Skin bumps can be as a result of various conditions. Little bumps on your face can he harmful, but most of the time they tend to be harmless. Allergic reactions, infections, skin cancer and hereditary conditions can cause bumps on your skin. Depending on the cause, these bumps can greatly vary in size and texture. The affected skin area may be painful or tender. Listed below are common causes for little bumps on your face. Check the signs carefully so that you know which condition is causing the bumps so that proper treatment can be adopted.
Causes of Little Bumps on Face
Little White Bumps on Face
1. Milium Cyst
These are simply small white bumps that are common around the nose or cheeks. They occur when keratin is trapped under the skin surface. Keratin is a type of protein found in the hair, skin as well as nail cells. This condition can occur in people of all ages and is most common in infants. They mostly occur around the eyelids, face and cheeks. These cysts are mistaken for the Epstein’s pearls condition.
You can identify milium cysts by their appearance. They appear as small bumps that are dome shaped and are yellow or white. They do not itch and are not painful. Even so, they cause some discomfort amongst some people. Rubbing rough clothes or sheets on the cysts can cause irritation.
There is no need for treatment of this condition in infants as it clears up on its own in a few weeks. In older children and adults, this condition also clears up in a few months. In case these cysts cause discomfort, there are several effective treatments that can be used.
The treatments include:
- De-roofing – using a sterile needle to remove the content of the cyst.
- Destroying the cyst by use of external heat (diathermy), surgical scraping and cauterization (curettage) or freezing (cryotherapy).
- Use of medications like topical retinoids. These are chemicals made with vitamin A.
- Use of laser ablation and chemical peels. This destroys the cysts.
Watch a video for milia remedies and preventive measures:
Little Red Bumps on Face
2. Acne
This is a skin condition characterized by the development of whiteheads and blackheads, pustules, cysts and papules. A contributing factor that leads to development of acne is the excretion of sebum. This is an oily substance secreted by the sebaceous glands. The pores of the skin are connected to these glands through hair follicles, which include the hair roots. Dead skin cells and sebum are excreted from the skin through the pores. Acne occurs when dead skin cells and sebum are unable to move through the pores. This leads to the clogging of the pores. An inflammation occurs and bacteria infect the clogged follicle. This leads to the development of acne or pimples, which appear as red bumps.
Watch a video for acne remedy simply with salt and honey:
3. Inflammatory Rosacea
This is a chronic skin condition characterized by the development of pustules and facial redness. This is as a result of superficial blood vessels dilation close to the skin surface. The exact cause of inflammatory rosacea is not known. This condition may worsen if you consume spicy foods or alcohol. Sunlight exposure and stress can also aggravate the symptoms.
4. Allergic Reactions
Allergic responses take place when the immune system sees a harmless substance as a harmful one. The system responds by releasing antibodies, which lead to the release of histamines into the blood stream. The release of histamines causes inflammation. The substance that triggers this process is referred to as an allergen. The formation of red bumps on the skin is one of the indications of allergies. Coming into contact with hair dyes, natural rubber, nickel, jewelry, poison ivy or cosmetics can trigger allergic responses.
5. Irritant Contact Dermatitis
Dermatitis simply refers to skin inflammation. Irritant contact dermatitis is a condition of the skin characterized by skin inflammation mainly due to direct contact with an allergen. Harsh chemicals in soaps, perfumes, fabric softeners, shower gels, detergents, adhesives and solvents may lead to the development of red bumps on your skin. These are characterized by redness, skin scaling as well as blistering. How severe the symptoms get varies by the irritant and how long it is left on the skin.
6. Folliculitis
This is simply the inflammation and infection of hair follicles. These are tiny pores that house the roots of the hair. This condition can affect any body part that is hairy. Folliculitis is caused by the staphylococcus aureus bacteria. In men, the hair follicles on the face may be damaged through shaving. This causes the formation of tiny bumps that are filled with pus.