From Milia to Moles - Common Bumps on Your Face Explained

At a Glance

This article outlines the most common skin blemishes, including acne, milia, moles, skin tags, seborrheic keratosis, cherry angioma, and DPN. We explain their causes, appearance, and treatments. We’re also discussing advanced electrolysis as a safe, effective, and lasting solution for removing benign skin growths and restoring clear, healthy skin.

Understand The Bumps and Blemishes On Your Skin

Many of us know the feeling of waking up, looking in the mirror, and discovering a blemish spot on your face. Unlike acne, other common skin bumps, like moles, milia or skin tags, take time to form. However the right diagnosis can help you access the right treatment and achieve blemish-free skin. 

Advanced electrolysis is an effective, long-lasting, and safe treatment for different types of spots on the face, including milia, warts, skin tags, DPN, and others. 

Contact us at The Blemish Clinic to treat your skin blemishes. Our skin specialists can assist with mole assessment and mapping to help identify any abnormalities. 

In this article, we explore the most common skin bumps on the face, so you can easily identify what you’re dealing with and seek the right course of treatment. You can schedule an appointment with us at The Blemish Clinic to remove blemishes and restore flawless skin.

Acne

The most common blemish found on the face is acne. Breakouts are common and affect almost everyone at least once in their lifetime, occurring not only on your face but also on your back and chest. The common types of spots you’ll encounter are blackheads, whiteheads, cysts, papules, pustules, and nodules. 

Adult acne is more common among women than men and is caused by clogged pores from bacterial infection, excess sebum production, and dead skin cells getting trapped. Stress, medication side effects, and hormonal imbalance often contribute to acne formation. 

While acne resolves on its own, you can often speed up the healing process or prevent future outbreaks by applying topical creams containing benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and retinoids. Following good skin care hygiene, drinking enough water, and sticking to a healthy diet can help you prevent breakouts.

Milia

Milia or milk spots can also be mistaken for whiteheads. These are benign cysts under the skin’s surface. While harmless, these white (sometimes yellow) bumps can make you feel self-conscious. Milia appears as skin blemishes on the nose, cheeks, forehead, or eyes, and is usually caused by new skin cells growing over dead skin cells. 

You can address these with OTC creams and gels, or choose to undergo a more permanent treatment with advanced electrolysis. Low voltage thermal current is applied directly to the milia, killing the cells, making the growth shrivel and fall, revealing clear skin underneath. 

Mole

Moles or nevi are probably the most common skin bumps found on the face. They’re usually completely harmless and normal, but an abnormal mole (one that changes shape or size or bleeds) can sometimes be a sign of skin cancer. 

Moles are usually round or oval in shape and can be brown, black, tan, or even red or pink in colour. It’s normal for an average human to have anywhere between 10 and 45 moles on their body. If you want to remove moles on your skin for aesthetic reasons, you can choose to undergo advanced electrolysis.

Before mole reduction at The Blemish Clinic, we’ll undertake mole mapping. We use a medical-grade dermascope to take high-resolution images of your mole and identify any abnormalities that may remain hidden from the naked eye. A dermatologist will confirm whether your mole is normal or if you need any further investigation. Mole mapping allows for early detection of skin cancer. 

Skin Tags

If you notice a small blemish spot on your face that sticks out slightly, it may be a skin tag - a harmless growth made of collagen and tiny blood vessels.

Skin tags are usually the colour of your skin or slightly darker and can appear anywhere on your body, including the neck, eyelids, underarms, groin, or under the breasts. Depending on the placement, they can make you self-conscious and lead to discomfort, as they tend to get stuck in jewellery, clothes, and accessories. 

Skin tags are caused by constant friction between skin folds, hormonal changes during pregnancy, and genetics. If you have insulin resistance or diabetes, you’re also more likely to develop skin tags. 

Skin tags can be easily removed using cryotherapy or advanced electrolysis, a safe procedure when done under expert supervision. 

Seborrheic Keratosis

One of the most common skin bumps on the face, seen mostly in people after 40, is seborrheic keratosis, a benign growth that occurs when skin cells accumulate. This can be tan or black in colour and grows in clusters, and can develop anywhere on the body.

While the exact cause behind seborrheic keratosis is unknown, some common risk factors include age, genetics, sun exposure, and hormonal changes. Seborrheic keratosis doesn’t require any treatment. However, if it’s effecting your confidence, you can remove it using advanced electrolysis, cryotherapy, or laser treatments. 

Cherry Angioma

If you’re over the age of 30, you’re 50% likely to develop cherry angioma. These round and red skin lesions are caused by ageing, hormonal changes, genes, and exposure to certain chemicals. 

Like most common skin blemishes, cherry angiomas are harmless. While you cannot prevent them, as their exact cause is unknown, they can be easily treated.  

Laser, cryotherapy, and advanced electrolysis are some safe methods to remove cherry angiomas. 

Keratosis Pilaris

A sudden buildup of keratin can clog pores and trap hair follicles on your skin. This leads to small, rough bumps on your skin that can be easily mistaken for acne. If you’re suffering from keratosis pilaris, you might find your skin to be dry and itchy. 

To manage this condition, take short showers with cold or lukewarm water, swap your soap for a gentle cleanser and exfoliate gently, and regularly moisturise your skin.

Dermatosis Papulosa Nigra

One of the most common types of brown spots on the face is DPN. This mostly occurs among women and those with a dark skin tone (people of African and Asian descent). DPN appears as smooth freckles during adolescence, and the texture becomes rougher as you age. 

Unlike other common bumps on the face, DPN doesn’t resolve on its own. While harmless, it can make you self-conscious, especially when it appears on your face. Advanced electrolysis is an effective, targeted and minimally invasive treatment for DPN.

Visit The Blemish Clinic for Blemish Removal

And that rounds up our list of the common skin bumps on face and body. These can all make you feel self-conscious and suffer from body-image issues, however instead of constantly concealing a blemish with makeup, you may choose to undergo a more permanent solution with advanced electrolysis. 

At The Blemish Clinic, we can help you address and remove different skin blemishes and achieve clearer skin. Advanced electrolysis is a highly targeted treatment that’s safe, minimally invasive, and long-lasting. For confidentiality and safety reasons, we only allow pre-booked appointments. Schedule an appointment today.