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Stocksy
Funny things happen to our bodies as we age.
For starters, wedevelop wrinklesand our skin begins to sag.
Stocksy
Then, our skin key in can change as the hormones in our bodies fluctuate.
They’re totally harmless and incredibly common.
Keep reading for causes, treatments, and more.
Meet the Experts
What Are Fordyce Spots?
These white or pale yellow spots may be, she says, flat or slightly raised.
They affect people assigned female or male at birth.Dr.
They may also appear more visible in people who tend to have oily skin.“Dr.
Halim notes that Fordyce spots range in size from 1 mm to 5 mm, on average.
She says they’re “rarely noticeable and can be isolated or in clusters.”
Desai adds that they commonly occur in “crops of about 50 to 100.”
Despite being benign, Fordyce spots can be bothersome from what Green calls “an aesthetic standpoint.”
However, they are completely harmless no matter the location.
They are not a sexually transmitted disease and they are not infectious.”
There are no known causestypically, these appear at birth.
As such, there’s no real prevention.
It’s important never to pop a Fordyce spot that appears raised.
“I urge my patients not to pick or squeeze at the spots,” explains Desai.
“This will only cause them to become inflamed and will not get rid of them.”
Epidermoid cysts that are hard small bumps under the skin may also look similar," she says.
Green adds that Fordyce spots may sometimes be confused with cysts or warts.
There are a couple conditions associated with Fordyce spots, though the literature is not absolute.
She is careful to note that there’s no causal relationship here.
Additional research is needed to confirm a cause-effect link to such disease entities."
“Treatment is rarely needed unless they are visible or bothersome to the patient,” she says.
Green advises against self-treatment for a couple of reasons.
Additionally, these might not even be effective in treating the appearance of Fordyce spots.
Treatment options include lasers, cryotherapy, peels, topical creams, electrocautery, as well as surgical excision.
“The treatments depend on the color, texture, and nature of the spots,” says Green.
“The procedure is usually done within a minute.
If the spots are more flat, Green suggests achemical peelor exfoliant such as TCA peel.
“Patients should expect mild burning, redness, and flaking or peeling for a few days.
Sunscreen is absolutely necessary after any peel as to avoid any unnecessary burning.
The number of treatments required vary from person to person.”
Green uses VBeam lasers, which she says feel like “a rubber band snapping” during treatment.”
She says the treatment itself is very quick.
A few sessions may be required.
Lee JH, Lee JH, Kwon NH, et al.
Clinicopathologic manifestations of patients with fordyces spots.Ann Dermatol.
2012;24(1):103-106.
Endly DC, Miller RA.
Oily skin: a review of treatment options.J Clin Aesthet Dermatol.
2017;10(8):49-55.
Gaballah KY, Rahimi I.
Can presence of oral Fordyces granules serve as a marker for hyperlipidemia?Dent Res J (Isfahan).
2014;11(5):553-558.
2005;54(9):1279-1282.
