on my left leg and I told the doctor about them and he said it was from my years of being inactive etc but it was not of a great concern at this point. So I went home and looked up the causes of skin discoloration and one of them is poor circulation. One of the treatments on poor circulation was a hot and cold treatment (in the shower you focus on the poorly circulated area and rotate from hot to cold water) it is supposed to increase circulation. (also I don't know if this will be of any importance but my legs have always been extremely dry) Anyways so after I did this, for around 3 days, I notice that now I have this tingling sensation to the skin around the area where I done the treatments on. Nothing has changed colors or anything and I have no pain but there is just a strange tingling feeling or the feeling of something being wrapped around my leg (shin and around below my knee/above my ankle). What could this be from? Is there any way to fix it? Thanks for any help!

welcome to NeuroTalk ... i don't have any answers to the current situation you're going through but i am sure someone will be along who may have some answers for you ... i did want to say welcome and i hope to see you in one of the many forums here .. there are lots of friendly and supportive people here ... again ... welcome to NT

Where are the "spots"? How large are they? How many of them?

Do they look like old bruises?

I sent you a picture mrsD!

I sent you a pic mrsD!!

I was picturing something else.

I don't see brown "spots", but I do see lots of inflamed hair follicles.

A twenty yr old is not going to typically have "circulation" problems.

I do know that my son has run into problems with some kinds of socks. The tube socks tend to run tight we have found, and with his IT job that requires lots of sitting, he was having cold feet and pain. We found some relaxed fit socks at WalMart and he is much more comfortable now. We were surprised since his legs are not large, and still the socks were very tight.
That is what China seems to send here I guess!

The tiny red dots, occur when the skin is not getting enough fatty acids to keep it flexible and supple.
This is very common in ADHD people, or those whose diets are very low in omega-3's. In fact tests on kids were done at Purdue years ago showing 25 fold lack of omega-3's compared to omega-6's.(soybean, sunflower, oils etc)

Of course, soaps or conditioners may make this worse.
So if you cut back on harsh soaps, and use Dove unscented, and baby shampoo for a couple of weeks, you might see some improvement there too.

That strange feeling may just be dry skin, pulling on nerves, as well. If you are low in dietary EFA intake, your skin will show that clearly. If you also have acne, that is a sign you need zinc as well.
There is a great vitamin called ACEs with zinc that is made for skin problems.

You can improve your skin with flax oil orally.
I have an EFA thread on our Vitamin forum.

If you can send a better photo, I might see the brown areas more clearly.

edit to add ~~I put that photo, into my graphics program and tried to enhance it.
The circular areas show a bit more, but they are still pretty faint. I can see a ghost of
one large circle just where your sock would be if it were not rolled down.
My son gets dry patches on his arm sometimes that are circular.
He just puts 1% hydrocortisone on it for few days, and it clears up.

Your patches do resemble beginning psoriasis, which my husband has.
This may get worse with time. Psoriasis patches typically come up where there
is stimulation to the skin. Your socks would rub and qualify for that.
A dermatologist would be able to diagnosis that.
Other circular lesions are ringworm, but yours is not acute like ringworm looks.
Some people get eczema from soap residues left in clothes during washing.
So double rinsing helps. Do you have these patches anywhere else?

I sent you a better quality pic without my sock! Thanks for any and all your help!

Thanks for the second picture.

The Keratosis pilaris is a sign of fatty acid deficiency.
So I'd do the good fats every day. People with very low omega-3 status typically develop these bumps. They will go away with proper nutrition.

My thread that explains them:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread6092.html

I see the area you are trying to communicate, but the picture is tough. It could be an area of pigmentation...called cafe au lait spots, which are hereditary, and or may occur follow sun exposure to damaged skin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9_au_lait_spot
Don't be alarmed by the big words, they are very very common.
I have some and so does my son. My dad had neurofibramotosis, but neither my son or I do. You have to have many before a disease is linked to them.

Here is another medical reference:
http://www.emedicine.com/ped/TOPIC2754.HTM

Once a cafe au lait spot appears it does not go away. The pigment stays. Sometimes they are small freckles bunched up together, other times flat and either large or small.

If this skin discoloration bothers you, a trip to the dermatologist would be best. Doctors vary in their skill in identifying skin things.

If you develop bruise type lesions along your shins, then that could be serious, and needs immediate attention.
erythema nodosum:
http://www.medicinenet.com/erythema_nodosum/article.htm

This is what I expected from your first post.

So you don't think that spot is from poor circulation or anything? Also I used to go to the tanning bed, religiously, and I noticed that brownish spot sometime after I stopped going. My legs would get extremely dry. They would get so dry that if I wet my finger and ran it down my leg it would be a different color. lol The tingling is much better today though.

are very very BAD.... please stop using.

If you are on blood pressure drugs, or antibiotics or anything really --you can damage yourself in a tanning bed. There are hundreds of drugs that deposit in the skin, and react with the UV.

Besides tanning beds are now considered causes of skin cancer.

If the spot changes in any way, then you should see a dermatologist. But from your picture, it looks like a pigment change. If it becomes dark inside, blue/black/red or any color changes with irregular borders, it could be melanoma. Remember we are not going to DIAGNOSE you, only point you in the direction you need to go. From what I have seen, I've only given you my experience.

That dry skin is a warning...you are having tissue changes INSIDE also from not eating enough omega-3's in the diet. Your skin is a barometer for that health! Use a moisturizing soap like Dove from now on. It really helps, but it cannot make your skin for you. The omega-3's do that from the inside.
(I have lists of foods and eggs now that have these added on that thread).

Regular doctors are not too great with skin issues. You need a dermatologist for more detailed evaluation. That is your choice to seek it out or not.