Sorry to hear about your condition, I really hope you can recover soon. Your question resonates with a lot of readers as I have many patients with the same issue, and most of them have a travel history to Taiwan too! Sand fly bites are notorious for leaving behind persistent itch and brown spots (pigmentation) after the acute bites settle.
It is important to apply the anti-itch medication and do not scratch your spots as that will leave behind more brown marks. Use a ceramide-containing moisturiser to speed up skin healing and be concientious in applying a broad-spectrum sun screen (SPF50) to the affected areas, as excessive sun exposure will lead to darker marks.
The marks will fade with time as your body absorbs the extra pigment. To speed up the process, you may want to consider using topical whitening creams where appropriate. Laser therapy for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation may be tricky as there have been instances where pigmentation paradoxically darkens after laser treatment. An alternative to consider may be oral antioxidant supplements such as Heliocare Pure white radiance max, I have seen good results from patients.
Do consult an experienced dermatologist for assessment.
Take care!
Warm regards,
Dr Ker Khor Jia
