Some peace of mine for those of you fretting over "tiny red dots" on your skin...

[MandySlade]

About 5 years ago I suddenly noticed an outbreak of tiny little red dots. Blood colored. Most of them appeared on my upper arms, a few on my chest. Almost all of them are the size of a pinhead with a couple being about 2 or 3 times that size. I'd say the size of a raw sugar granule. When I first noticed them, I scratched one and it "bled" until forming into the same red spot. Over the last 5 years I've asked 3 doctors who have all looked at me, shrugged and said "it's probably nothing". I, of course, took this to mean "you have some rare disease I have never seen before, you're probably dying". I convinced myself it was piteachea, cancer, etc...

Well, a week ago I finally saw a dermatologist (for mole checks and a scalp biopsy on a mole). I asked her about it and she said they are tiny "cherry angiomas". I told her I thought there were usually bigger and she said they can be, but they also often present like what I have. She said they are more common in women, tend to be genetic, and increase with age. She told me there is no underlying "serious medical cause" and no harm in having them.

I'm posting this here because I've seen numerous threads on this forum and on other health anxiety websites from people who seem to have the same condition. So, there you have it. That's what they are. :)

[pollyanna]

Thanks mandy, that was good of you to post to reassure others.

P x

[moore]

If I'd known this 5 years ago when I had my month long panic about them...LOL.

I have hundreds but only on my arms, and they either appeared overnight or I hadnt noticed them. I went to NHS walk in centre at the time and they didnt know what they were, which was odd really :unsure: but it does confirm what you said about the doctors not really knowing what it is. I guess they're only trained to recognise bad things lol.

Same as you, theyre about the size of a grain of salt or sugar, some bright red, some a bit darker, which doesnt fit the description of an angioma. Still not convinced thats what they are, but I know theyre harmless at least!

I remember the only way I could calm myself down was to check other peoples' skin..after I'd found about 10 other people with the same thing I finally laid that one to rest.

Turns out its actually very common! :D

[MandySlade]

^Yeah. You'd think 3 doctors going "eh, whatever" would clue me in that it wasn't serious. lol but, it just made me fret more. We can be silly that way. Trust me when I "challenged" the dermatologist by asking if she was sure/saying it didn't fit the stuff I'd read she looked at me like "are you serious?" or maybe "then why are you asking me?". Also, I've noticed it on other people since because I made a note to look (obsessive, I know). If it were something serious and that many people had it, I doubt 3 doctors and derm wouldn't have known. :)

[lindzanne]

Thanks so much for posting this, I get those too and have often worried that they were cancer, etc., and have often to no avail tried to reassure myself that my grandmother gets them pretty badly, and have noticed my mom getting them more and more as she ages, so that makes a lot of sense! I would also like to add, that certain medications make them worse, like aspirin, and notice I get more when I do that, which I have since discovered is also normal, so good to add to this if anyone notices a slight increase think about what medications youve been taking. Many antidepressants also thin the blood and cause a slight increase in these too, especially when you first start them.
Thank you so much for the info!

[lindzanne]

P.S. I should add that I got the info I added from a great pharmacist that works with both naturopathic medicine and conventional meds, I asked here about them and then if any of my meds (clonazepam and migraine meds with aspirin) contributed, which she said definitely. I get these little cherry dots all the time but particularly during my period, she recommended vitamin K12 and brown rice can aid in these little dots not popping up quite so much.

[Alabasterlyn]

I have them on my arms mainly and a few around the collar bone area. The ones on my arms I first noticed about 20yrs ago, they are so tiny that it is only in bright sunlight that I can really see them. Some of them seem to disappear when I press them, then come back, whilst others are a bit bigger and are just there. I have also asked my GP about them and he said they are normal and I will get more of them as I get older.

[leah22]

Thanks for that, i have load on my back and have sometimes worried about them :0)

[nataliean1982]

i have these red bumps too, and i haven't worried about them (yet), and now i know i dont have to. thanks.

[Tink]

Thanks for this. It was only this weekend I noticed one on my arm and was checking all over my boyfriends arm for them and started to really freak out!!!
This has really reassured me on one of my many worries!!!

[Prue89]

I have these aswell. Appeared about 2 years ago, panicked like mad lol
Went to my doctor 2 days later, she's really good and always listens to your fears. (however sometimes we end up talking about other things not related and can be sat there for ages lol) She gave me a full check up, inspected them and said they are caused by stress and frequent hot flushes. With my panic attacks i get alot of these, even when im not panicking. As mandy said, they are completely harmless although unfortunatly you can't do anything about them. Rather annoying saying as i have really pale skin and these dots stick out like a sore thumb :(

Prue xx

[SaraBee]

thank you for posting this. I was freaking out :)

[Anxious_gal]

I first noticed them as a child ....
I always get them if I'm warm or if it's sunny out

[bluetopazgirl]

Thankyou for posting this I've had an ongoing fear because my arms are covered in them, not sure we have the same spots but Sounds like we do so hopefully that will stop me fretting over them x