Your skin can seem perfectly healthy and blemish-free when you’re young, and then one morning you notice it: a new spot where one wasn’t before. Maybe it’s a small red dot or more prominent freckle you never noticed until now, or maybe it’s a larger mark that’s raised and almost appears like a mole. It’s easy to feel some concern that these marks may be dangerous, but sometimes it’s perfectly safe. Here’s what you need to know about different spots and when it’s time to visit your dermatologist. 

Small Red Dots: Cherry Angiomas
These tiny red dots typically appear in your thirties, and they’re generally benign. They typically appear to be very tiny and usually never get larger than 1/4 an inch in diameter, and they can be red or purple. They may have a cute name due to their color, but they can be annoying when they pop up in highly visible areas. Luckily, they aren’t painful or dangerous so if you have one but it isn’t bothering you, you’re fine to leave it alone. They can become more frequent as you get older so if you have them and want them gone, your best course of action is either electrodessication, VBeam, or cryosurgery.

Large Red Patches
This primarily occurs in infants and it’s known as erythema toxicum, aka newborn rash. It can happen shortly after birth and usually doesn’t last for more than a week or so. It usually shows up on the torso or face, but it can also be on the arms and legs. Erythema toxicum causes a red rash, in which tiny white bumps, are visible. These bumps are noncancerous, and your baby may have many on their skin or just a few. They’re firm to the touch, and they may secrete a little bit of fluid if scratched. If you notice this on your newborn, don’t worry. It’s harmless and not contagious. And since this is a benign condition, no treatment is needed. You can continue to gently bathe skin as usual.

Freckles
Most people consider them cute, and freckles are certainly making a comeback with many people purposefully dotting them on their skin. Real freckles are generally very common and harmless, and lighter skin types are more prone to them. The reason for this is sort of like a defense mechanism. Lighter skin types tend to develop freckles as a way for the skin to protect against UV damage. There’s not usually anything to worry about with freckles, and it’s unusual for them to turn into anything you need to watch out for. If you have a lot of freckles on your skin, just keep an eye on them because UV-damaged spots can easily hide among your freckles, making the real threats harder to spot. 

Moles
Moles are a common skin condition that form when clusters of melanocytes (the cells in your skin that produce and control melanin) reproduce and form pigmented bumps on the skin. Moles can often be harmless, and the average person can develop anywhere from a few to dozens throughout their lifetime. Moles usually appear during childhood and adolescence and may change in appearance or fade over time. But it’s important to familiarize yourself with your own moles and keep an eye on them throughout your life. Moles have the ability to change, and once they start to abnormally darken, grow, and spread it’s time to get to a dermatologist and remove it. It’s also important to note that some moles may start out extremely dark or pink. The important thing is to know what’s normal for your mole, so you can spot when it’s changing.

Scaly Patches
It’s important to have scaly patches checked out because they can be a lot of different things. Actinic keratosis, psoriasis, skin cancer, fungal infections, allergic reactions to medications or environment, contact dermatitis, athlete’s foot… the list is quite long for what might be hiding behind your scaly patches of skin. Scaly patches can appear as rough and bumpy, and the skin may appear to be flaking, peeling, and cracking. Often times, this skin can be irritated and itchy and if it’s widespread, it can impact quality of life. So there’s zero harm in getting it treated to protect yourself and alleviate the discomfort.

Always remember that if skin cancer is a concern of yours and you aren’t sure of what to make of a spot on your skin, just follow the ABC’s of skin cancer. You can read more about that here.

Seeing spots? Schedule a skin check with Dr. Supriya Tomar today by calling 561-805-9399 or emailing us at info@supriyamd.com.