A critical look on white bums on skin that are small, itchy, on arms, face, legs that appears after the sun, tanning including methods of how to get rid of such bumps.
white bumps on skin causes
White Bumps on Skin, Causes
Milia is the term for the small, hard, white bumps on skin that may show up—usually on the face—in just about every other person, including the infants, teens, and the adults. They are frustrating yet benign bumps that are incredibly stubborn, lasting for several weeks and sometimes longer.
Though milia aren’t very harmful, getting rid of them may be too tough. There is a right way and also a wrong way to get rid of them, and the wrong way may damage the skin.
If you’ve ever had white bumps on skin, then you likely wondered if they were some kind of pimple. While most of the people mistake the tiny, pearl-like bumps for acne, they are not very same thing. One of the easiest methods to identify the milia bumps are by how they feel.
Unlike acne, milia are rather firm, and squeezing has little to no impact on them. Also unlike acne, these bumps can show up around the eyes and on parts of the face where there aren’t active oil glands. Milia also don’t have the pain associated with acne when a pimple forms and then becomes inflamed and sore.
If you have the white bumps on skin that are around the eyes and on the eyelids, they may not be very true milia (which are usually translucent flesh to white). You can instead be dealing with a growth of the skin called a xanthoma. These bumps are very common to people who have experienced high cholesterol or high triglyceride levels
Milia happens when the dead skin cells get trapped under the skin’s surface, thus forming small, hard cysts. It’s also estimated that about 75% of infants in the United States and other countries get milia, in part due to their young skin is still adapting to exfoliate.
As the skin matures, the milia may disappear on their own. Doctors don’t consider infant milia to be a big problem, and rarely do they prescribe treatment for it. Parents can find the bumps unsightly, but the baby isn’t bothered by them, and they have no effect on the baby’s health.
Adults may get two forms of milia: primary and secondary. Primary is the type that is seen in babies, brought about by skin cells that will build up as they just didn’t exfoliate very well. Secondary milia occurs when the skin condition that leads to the blistering normally damages the pore lining. Burns or severe bumps may increase the number of skin cells that are trapped under the skin’s surface.
Sun damage is also a large contributing factor to the milia as it makes skin very rough and leathery, so it’s difficult for the dead cells to rise to the skin’s surface and shed normally
Sudden onset of the white itchy white bumps on skin within about 45 minutes of consuming decomposing scombroid fish can be due to scombroid fish poisoning in which a large amounts of histamine are largely ingested. Unlike urticaria, there are no wheals. Other symptoms include headache, palpitations, diarrhoea and collapse.
White bumps on skin that are bumpy in the diaper area may include pus-filled bumps. May be worse especially in the skin folds, with some of the isolated bumps around the outside of the main bumps. Lasts more than two days and don’t much respond to regular diaper cream. More usual in children who have in the recent past taken antibiotics.
Itchy White Bumps on Skin
itchy white bumps on nose
A skin bump is an area of skin that has become a bit or largely swollen or irritated. Skin bumps can include skin bumps or even sores, scaly or white skin, and burning skin. Skin bumps may be caused by most of the medical conditions.
Some skin bumps happen right away, while others take some time before they develop. The location, appearance, and color of white bumps on skin are all crucial to assist the doctor make the right diagnosis and start the right treatment.
Insect bites usually result in itchy bumps (papules) or wheals. Their characteristics are:
- Initial sting is usually felt on exposed sites
- Central blister (vesicle)
- Groups of lesions, normally distributed asymmetrically
- More commonly arise in the summer and autumn months
- Individual lesions normally persist for days to weeks
- Brownish discoloration that persists for months is often seen in skin that tans easily.
Children and, less frequently, the adults can develop papular urticaria that is interpreted as a hypersensitivity reaction to the insect bites. No initial sting is ever felt and old lesions may reappear.
Biopsy studies reveals an inflammatory infiltrate that includes eosinophils, and even spongiosis of the epidermis.
Eczema is an Itchy white bumps on skin that usually happens in the folds of the elbows or knees, as well as on the cheeks, chin, chest, and the back. Appears as a dry, thickened, scaly white skin or the tiny white bumps that can ooze or even crust.
Most common in families that have a history of allergies or the asthma. Typically shows up in the first year of life and mostly is gone by the age of 2, but may persist through adulthood.
Folliculitis signs and symptoms are:
- Clusters of the small white bumps on skin or the white-headed pimples that normally develop around the hair follicles
- Pus-filled blisters that break open and then crust over
- White and inflamed skin
- Itchy or a burning skin
- Tenderness of skin or pain
- A large swollen bump or mass
Superficial forms of folliculitis are:
- Bacterial folliculitis. This is a common type that is marked by itchy, white, pus-filled bumps. When the bacterial folliculitis affects a person’s beard area, it’s known as barber’s itch. It happens when the hair follicles become largely infected with the bacteria, usually Staphylococcus aureus (staph). Staph bacteria survive on the skin all the time. But they generally lead to problems only when they enter your body through a cut or other wound.
- Hot tub folliculitis (pseudomonas). This type is brought about by pseudomonas bacteria. You can be exposed to these bacteria in most of the places, including hot tubs and heated pools in which the chlorine and pH levels aren’t very well-regulated.
You can develop white bumps on skin that are round, itchy one to five days after the exposure. These may later develop into small pus-filled blisters (pustules).
The bumps is likely to be worse in the areas where the swimsuit held contaminated water against the skin or where skin like the back of the thighs came in direct contact with the contaminated surface.
- Barber’s itch (pseudo folliculitis barbae). This is an inflammation brought about by ingrowing hairs. It mainly affects the black men who shave and is noticeable on the face and neck. People who get the bikini waxes can also develop barber’s itch in the groin area. This condition can leave dark raised scars (known as keloids).
White Bumps on Skin that don’t Itch
white bumps on skin face
People normally describe the localized swollen areas on, or even under, the skin as lumps or even bumps. While bumps on, or under, the skin can be brought about by conditions that give rise to a skin bumps, most of other conditions may result in the solitary raised lumps on the skin.
Infections, tumors, and the body’s response to trauma or injury can all result in the lumps or bumps that happen to be located on or underneath the skin.
Depending upon the reason for the white bumps on skin, skin lumps or bumps can vary in size and be firm or soft to the touch. The overlying skin may be white or ulcerated. Skin bumps may or may not be painful or even tender, depending on the cause of the lesions.
Small white Dots on Skin
Although it may be a troublesome and even annoying condition, having very small bumps on the legs is generally no good reason to panic. Small bumps on the legs can have a number of harmless causes. The bumps can be a result of a benign skin condition called keratosis pilaris. I
f you’re a woman and you shave the legs, it can also just be a case of razor bumps. According to studies, small, itchy bumps on the legs can also be a sign of atopic dermatitis, also called eczema. Hives are a very serious potential cause of small, itchy bumps on the legs.
Keratosis pilaris is a relatively common skin disorder. It results in small, hard, pink or even raised white bumps on skin that usually occur on the thighs and arms, according to research. The bumps are a result of keratin buildup in your hair follicles.
The bumps can itch, although they generally do not cause any pain. Although there’s no known reason for the cause of bumps, it seems to have a genetic component, and people who mostly suffer from dry skin are more likely to develop this condition. Certain topical over-the-counter and prescription medications can alleviate some of the symptoms.
Razor bumps, also known as the irritant folliculitis, most commonly occur to people who have curly hair, although anyone who shaves can develop razor bumps. As the hair grows in, it curls back on itself, resulting in a small, raised bump that is often filled with white pus. According to the New Zealand Dermatological Society, this condition is often very itchy and can only be resolved by avoiding shaving.
Atopic dermatitis, or eczema, is an inflammatory skin condition that can also result in the small, itchy white bumps on skin of the legs. According to doctors, it most commonly happens behind the knees. Atopic dermatitis leads to white, inflamed patches, sensitive, thick or scaly skin and small, raised bumps that may ooze when scratched.
There are a variety of medications for the condition, including corticosteroids, antibiotics and antihistamines, according to MayoClinic.com.
Although a number of conditions can lead to small bumps on the legs, it’s also important to get an official diagnosis from the physician. In some other cases, medical treatment may be needed and in others, the condition can resolve on its own. Always seek medical attention if the bumps appear suddenly or if you’re not sure of their cause.
White Bumps on Arms
According to dermatologists, hives are raised, flat-topped bumps that may occur anywhere on the body in reaction to certain allergens, stress or contact with the irritating substances. Hives normally first appears on the upper parts of your legs or arms.
They also tend to be extremely itchy and may appear out of nowhere and disappear on their own. The bumps can increase in size or even join together to make a patch of irritated, swollen skin.
Hives are one of the serious causes of small white bumps on skin of the legs, especially if they cause difficulty breathing. In this case, you should go to your nearest emergency room, according to Dr. Young.
White Bumps on Face
You are more likely have milia, a skin condition that’s very common among newborns. In fact, that up to half of all babies have to develop milia.
Mila occurs when the dead skin cells get trapped under the skin’s surface and form small, hard cysts. Milia is very common in babies as their skin is still learning to exfoliate, or slough off dead skin cells, on its own.
Although milia is most commonly usually seen on the nose, chin or even cheeks, it can happen on other areas such as the upper trunk and limbs.
It is very easy to assume that the small white bumps on skin of face are pimples. What if they are not pimples or even acne? Excessive exposure to sunlight, the fungal infections, milia spots, too much facial makeup, infected pimples etc. can all lead to tiny white bumps on skin.
White Bumps on Skin after Sun
white bumps after sun tanning
Polymorphic light eruption (PMLE) is a skin bumps that comes about with the exposure to the sun. It is not the same as sunburn. PMLE is not in any way harmful, but may be itchy and even embarrassing.
PMLE normally happens in spring or on a very sunny holiday, when the skin is not much used to sunshine. There are several treatments and the preventative measures. The bumps itself is short-lived and settles much completely.
PMLE is a particular bumps that comes abut in reaction to sunlight on the skin. The naming comes from polymorphic eruption, which implies a bump that has several forms. It can appear different to different people, although it normally appears the same each time it happens in the same person.
Sunlight has various types of rays. The ones which can cause PMLE are ultraviolet (UV) light and visible light. UVA and visible light can be able to pass through the glass, so it is very possible to get PMLE when exposed to the strong sunlight through a window. Sometimes it can happen after an exposure to fluorescent lighting.
Sun damage is not a cause for sunburn, dark spots, and skin cancer among other skin ageing symptoms like the wrinkles. It is also a precursor for the rough, thick skin that lead to milia (that is manifested as white bumps on skin).
White Bumps on Skin after Tanning
Two different conditions might lead to white bumps on the skin after a sun exposure. Bumps related to the polymorphous light eruption can come by when you first go out in the sun after a winter or expose a body part to sun when it has not had exposure in some time.
The white bumps on skin can or cannot reoccur the next time you go out in the sun. Another condition, solar urticaria, is a rare allergic reaction to sunlight. Even brief sun exposure of less than 30 minutes can trigger a reaction
Pictures of Bumps on Skin
small white bumps on body
How to Get Rid of White Bumps on Skin
As milia often go away on their own without any treatment, being patient and waiting it out is the better option but waiting is definitely not for all people
Primarily, it’s critical that you not squeeze, scrape, poke, or in any other way try to remove the milia from the face as you would a pimple.
Because milia are very hard and under the skin’s surface, these methods are unlikely to assist. Instead, you wind up irritating and even damaging the skin surrounding the cyst. Some people have even scared themselves while trying to dig out the milia and there’s no question that a scar will last longer than any milia bump
Because milia can form when the skin’s natural exfoliation process is malfunctioning, you can apply a targeted exfoliating treatment that has salicylic acid to then immediately improve exfoliation and thus assist the bump to dissolve on its own relatively very quickly.
Of course, you also can visit a dermatologist, who can tell you the type of milia you have. Secondary milia may need a doctor to use a hypodermic needle to extract the cyst, or cryotherapy that involves freezing the cyst and then getting rid of it. If your milia don’t respond to the exfoliating treatment after several weeks, consider making an appointment with the dermatologist.
Although not a lot can be done to prevent milia, maintaining of a suitable skin-care routine certainly helps minimize the chance of them appearing. Because secondary milia can be brought about by sun damage, always use a moisturizer with at least SPF 40 to protect your skin every day, and give those annoying white bumps less of a reason to set up shop on your face!
Yes, milia is a real pain to put up with, but there are things you can do to treat it. Remember: Patience, daily exfoliation, sun protection, and resisting the temptation to take matters into your own hands can go a long way to having clearer, bump-free skin sooner
If the baby’s complexion refuse to clear up within three months, consult the baby’s doctor at the next well-baby visit.
Further references;
- Polymorphic Light Eruption: http://patient.info/health/polymorphic-light-eruption-leaflet
- Symptoms: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/folliculitis/basics/symptoms/con-20025909
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