Newly shaved head, mottled skin - bruises or otherwise?

[lonefir]

So.... new to the forum but I'll definitely be around some now, asking for tips & whatnot. Looks like a great resource.

I'm in my mid-30s, been thinning & receding for years now and have been using clippers with gradually shrinking guards - been on a no-guard once a week approach for a year or two. But my hair's disappeared enough that I decided to take the plunge and take the razor to it a couple days ago. This has always been my plan and I never worried too much about going bald because I've got a decent-shaped dome and don't mind being the dude with the shaved head.

Since it had about a week of growth, I used the clippers (no guard), showered, then shaved with a two-blade Gilette (yeah, I'll be upgrading that this week). Everything went fine, zero cuts, cleaned off & looked in the mirror and thought "Not bad at all!". But then when using the angled mirror to make sure I got the back, I noticed the back of my head had normal skin alternating with a very distinct purplish mottling. So my positive reaction quickly turned to "WTF!??".

It looks pretty bad, for lack of a better word "unhealthy" even! There's a little bit of texture there too, like the skin in the mottled parts is thinner or something.

Ideally this is bruising from the clippers - perhaps I've been bruising all along while buzzing and it was simply covered by what little hair I had. After searching around I've read they can bruise which I didn't know. But are there other conditions that could cause this?

[Beardman]

My first thought was a birth mark, not bruising. Keep an eye on it though, see if the markings go away or not. If it doesn't go away maybe go see a dermatologist if it is still bothering you. Hopefully it isn't as bad as you first thought mate.

[Marshal S.]

It is most likely something called a hemangioma.  If it is, you are right, it is capillaries near the surface of your skin.  If it is near the place your head and neck come together, that is not uncommon.  Shaving may have irritated the area and made the vessels more prominent.  If you don't like it, a dermatologist can treat it and lessen how prominent it is.

[lonefir]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Yeah, it doesn't strike me as a birthmark or anything like that. More like damage of some kind I guess. Just hoping it's not permanent.

I've attached an image below - it's the back/side of my head and you can see the dark mottling which extends around on the sides & back below the crown. It was my phone camera so anything else that looks like irritation is pretty exaggerated due to the light and color balance (and I'm aware I missed a couple areas), but those dark splotches are most definitely there and fairly obvious.

It was surprising as elsewhere my skin is pretty healthy, don't have really any history of problems nor obvious scalp stuff aside from very minor flaking in the winter. I do have a habit of massaging that area of my scalp to relax sometimes, but if that had any chance of damaging it I had no idea.

If these fade I'm good. If not, that is a major buzzkill. So to speak.
Again, if this looks at all familiar to anyone would much appreciate hearing about it...

[Marshal S.]

Firstly, it doesn't look too bad in this photo.
Secondly, this looks to be a rash.  (The docs here may disagree with me.)  Some people's skin releases histamine when scratched, which causes them to get raised areas in the places the scratch happens.  It is essentially like hives.  Those dark areas are really just vascular congestion due to the bumps--the capillaries aren't draining as fast as usual.
Try some Benedryl cream on it.  It will clear up in hours if that's it.  If not, see your doctor.

[Mike E. P.]

I agree. From the photo, that doesn't look bad at all. I wouldn't let it bother me. I know. Easier said than done. I try not to examine my head too closely because I'll always be able to find some imperfection to stress about - bumps, dents, discolored spots ... So I shave, do a once over to make sure I cleaned up and then I get out of the mirror. That works for me.

But if you are worried, go to a dermatologist and get confirmation as to what this is and if there is something you need to do about it.

[Sir Harry]

Welcome, lonefir! I was going to ask you to post a pic, but I saw you have one posted in your second post. That, my friend looks like a classic case of "stork bite" It is most commonly found at the nape of the neck upward, but in your case, yours is a little higher. I don't see it being an issue shaving over, but if it is a major cosmetic concern, I would see a dermatologist for some bleaching cream. However, you may have to razor shave to the skin for said bleaching cream to be effective. You could check to make sure it's nothing more serious, but more than likely, you have nothing to worry about there. Good luck and enjoy the forum!

[Marshal S.]

I don't think it is stork bite because you say it wasn't there before.  The red parts are pooled blood in the capillaries at the surface.  The texture you refer to is the real problem, and this looks like dermagraphia to me--Benedryl will clear it up quickly if so.  If that does not help, then the doc is your next move.

[lonefir]

Thanks again for the suggestions everyone!

I don't think it is stork bite because you say it wasn't there before.

Maybe I wasn't clear here - I just hadn't seen it before because I've always shaved with clippers and the stubble covered it. This was the first time I've used a razor and actually exposed my scalp.

As for stork bite, I'm kinda leaning against that because it doesn't have the asymmetrical random distribution that most nevus have. It's got a very clear shape around & below the crown of my head (with very little on the crown's bald spot) more or less identical on either side. Essentially where my hair would be thickest.

Could be some kind of rash, but doesn't really look or feel like one. I did put some hydrocortizone lotion on it, we'll see if anything clears up.

I'm not going to worry too much though it's definitely a bit more noticeable than that snapshot might indicate - there's a lot more coverage around the back and the color/texture is worse than the image shows. My girlfriend's been out of town, she's going to return tonite and say "damn, what's going on with your head?". C'est la vie!

[Brandonl]

I also have this problem.  Anyone know what it is?

[Magoo]

You really picked up on an old post  ( 2013 ) . But anyway this maybe some form of harmless pigmentation . Why not show us a picture of  the problem. Also welcome to SBG, although this forum has been slow lately.

[Brandonl]

Been clean shaved for about 1.5 months.  Seems to have lighten up some.  But still there. 

[Magoo]

Maybe the lighter shade skin has tanned some from the sun. Now there is less contrast between the different skin shades , making it less noticeable. The shave looks good!