The sebaceous glands are attached to the hair follicles all over the body. These glands are releasing sebum onto the skin’s surface. Sebum is a mix of cell debris and fats which is creating a greasy layer on the skin. This can help you to be hydrated and flexible. When the sebaceous glands become enlarged with trapped sebum, then the sebaceous hyperplasia happens. This is creating shiny bumps on your skin, especially on your face. These bumps are harmless but many people want to rid of them due to their cosmetic reasons.
The sebaceous hyperplasia is causing yellowish or flesh – colored bumps on the skin. These bumps are shiny. They are usually found in the nose and forehead. Sebaceous hyperplasias are small and they are usually between 2 – 4 mm wide. Usually, these bumps are painless. There are some cases when people who have sebaceous hyperplasia mistake this condition with basal cell carcinoma because it looks similar.
The bumps of the basal cell carcinoma are usually red or pink and they are much larger than the bumps of sebaceous hyperplasia. Your doctor can make a biopsy of the bump to be sure if it is sebaceous hyperplasia or basal cell carcinoma. If your doctor is not sure about the diagnosis, then he or she will take a sample and it will send it in a lab for testing. This condition is harmless, but the bumps can bother some people. If this is your case, then you should talk with your doctor or dermatologist about the best way for removing these bumps. Your doctor will help you to get the best treatment depending on your skin type.
You should know that you need to do several rounds of treatments to see the results and when you will stop the treatment, there are still chances of bumps to return. There is no way to prevent this condition from happening but there are some chances to reduce the risk of it.
You should wash your face with a cleanser which has salicylic acid or low levels of retinol because it will help you to prevent the sebaceous glands from clogging. Also the sebaceous hyperplasia is linked to sun exposure so you need to stay out of the sun as much as possible which can also help you to prevent it. When you go out in the sun, then you should use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Also you should wear a hat to protect your face and scalp.
Symptoms
The appearance of small and shiny bumps under the skin is the main symptom of sebaceous hyperplasia. This bump can have a slight indentation in the center and yellow or white outer edge. The sebaceous hyperplasia can be difficult to distinguish from acne. The bumps caused by sebaceous hyperplasia are indented while the blackhead or whitehead will usually have a lifted center.
Usually, the bumps caused by sebaceous hyperplasia are small and they are not causing pain. If you feel uncomfortable about them, then you need to talk with your doctor for the best treatment of their removing. Each treatment has benefits and side effects so you need to talk with your doctor about it before you start using it. There are many people who have oily or combination skin which can notice sebaceous hyperplasia as they are getting older. The bumps of sebaceous hyperplasia can appear on their own or in small clusters.
Causes
This condition is most common in middle – aged or older people. Those people who have fair skin, especially people who have had a lot sun exposure, are having most chances of getting sebaceous hyperplasia. Also there can be a genetic component involved in the sebaceous hyperplasia.
This condition often happens in people who have a family history of it. The Muir – Torre syndrome is a rare genetic disorder which can increase the risk of certain conditions in which sebaceous hyperplasia is also involved. In the most cases, the sebaceous hyperplasia is harmless condition but it can be a sign of tumor in people who suffer from Muir – Torre syndrome. Also those people who are taking immunosuppressant medication cyclosporine (Sandimmune) are having increased chances of getting sebaceous hyperplasia.
