Category: Blog

There are literally hundreds of different kinds of lumps, bumps and cysts associated with the skin. Fortunately, the vast majority of these are harmless and painless. The chart below provides a guide for some of the most common forms of skin lumps, bumps and cysts.

Dermatofibromas

Characteristics

• Red, brown or purple growth; generally benign
• Usually found on arms and legs
• Feels like a hard lump
• Can be itchy, tender to the touch and sometimes painful

Treatment

• Usually does not require treatment
• Most common removal by surgical excision or cryotherapy (freezing it off with liquid nitrogen)

Epidermoid Cysts (Sebaceous Cysts)

Characteristics

• Round small bumps, usually white or yellow
• Forms from blocked oil glands in the skin
• Most commonly appear on the face, back, neck, trunk and genitals
• Usually benign; occasionally leads to basal or squamous cell skin cancers
• If infected, will become red and tender
• Can produce a thick yellow, cheese-like discharge when squeezed

Treatment

• Antibiotics might be prescribed if there is an underlying infection
• Dermatologist removes the discharge and the sac (capsule) that make up the walls of the cyst to prevent recurrence
• Laser surgery may be used for sensitive areas of the skin, like the face

Folliculitis

Characteristics

• Red pimples around areas having hair
• Inflammation of the hair follicles
• Caused by infection or chemical or physical irritation (e.g., shaving, fabrics)
• Higher incidence among people with diabetes, the obese or those with compromised immune systems

Treatment

• Topical antibiotics
• Oral antibiotics
• Antifungal medications
• Eliminating the cause

Keratoacanthoma

Characteristics

• Red, dome-shaped, thick bumps with craters in the center
• Abnormal growth of hair cells
• Triggered by minor skin injury such as a cut or bug bite
• Ultraviolet radiation from sun exposure is the most common risk factor

Treatment

• Cryotherapy (freezing off the bump with liquid nitrogen
• Curettage (surgically cutting out or scraping off)

Keratosis Pilaris

Characteristics

• Small, rough white or red bumps that neither itch nor hurt
• Usually worse during winter months or when there is low humidity and the skin gets dry

Treatment

• Usually does not require treatment
• In most cases disappears on its own by age 30
• Intensive moisturizing is the first line of treatment
• For more difficult cases, use of medicated creams with urea or alpha-hydroxy acids

Lipomas

Characteristics

• Soft fatty tissue tumors or nodules below the skin’s surface
• Usually slow growing and benign
• Appear most commonly on the trunk, shoulders and neck
• May be single or multiple
• Usually painless unless putting pressure on a nerve

Treatment

• Usually does not require treatment unless it is compressing on the surrounding tissue
• Easy to remove via excision

Neurofibromas

Characteristics

• Soft fleshy growths under the skin
• Slow growing and generally benign and painless
• Pain may indicate a need for medical attention
• May experience an electrical shock at the touch

Treatment

• Usually does not require treatment, particularly if it does not cause any symptoms
• If it affects a nerve, it may be removed surgically

Skin Cysts

Characteristics

• Closed pockets of tissue that can be filled with fluid or pus
• Can appear anywhere on the skin
• Smooth to the touch; feels like a pea underneath the surface
• Slow growing and generally is painless and benign
• Only needs attention if it becomes infected or inflamed

Treatment

• Usually does not require treatment; often disappears on its own
• May need to be drained by a physician
• Inflamed cysts respond to an injection of cortisone, which causes it to shrivel

Head lice are small parasitic insects that thrive in human hair by feeding on tiny amounts of blood from the scalp. An estimated six to 12 million infestations occur in the U.S. annually. It is particularly common among pre-school and elementary school children. Head lice do not transmit any diseases, but they are very contagious and can be very itchy. They are characterized by the combination of small red bumps and tiny white specks (also known as eggs or nits) on the bottom of hair closest to the skin (less than a quarter-inch from the scalp).

Head lice are visible to the naked eye. The eggs look like yellow, tan or brown dots on a hair. Live lice can also be seen crawling on the scalp. When eggs hatch, they become nymphs (baby lice). Nymphs grow to adult lice within one or two weeks of hatching. An adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed. Lice feed on blood from the scalp several times a day. They can also survive up to two days off of the scalp.

Head lice are spread through head-to-head contact; by sharing clothing, linens, combs, brushes, hats and other personal products; or by lying on upholstered furniture or beds of an infested person. You can determine if your child has head lice by parting the child’s hair and looking for nits or lice, particularly around the ears and nape of the neck. If one member of your family is diagnosed with head lice, you’ll need to check on every member of the same household.

Medicated lice treatments include shampoos, cream rinses and lotions that kill the lice. Many of these are over-the-counter, but prescription drugs are available for more severe cases. It is important to use these medications exactly as instructed and for the full course of treatment to eliminate the lice. Do not use a cream rinse, conditioner or combined shampoo and conditioner on your hair before a lice treatment. You also should not shampoo for one or two days following the application of a treatment. After applying the medicated treatment, use a special comb to comb out any nits on the scalp. Repeat the entire treatment seven to ten days after the initial treatment to take care of any newly hatched lice. Please note that you should not treat a person more than three times with any individual lice medication.

To get rid of the lice, you’ll also have to:

• Wash all bed linens and clothing warm by the infested person in very hot water.
• Dry clean clothing that is not machine washable.
• Vacuum upholstery in your home and car.
• Any items, such as stuffed toys, that can’t be machine-washed can be placed in an airtight bag and stored away for two weeks. Lice cannot survive this long without feeding.
• Soak combs, brushes, headbands and other hair accessories in rubbing alcohol or medicated shampoo for at least one hour or throw them away.

If your child still has head lice after two weeks with over-the-counter medicated products, contact your dermatologist for more effective treatment.

Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that causes facial redness, acne-like pimples, visible small blood vessels on the face, swelling and/or watery, irritated eyes. This inflammation of the face can affect the cheeks, nose, chin, forehead or eyelids. More than 14 million Americans suffer from rosacea. It is not contagious, but there is some evidence to suggest that it is inherited. There is no known cause or cure for rosacea. There is also no link between rosacea and cancer.

Rosacea generally begins after age 30 and goes through cycles of flare-ups and remissions. Over time, it gets ruddier in color and small blood vessels (like spider veins) may appear on the face. If left untreated, bumps and pimples may form, the end of the nose may become swollen, red and bulbous and eyes may water or become irritated.

Rosacea occurs most often among people with fair skin who tend to blush or flush easily. It occurs more often among women than men, but men tend to suffer from more severe symptoms. Most patients experience multiple symptoms at varying levels of severity. Common symptoms include:

• flushing
• persistently red skin on the face
• bumps or acne-like pimples
• visible blood vessels on facial skin
• watery or irritated eyes
• burning, itching or stinging of facial skin
• skin roughness and dryness
• raised red patches
• swelling (edema)

These symptoms may also appear on the neck, chest, scalp and ears.

Research conducted by the National Rosacea Foundation found that the leading triggers for rosacea are:

• sun exposure
• hot or cold weather
• emotional stress
• wind
• alcohol
• heavy exercise
• spicy foods
• hot baths
• heated beverages
• some skin care products
• humidity
• indoor heat

While there is no cure for rosacea and each case is unique, your doctor will probably prescribe oral antibiotics and topical medications to reduce the severity of the symptoms. When the condition goes into remission, only topical treatments may be needed. In more severe cases, a vascular laser, intense pulsed light source or other medical device may be used to remove any visible blood vessels and reduce excess redness and bumpiness on the nose.

To help reduce the incidence of flare-ups, a gentle daily skin care routine is recommended that includes the use of mild, non-abrasive cleansers, soft cloths, rinsing in lukewarm water (not hot or cold), and blotting the face dry (not rubbing). Additionally, individuals with rosacea need to protect themselves from sun exposure by using sunscreens with SPF 15 or higher and sunblocks that eliminate UVA and UVB rays. Patients are also encouraged to keep a record of flare-ups to try and determine the lifestyle and environmental triggers that aggravate the condition.