Tiny bumps on the skin can show up for many reasons. They often look like rough patches or small raised spots and might appear on your arms, face, legs, or other areas. One common cause is keratosis pilaris. This happens when keratin, a natural protein in your skin, builds up and clogs hair follicles. It creates small, harmless plugs that feel like sandpaper or chicken skin. Genetics make it more likely if your family has it, and dry skin or conditions like eczema can make it worse. It often starts in childhood and may ease up as you get older.
Another frequent culprit is molluscum contagiosum. This is a viral infection from a poxvirus that leads to tiny, round, flesh-colored or pink bumps, usually with a dimple in the middle. They measure about 2 to 5 millimeters and can pop up anywhere except palms or soles. Kids and teens get it most from skin contact, like sharing towels or during sports. The bumps spread if you scratch them but often clear on their own in months.
Infections can also cause these bumps. Staph bacteria, including MRSA, start as red, swollen spots that look like pimples. They might turn into painful boils if the bacteria get under the skin through a cut. Hidradenitis suppurativa is a long-term inflammation near sweat glands in areas like armpits or groin. It forms pea-sized bumps where skin rubs together, linked to unusual skin bacteria rather than poor hygiene.
Allergic reactions or irritation play a role too. Contact with allergens leads to raised, itchy bumps from dermatitis or hives. Trauma from friction, burns, or repeated rubbing can create small growths. Inflammatory issues like eczema or psoriasis cause papules, which are small, solid bumps with redness and scaling.
On the face, tiny bumps might not be acne. Milia are small white cysts from trapped skin cells. Syringoma comes from sweat glands and looks like yellow or pink spots near the eyes. Enlarged sebaceous glands make yellowish bumps with a center dip. Seborrheic keratosis forms warty growths, and xanthelasma shows as yellow patches from cholesterol around the eyes. Moles or cysts can mimic bumps too. Rarely, skin cancer like basal cell carcinoma appears as a persistent lump.
When bumps change, itch a lot, hurt, spread fast, or come with pus or fever, see a doctor to rule out serious issues.
Sources
https://www.yourgreatskin.com/keratosis-pilaris-those-bumps-on-your-arms-arent-acne/
https://nec24.com/uncategorized/what-is-a-lesion
https://mandayahospitalgroup.com/lumps-on-the-face-but-not-acne/
https://bidmc.org/services/dermatology/hidradenitis-suppurativa
https://www.portlandpediatric.com/what-is-molluscum-contagiosum-in-kids-symptoms-treatment/
https://www.ummhealth.org/health-library/molluscum-contagiosum
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mrsa/symptoms-causes/syc-20375336
