Common Skin Growths – East Valley Dermatology

Common Skin Growths

As our skin ages, we develop new skin growths. These growths are benign and do not turn into skin cancers. They may be bothersome because of rubbing on clothing or jewelry. Unless the growths are causing problems, removal of them is considered cosmetic and not medically necessary to remove.

Seborrheic Keratosis (barnacle)

  • Scaling, warty or flat growths that appear to be “stuck on the skin”
  • They may be skin-colored, white, light to dark brown in color
  • They tend to occur mostly on the trunk on sun exposed skin
  • Stucco Keratoses are whitish and grow on forearms or lower legs
  • Dermatoses Papulosa Nigrans (DNP) – small brown bumps on cheeks

Lentigo (age spots, liver spots)

  • Light brown to dark brown spots that do not fade over time
  • They appear in sun exposed areas of the skin, such as the face or back of the hands
  • If you have them, it increases your risk for skin cancer (means you have had a lot of sun exposure)

Cherry Angioma (cherry spots)

  • Bright red or purple small bumps on the trunk, usually on the chest and abdomen
  • They are an overgrowth of blood vessels

Skin Tags / Polyps

  • Tag-like growth found around the neck, armpits and the groin
  • Can be skin-colored, pink or brown

Dermatofibroma

  • A firm bump, usually on the legs, can develop secondary to a trauma (insect bite or ingrown hair)
  • Can be skin-colored, pink or brown and feel like a BB under the skin

Sebaceous Hyperplasia

  • Yellow small donut-shaped bumps on the face
  • It is an overgrown oil gland

Keratosis Pilaris

  • Very small rough bumps on the upper arms caused by plugging of the follicles

Milia

  • Very small white ball under the skin, usually on the face
  • They are very small cysts, made up of a wall-filled with oil and dead skin

Cyst

  • Larger and deeper than a milia, they are skin-colored movable bumps under the skin
  • Occur on the scalp, neck, face and back
  • Filled with white, cottage-cheese like material

Lipoma

  • Soft movable, skin-colored growths under the skin
  • Can be 1-2 inches wide, are made of fatty tissue and are only rarely bothersome

Website for more information: www.evderm.com; www.aad.org; www.dermnetNZ.org