Q: I am 21 years old. Each time I get bitten by a mosquito or an insect, it takes almost 2-3 months for the bite to heal and 7-8 months for the bite mark to lighten. Due to this my whole body is covered with bite marks. I also suffer from hormonal imbalance and have been taking medicines like Fincar and Diane-35 for the past one year. My endocrinologist says that hormonal imbalance has nothing to do with my skin problem. I have got various tests done for the same. My dermatologist gave me various topical creams, but nothing has worked so far. I have tried the following medicines - Topinate gel; Hydroquinone Cream USP (Hyde Cream); Retin A and Calamine lotion. How to remove these marks completely or atleast minimize them within a couple of weeks?

A:If the patient is suffering from mosquito bite hypersensitivity (papular urticaria) then she should take strict anti-mosquito bite measures (including wearing protective clothing). A combination of topical steroids & retinoid creams will help lighten the marks. But to make sure that it is not a vesiculo-bullous disorder-a biopsy of a fresh lesion should be done.