Halo Nevi, Anyone?

[Mother of Jibril]

I went to see a dermatologist a couple of months ago because I thought I might have vitiligo. I'm pretty pale already, but I noticed a few white spots on my hands. Also, the skin around my eyes was noticeably whiter than the rest of my face... like I had been spending a lot of time in tanning beds with those little goggles.

After checking me out with a Wood's lamp, the dermatologist said I don't have vitiligo. The problem on my face is rosacea (makes a lot of sense) and the white spots on my hands are halo nevi. Apparently, sometimes your body decides to reabsorb a mole... I have tons of them... and in the process it destroys all the pigment in that area. When the mole is gone the pigment is supposed to come back.

Has anyone experienced this? I'm not bothered by how it looks, just curious. Did the nevi go away once you sorted out your intolerance/autoimmune issues?

Incidentally, I also have mild acne and several dermatofibromas... little lumps of scar tissue that formed after some kind of irritation. They look like permanent mosquito bites (but they don't itch, thank goodness). Oh... and a rash on my buttocks that seems to be getting better on the gluten-free diet. Lots of weird skin issues!

[olhababy]

These Halo moles are happening to me, too as of this past summer! What can you tell me about them that you know? I have like 6 different ones in different areas! They make me worried I have some disease! ARGH! Thanx for your help

[Mother of Jibril]

Cool! I wondered if anyone would ever respond to this topic!

All of my halo nevi are on my hands. Kind of strange... most people get them on their torso. They're pretty small. You could cover each one with a pencil eraser. Usually it's nothing to worry about, but if you notice that the mole is really dark or the white area is growing rapidly you should get it checked out by a dermatologist.

Nothing I've read comes right out and says, "this is an autoimmune disorder," but it makes sense. Your body is reabsorbing a mole by destroying all the melanocytes in your skin. This is what happens in vitiligo too (which is definitely an autoimmune disorder), except the areas are not as big. Hmmmm... my immune system has been attacking my thyroid and my eyes, so it doesn't seem like a big leap to think that my skin has been under attack too.

Halo nevi are not a big deal, BUT... they could definitely be a warning sign that your immune system is behaving dysfunctionally. Do you have any other autoimmune disorders?

Welcome to the group!

[olhababy]

Hi- I was so relived to find someone out there with kinda the same thing going on...its so strange to me! I do not have any health problems whatsoever...I am not overwieght, I don't drink or smoke and I excercise 4 days per week and I never even catch a cold when the whole house has one, so my immune system seems to be working fine otherwise...I just can't understand what would cause this to happen...I do have some stress/anxiety issues, but otherwise the only thing I can think of is I was in a life threatening accident 2 summers ago and it has been a long road to recovery..maybe that was just so taxing on my body and this is a way it is showing up...what do you think?

I am sorry you are having immune system problems. Do you have hypothyroidism? what is going on with your eyes? I sure hope your healthy soon! the Dr told me not to worry about the moles-he said my body is attacking them and destrying them..so strange to me..

Cool! I wondered if anyone would ever respond to this topic!

All of my halo nevi are on my hands. Kind of strange... most people get them on their torso. They're pretty small. You could cover each one with a pencil eraser. Usually it's nothing to worry about, but if you notice that the mole is really dark or the white area is growing rapidly you should get it checked out by a dermatologist.

Nothing I've read comes right out and says, "this is an autoimmune disorder," but it makes sense. Your body is reabsorbing a mole by destroying all the melanocytes in your skin. This is what happens in vitiligo too (which is definitely an autoimmune disorder), except the areas are not as big. Hmmmm... my immune system has been attacking my thyroid and my eyes, so it doesn't seem like a big leap to think that my skin has been under attack too.

Halo nevi are not a big deal, BUT... they could definitely be a warning sign that your immune system is behaving dysfunctionally. Do you have any other autoimmune disorders?

Welcome to the group!

[Mother of Jibril]

Hi- I was so relived to find someone out there with kinda the same thing going on...its so strange to me! I do not have any health problems whatsoever...I am not overwieght, I don't drink or smoke and I excercise 4 days per week and I never even catch a cold when the whole house has one, so my immune system seems to be working fine otherwise...I just can't understand what would cause this to happen...I do have some stress/anxiety issues, but otherwise the only thing I can think of is I was in a life threatening accident 2 summers ago and it has been a long road to recovery..maybe that was just so taxing on my body and this is a way it is showing up...what do you think?

I am sorry you are having immune system problems. Do you have hypothyroidism? what is going on with your eyes? I sure hope your healthy soon! the Dr told me not to worry about the moles-he said my body is attacking them and destrying them..so strange to me..

I'm sorry to welcome you to this club!

Like you, my halo nevi also started appearing after a traumatic event... losing a baby when I was 17 weeks pregnant and then going into a severe depression Hormonal changes and stress are common triggers for autoimmune disorders.

I'm also a normal weight, don't drink, don't smoke, have a healthy diet... I thought I was "fine" until I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in August. I had all the classic symptoms (hair loss, dry skin, constipation, heavy periods, depression, anxiety, low blood pressure, etc...) but I thought these things were just "normal" for me! These days I'm paying a LOT better attention to the signals my body is giving me. I'm also on prescription eye drops for chronic dry eye and inflammation... I can't believe what a difference it makes. I knew my vision was not as good as it used to be, but WOW. I'm planning to get tested for Sjogren's syndrome later this month.

I actually feel pretty good, especially now that I've taken gluten, dairy, and corn out of my diet. My depression is gone, I'm not in pain, my rosacea is a lot better... I haven't felt this good since I was a teenager! If the only lingering problem you have from the accident is halo nevi, you're in great shape But... you might want to think carefully about how the rest of your body is feeling. It's much better to catch autoimmune disorders before they do a lot of damage. It really pays to do some reading and educate yourself.