Are the big red spots on your skin just blemishes that will go away with time or are they due to another cause? There are many ways that the red spots on your skin can appear depending on the cause. Some will clear on their own, others will require medication from a doctor while others can be healed with some over-the-counter medicine.
At one point in your life, you may have noticed a red spot on your skin. As anyone in this generation do, you went to the internet to self-diagnose. The internet has no one clear answer or miracle cure. To protect you from using the wrong medication on your skin, here are some causes of big red spots on the skin and how you can treat them.
Acne
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This can be identified as the common cause of red spots on the skin. Acne is caused when the skin pores and hair follicles get clogged. Symptoms will include whiteheads, blackheads, some pus-filled pimples and other forms of acne.
Treatment
The best cause of treatment is using products with benzoyl peroxide. It helps clear bacteria from your pores and reduces inflammation. There are many other good acne treatments too.
Keratosis pilaris – small bumps forming red patches
Appears as little hard red bumps and is caused by excessive keratin build up in the skin follicles that cause pore blockage. They make the skin appear like chicken skin since they are rough and dry.
Treatment
Keratosis Pilaris can be controlled through regular skin care programs. Treatment must be continuous since no cure is available to effectively treat it. Sometimes through regular treatment, keratosis may improve or clear on its own.
Use mild, soap-less cleansers to prevent skin dryness and always lubricate the skin. If the keratosis is mild, one can use over the counter moisturizers like Lubriderm or Cetaphil lotions. For more difficult cases use lactic-acid lotions, urea cream, salicylic acid and topical steroid creams. Wash the affected area severally with a gentle wash twice or thrice a day then massage lotions into the affected area.
Cherry angiomas
Cherry angiomas are skin growths that develop on the body. They are also referred to as Campbell de Morgan spots or Senile angiomas. They mostly affect people at the age of 30 and older.
The cherry angioma gets its reddish appearance from the collection of blood vessels inside it. They are bright red, oval or circular in shape. They range in sizes and can either be even with the skin or slightly raised. Scratching, rubbing or cutting them open can cause bleeding.
Their cause is unknown although genetics is considered one of the factors. Pregnancy and exposure to climate, chemicals, and certain medical conditions have been linked to it too.
Treatment
It’s mostly not a concern unless it starts bleeding or changing color, size or shape. It doesn’t need to be removed unless for cosmetic reasons. Procedures that can be done include electrocauterization, cryosurgery, laser surgery and shave excision.
Stings and Bites
Insect bites can be painful and trigger allergic reactions. Their saliva can cause the skin around the bite site to get swollen, red and itchy. Venom released during a sting also causes the skin to get itchy, swollen and red. The severity of the sting will depend on the individual and the type of insect.
In rare cases, the bite or sting causes a serious allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.
Treatment
- Wash the affected area with water and soap.
- Apply a cold compress over the affected area. This reduces swelling.
- Do not scratch to avoid infections.
- Use painkillers to reduce pain and swelling.
- In case of a more serious reaction, visit a doctor.
Boils
This is a skin’s localized infection that starts out as a red, tender patch of skin that becomes hard, firm and more tender as it grows. The boil softens at the center eventually and is filled with pus. The pus is a collection of white blood cells (as they try to fight the infection), bacteria and proteins. Ahead then forms, and this can be surgically removed or drained. It’s also referred to as an abscess. Boils can occur anywhere on the body.
Treatment
- Use warm compresses immediately it starts forming thrice or four times a day for 20 minutes. This will increase blood circulation at the area allowing for better chances of antibodies and white blood cells fighting the infection.
- Do not shave at the area with the boil.
- Do not open it when it’s small as this may trigger spreading to other areas.
- Have the boil drained by a professional doctor once it forms a head.
- The doctor will prescribe antibiotics to help fight the bacterial infection.
Pityriasis Rosea
Pityriasis Rosea is a viral disease that appears like a rash that lasts for about 6 to 9 weeks. It begins as a large single scaly plague that doctors refer to as the mother patch. It measures about 2-10 centimeters and appears on the chest, back or neck as a dry pink/ red plague with a scaly border. After one or two weeks, the patch is followed by other smaller pink spots that can appear on the arms, legs, and trunk. These are about 0.5- 1.5 centimeters in size.
The disease affects people aged between 10 to 35 years and after healing, one does not get another outbreak.
Treatment
It goes away without treatment but if there is itching, the doctor can prescribe light treatments. Spots left after healing fade away with time.
References
- https://www.medicinenet.com/skin_problems_pictures_slideshow/article.htm
- https://www.healthline.com/health/cherry-angioma#treatment
- https://www.your.md/condition/bites-insect/#introduction
- https://www.medicinenet.com/keratosis_pilaris/article.htm
- https://www.emedicinehealth.com/boils/article_em.htm
- https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/rashes/pityriasis-rosea#overview
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acne/symptoms-causes/syc-20368047