What causes small red spots on the skin?
Sep 13, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Liu Wan
Introduction
Eczema may be considered first. The patient presents clinically with polymorphic skin lesions, primarily erythematous plaques and vesicular papules, followed by excoriations and crusting, which may be accompanied by severe pruritus. Treatment includes topical corticosteroid ointments or calcineurin inhibitors such as pimecrolimus or tacrolimus ointment. Secondly, the presence of numerous small red spots on the arms could also indicate hemangiomas, commonly known as cherry angiomas.
Eczema may be considered first. The patient's clinical presentation includes polymorphic skin lesions, primarily erythematous and vesicular papules, followed by excoriations and crusts, which may be accompanied by severe itching. Treatment options include topical corticosteroid ointments or calcineurin inhibitors such as pimecrolimus or tacrolimus ointment. Additionally, the presence of numerous small red spots on the arms could indicate hemangiomas, also known as cherry angiomas.
What Causes Small Red Spots on the Skin?
These are benign tumors that commonly occur. Some individuals may develop hundreds or even thousands of them, but they pose no threat to life. Solar dermatitis can also cause numerous small red spots on a patient’s arms. In addition to papules, patients may develop erythema, urticarial plaques, or vesicular rashes, medically termed polymorphic light eruption.
Small red spots appearing on the skin, if painless, non-itchy, pinpoint-sized, flush with the skin surface or slightly raised, may represent signs of photoaged skin. These are referred to as cherry angiomas. Actually, this is a manifestation of skin photodamage and typically requires no special treatment.
Besides these, some small red spots may be associated with obvious itching, for example, possibly indicating inflammatory dermatoses such as eczema or dermatitis. In such cases, topical corticosteroid creams may be needed, and in more severe cases, oral antihistamines might be required for treatment. Then there are small red spots aligned with hair follicles or hairs, possibly accompanied by discomfort or pain—this may suggest folliculitis, which is mainly caused by bacterial infection, though fungal infections are occasionally responsible.
In such cases, it is best to visit a doctor at the hospital. If diagnosed with common bacterial folliculitis, treatment may involve applying topical antibiotic ointments.
