Questions from a mom

Hi, my 16 yr old son was just diagnosed with Becker’s on the back of his upper arm. It is just the light brown pigmentation at this point and is about 4 in square.The dermatologist said to forget about it. But should we be watching it? Will it get bigger? Could he get it somewhere else too? He’s right at the age now of being so concerned about his looks (and health). I was always careful with him in the sun, so I’m sure it isn’t associated with the sun. He is fair and blonde with very little body hair. Do you think hair will grow there? Any info would be helpful for me and him. I’d like him to know what to expect and what can be done. Thanks.

I will be out of the office November 8th to November 12th inclusive and will not be checking my messages while I am away.

I KNOW I just returned from vacation - I am away on course in Vancouver for a few days…really!

If you need to reach my office while I am away, please contact my assistance, Cory Gund, at (250) 390-7681 or tiahwconvey@shaw.ca

Thank you.

Hi there,
I am also a mom, and my tween-aged daughter has a patch covering her right
shoulder. She is a pretty and petite ballet dancer, so as you can imagine
with the costumes and thin spaghetti straps this is going to be a huge
issue. Right now hers is just a tan patch with some fine hair, and isn’t
super dark and hairy. Even so, I understand it gets worse as she progresses
through puberty. Hers started just last spring when she also started to get
the first stages of growth spurt. I am religious about sun protection, and
I plan to get permanent hair removal if and when that becomes an issue. I
understand it is the pigment that is almost impossible to treat. A tattoo
is not an option for us, but my plan is going to be permanent hair removal
followed by dermablend. Dermablend is the professional makeup they use for
disfiguring skin colorations like the port wine stains. I tried it on a
scar on my leg and it worked well, and mostly even in the pool. I guess I
would say it is better for a boy to have this than a girl because girls are
really judged more on how they look than boys are. But I would suggest for
now trying dermablend. You can get it at the upscale department store
cosmetic counters. Good luck! I must say, that the cosmetic concern is
much better than the initial “terror” I felt when I thought, what is this,
could it be cancer??? And to know that it is not cancer is really a
blessing.

----- Original Message -----
From: “felicity” beckers-nevus-cpt6672@lists.careplace.com
To: afchai@verizon.net
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 8:24 AM
Subject: [beckers-nevus] questions from a mom

Thanks, I have shown your messages to my son. I think he feels better knowing it is not life threatening and he’s not alone. I do admit it would be much harder to deal with if he was a girl or if it was in a more highly visible spot. Right now it is rather light so he can just leave it alone, but if it begins to darken we will definitely try the Dermablend. And no hair has begun to grow. Thanks again.

Thanks for your encouragement. I’ll be sure to show him your message.

Hi Felicity,

I just wanted to provide some encouragement to your son.

My boyfriend has Becker’s on his shoulder blade/upper arm. He is very fair skinned with a darker spots/hair, so it is prominent. He also doesn’t shave it b/c of ingrown hairs and infection. If it will make him feel better and less self conscious, please tell him that girls, and people in general, will not care one bit about it. (As his mom, I know you already know this, but sometimes it helps coming from a 25yr old woman) :slight_smile:

Good luck!

I too have a daughter inflicted by this. She is 14 and her “spot” as we
call it is quite large encompassing the left side of her torso. It also
caused the underlying tissue to not develop unfortunately, this includes
her left breast. She has ribs and muscle but no mammory gland. She is
getting ready to begin cosmetic breast construction. This will take at
least the next four years. Although the discoloration and hair are
unpleasant things to deal with, it could be far worse. My daughter is
absolutely beautiful and wanted to be a model some day.

Good luck with your daughter.

-----Original Message-----
From: ames [mailto:beckers-nevus-cpt6672@lists.careplace.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 2:49 PM
To: Anne Kemmer
Subject: Re: [beckers-nevus] questions from a mom

To akemmer,
How stressful this must be for your daughter! I know they can do really
miraculous cosmetic procedures these days, although I am sorry she has to go
through such a process. You can be sure all of us on this forum will be
rooting for her, and send our encouragement.
Ames

----- Original Message -----
From: “akemmer” beckers-nevus-cpt6672@lists.careplace.com
To: afchai@verizon.net
Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 8:09 AM
Subject: Re: [beckers-nevus] questions from a mom

I agree. Reconstructive surgery is so fantastic these days. And there is no reason she can’t still be a model. My son always said (only 1/2 jokingly) that he wanted to be a model in GQ. When he was diagnosed, I told him if that’s what he wanted, I saw no reason he still couldn’t do it. Even if they never do modelling, I think the positive encouragement from friends and family will do wonders for their self-esteem and confidence. If they are not self-conscious or embarrassed, then those around them will soon forget about it too. My son has a friend who is albino, and one who is autistic (mildly) and he doesn’t give it a thought. They are just his friends. But both his friends exude confidence and ease, which puts their friends at ease as well. Tell your daughter how beautiful she is again and again. And best of luck with the surgery.

You can tell her that Richard Gere has a Beckers Nevus. He was voted People’s Magazine Sexiest Man of the Year two times.

felicity beckers-nevus-cpt6672@lists.careplace.com wrote: