Ever since WebMD has been a thing, it’s been hard not to turn a bit hypochondriac. The types of blemishes and rashes that we used to shrug off suddenly seem to be the dark omens of rare diseases.
But sometimes we get particularly frightening, particularly weird-looking stuff on our skin and it’s hard not to get a little worried.
Today we’re going to be talking about one that invariably gets us rushing to Google: what are all the ways your skin can get red spots?
The Harmless: Things Your Skin’s Going to Do Naturally
Some of these red spots are just the body’s natural mechanisms at work.
Keratosis Pilaris and Cherry Angiomas fall under this category. The first looks like rough clusters of bumps, usually popping up on the arms or cheeks. Keratin lodges itself in the openings of follicles; for what you need to know, dry weather causes this. Moisturizing and exfoliating will do the trick.
Cherry Angiomas, meanwhile are extremely dark, cherry colored bumps on the skin. These show up in fewer numbers rather than clusters.
No need for alarm, these are simply dilated blood vessels. They’re of no concern medically: no itching, no bleeding, no pain. But if you don’t like the way you look, they can be removed.
The Itchy!
Now we’re getting to the stuff that really bugs us. Rashes! There are all kinds of rashes you can get, all causing red bumps. Pityriasis Rosea shows up as a bunch of salmon colored patches throughout the body that somewhat resembles an acne breakout.
Doctors believe these are caused by viral infections. Unfortunately and fortunately, these go away by their own, but there’s not much to be done in the way of treatment.
Tinea Versicolor, meanwhile is an itchy fungal infection. It shows up as splotchiness on the skin. The good news is there’s a shampoo for that one.
Finally, folliculitis. These look somewhere between the causes described above. Not as broad of a splotch as Tinea, though not quite as raised of a bump as the Cherry Angiomas. These have a general cause: inflammation of hair follicles. Anything from bacteria to yeast can cause this. The cure for this is to get out of sweaty clothing as soon as possible.
Get This Checked out for Sure!
If you have itchy, red, scaly, skin, chances are you have psoriasis. This is associated with autoimmune diseases. Get this checked out for sure!
If you seem predisposed to having various forms of rashes and infections, regardless of whether they’re harmless or not, it might be time to see a doctor nonetheless. Diabetics are at greater risks for skin infection, and frequent rash breakouts could indicate that you have diabetes.
Woke up this morning with itchy, red spots? If you’re worried about having a damaging condition, consult with your general physician.
If you want more information, call Cosmetic Skin Institute or fill out our contact form.
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