Hard white lump on face!
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Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:33 pm

I have had a small, hard white spot on my face for years. I used to find myself picking it without thinking and making it sore - I could never get much out of it though - the consistency was too thick. It is not a white head, I'm sure of that. Over the years it has started to get bigger - very slowly though. I can pinch my cheek between my thumb and finger and feel the hard contents

I just wondered whether anyone had any ideas about what it actually is and how to treat it?

thanks

free skin care · Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:45 pm

Weaholt,
I think thats whats on the side of my right thigh. Its a raised bump and hard inside, about the size of a kinda large pimple. I went to the derm, because I couldn't get anything out of it, even after taking a needle to it, and he said it was an ingrown hair!!! Well, that ingrown hair has been there for about 6 years!! He also said if I shave it or pick it that it would get bigger. Well, I haven't picked it but I am not going to skip that one part shaving and it hasn't gotton any bigger. I just hate the looks of it when I am in a bathing suit.

Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:48 pm

hhhmmm...I don't think mine's an ingrown hair, I don't really have much facial hair, even the downy stuff! Bad Grin

....it's strange, I've done nothing but play with it since posting this thread about it!! It will be red tomorrow! Confused

free skin care · Tue Apr 18, 2006 1:06 pm

I had something similar on my forehead. It was small, shiny under my skin, and I couldn't stand not knowing what it was . I took a needle, poked the skin over the bump so it made a tiny hole. It came out ~pretty easily~ it looked like a tiny white pearl.

I am NOT advocating an excavation of your cheek with a needle. Its probably nothing, but I might get it looked at by a derm before it got any bigger (small scar now vs. biggger scar later)

free skin care · Wed Apr 19, 2006 11:43 am

I don't think mine is an ingrown hair either, thats what I'm sayin. I have put aha on it to try to exforliate the top layer so maybe it would come out but no luck. I just think if it was an ingrown hair it would have come out by now.

free skin care · Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:40 pm

It could be a sebaceous (?) spelling cyst. I would go see a diff derm my husband has one on his back and it finally drained but he had to go and have it done and it never came back

free skin care · Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:41 pm

A doctor who dosen't know much about skin could think it's an ingrown hair but this sounds like Sebacious Hyperplasia to me. It generally happens to people with oily skin as they get older...got my first one in my early 30's.

The best thing to do would be to go to a laser specalist who has a Levulan laser. This is the only laser I've ever heard of that has had any success in getting rid of some of them. If you allow a doctor to cut it out it will most likely scar and most likely grow back.

Retin-A has made one I have on my cheek get smaller. If I press on it I can feel it but it's no longer visible.

free skin care · Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:34 pm

My reply to another topic fits this as well...I believe Hyfrecator machines are fairly common in dermatologist’s offices...just have 'em zapped. HTH

Quote:

I've gotten them occasionally and was told they're hereditary. Oh, and they don't really “pop”; save your skin and the frustration. My Derm zaps things such as this (tags, clogged pores, broken capillaries!) when I go for office visits...my favorite part...he uses some electronic do-hicky attached to his wall with a cord and wand (I affectionately call it the Annihilator 4000)...anyway, hope you can find a Derm. that has one; it’s so quick and easy (and included in my standard office visit fee). Great for things that surface as they will.....
Called my Derm's office..the zapper is called a Hyfrecator.

free skin care · Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:43 pm

donnababe wrote:

A doctor who dosen't know much about skin could think it's an ingrown hair but this sounds like Sebacious Hyperplasia to me. It generally happens to people with oily skin as they get older...got my first one in my early 30's.

The best thing to do would be to go to a laser specalist who has a Levulan laser. This is the only laser I've ever heard of that has had any success in getting rid of some of them. If you allow a doctor to cut it out it will most likely scar and most likely grow back.

Retin-A has made one I have on my cheek get
smaller. If I press on it I can feel it but it's no longer visible.

Donna, could you tell me more about this? After my second baby, I started getting these. The derm used an "electric needle" and it takes about a month or two to heal. It's painful and leaves an ugly red mark AND they do come back!

free skin care · Thu Apr 20, 2006 11:09 am

Weaholt~ the responses show you have options. I've had several unmoving white bumps/Sebaceous Hyperplasia removed (and they've not returned in the three years since) with the commonly found hyphractor/"electric needle". This cheap in-office procedure left a mark that looked like a minor zit that healed in a week. My mother has had the same experience w/ this procedure. If this simple solution no longer worked or they came back quickly -results always vary- I'd definitely check out the laser mentioned.

Incidentally, when I had my first one, my dermatologist diagnosed it and said they were hereditary but asked what moisturizer I was using which at the time was Eucerin w/ 15 spf...she said that would exacerbate the problem (can't remember the reason why) and suggested I switch to Olay daily w/ spf.

free skin care · Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:58 pm

Janie,

I don't really know what more to tell you. Why don't you google it or go to Pubmed.gov and it may answer questions you have.

CyndiK,
The doctor's I've talked to about this have been Internests or surgeons and must not have had it. I haven't mentioned it to my Derm, by the time I get to him I have other more "pressing" issues. Wink

BTW, I'd never used moisturizer or foundation on my face or other places they have appeared.

I googled the machine you mentioned and could only find general information, mostly put out by the manufacturer. Hate it when that happens.

free skin care · Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:19 pm

I dont know if this was mentioned in any of the above posts (yes, I did read through them all Very Happy

) but it could just be a fat deposit. My brother had developed some sort of lump on his back. It grew from the size of a dime to that of a nickle. The doctors said that it wasn't anything to worry about, but if it bothered him, he could get it removed (cut out).

Just throwing an idea out there Smile

free skin care · Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:24 pm

Thanks!

free skin care · Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:29 pm

CyndiK. wrote:

Weaholt~ the responses show you have options. I've had several unmoving white bumps/Sebaceous Hyperplasia removed (and they've not returned in the three years since) with the commonly found hyphractor/"electric needle". This cheap in-office procedure left a mark that looked like a minor zit that healed in a week. My mother has had the same experience w/ this procedure. If this simple solution no longer worked or they came back quickly -results always vary- I'd definitely check out the laser mentioned.

Incidentally, when I had my first one, my dermatologist diagnosed it and said they were hereditary but asked what moisturizer I was using which at the time was Eucerin w/ 15 spf...she said that would exacerbate the problem (can't remember the reason why) and suggested I switch to Olay daily w/ spf.

Thanks, Cindi! Guess what moisturizer I use? Creme de la mer-I bet that's it! I really didn't have a problem until I used it.

free skin care · Thu Apr 20, 2006 5:29 pm

I had a hard lump on my back a few years ago. It started out fairly small then eventually grew into about the size of a thumbnail. The doctor said it was a sebaceous cyst and wasn't harmful so the decision was mine. Eventually it produced a baby brother so it was time for them to go. Biopsies showed that they were as originally diagnosed - cysts.

My FIL developed lumps on his face and hands. They were fat deposits and were much closer to the surface than my cysts. Eventually they went away on their own.

free skin care · Fri Apr 21, 2006 12:31 am

i had a small one on my forhead for years....Even a derm couldnt zap it well...but then one beautician once just pricked it with a needle and away it went....i almost couldnt feel it......I did something similar to another bump(not on my face.....and dont ask me where!).....and after some pricking with a sterilized pin and squeezing...IT finally gave up Dancing

. But I wouldnt dare that on my face. Shame on you

Wed Jun 16, 2010 6:19 am

I have the same thing up on my cheekbone where I rub in blush or bronzer so we know how I got it! So anyways, its been there for like six months and Ive messed with it endlessly to no avail... Ive even tried the needle thing but cant get NOTHING out of it! Drives me nuts! What it is & lets assume u have is simply a severly clogged pore that we squeezed at it & attacked it so much that the skin covering it has almost scarred there for you cant force it out! So finally the other day at the mirror I gave it a quick squeeze not expecting anything like always but I noticed the skin covering it was whiter than usual which meant it was very close to the surface finally... I gave it one more squeeze & it blasted out with so much force so easily all of a sudden... It was so gratifying I couldnt believe how much was sitting in there all that time and the colours of it.. you could see how long it had been there.3 days later.. its building again!!!!! Mad

Sat Jan 01, 2011 3:49 am

This sounds similar to a white bump that I have on my face, but I'm only 16 so Sebaceous Hyperplasia seems unlikely. I also don't think it's an ingrown hair because I barely have peach fuzz on my face. I've been exfoliating my face for some time now, but the white pimple-sized bump won't go away. It hasn't gotten bigger either, but it definitely isn't getting any smaller.

Any ideas what I might have? I'm afraid to try the needle prick.

Fri Jan 07, 2011 5:51 pm

Don't use a needle i had one that i thought was a pimple but months past by and it was still there well one day i got so annoyed with it that i took a needle and poked it then squeezed it and white stuff came out so i thought that was it but i made it worst now is like double its size and is swollen so im going to go to the dermatologist and see if he can tell me what i can do.

Fri Jan 07, 2011 7:12 pm

I have several of these hard, "never can get them out" hard bumps under the skin on my face. I have had lasers/retin A/ microderma/peels and nothing has gotten rid of them. I would love to hear of something that would rid these things. It is not ingrown hairs nor cosmetic/moisturizer caused hard lumps. I am so glad this has been brought up...but hope there is someone that other than the original poster that has this on the face has had some luck in getting rid of these horrible things. Thanks so much for your replies!!

free skin care · Sat Jan 08, 2011 10:00 pm

Chrissie wrote:

I took a needle, poked the skin over the bump so it made a tiny hole. It came out ~pretty easily~ it looked like a tiny white pearl.

That is milia. I do the same. Sometimes I can't squeeze it out so I poke around, apply alcohol to sterilize and irritate the area and mild inflammation causes it to pop out. Some people just get milia.

I also had a larger, harder lump that I got removed on my arm. It was a dermatofibroma. It was quite deep and even though I had it removed a couple of months ago, I sometimes get twinges in that area. The scar is still red. I apply vit. E oil at night and copper peptides in the morning. It will be interesting to see how long it takes, if ever, to go away. It doesn't bother me though and I wear sleeveless tops.

Sat Jan 08, 2011 11:22 pm

I have one of these on my face and was told it was a "fat" deposit with calcium...whatever it is I have never tried fishing it out but have noticed that over time it has vanished....

Not a ganglion which I also have....

Love learning from others on this site.. Laughing

Wed Apr 06, 2011 10:33 am

I also have a mysterious bump. Its not a zit, though I do have acne I know its not a zit beause I have enough of those to know that its not. Its about the size of a big one though. Its not bothersome, it doesn't hurt, just strange and i don't know what it is. I pricked it with a needle and this gooey white stuff came out. It wasn't a liquid, it was more like a gel. Anyone who just so happens to read this with some sort of idea what it could be is free to tell me because i have no clue. If age matters I'm 13 years old.

Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:44 am

I Have a white spot towards the front/top of my head,its white and pretty hard,Had it for years,but getting more concerned about it coz my hairs thinning,and dont want people noticing it,Is there anyone way of getting rid of it,anything to use? its not huge,probably half size of pea if that,would they docs being able to get rid of it,and would it leave a noticeable scar if they did

free skin care · Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:19 am

Chrissie wrote:

I had something similar on my forehead. It was small, shiny under my skin, and I couldn't stand not knowing what it was . I took a needle, poked the skin over the bump so it made a tiny hole. It came out ~pretty easily~ it looked like a tiny white pearl.

I am NOT advocating an excavation of your cheek with a needle. Its probably nothing, but I might get it looked at by a derm before it got any bigger (small scar now vs. biggger scar later)

Probably milia, harmless but annoying.

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