Red spots on arm

[SueV75]

Hi.  For the last 6 months I have had a rash on both arms.  It is lots of red dots that are very slightly raised and they don't itch.  They are very unsightly.  I went to my dr who said it was eczema and prescribed Aqueous cream but I don't think it is eczema and the Aqueous cream hasn't helped at all.  Any ideas?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

I cannot confirm anything without examination but it can be due to cherry angiomas,folliculitis,contact dermatitis,sweat dermatitis or dermatitis.I don’t think it is eczema as eczema is associated with itchy dry rashes. Cherry angiomas are made up of clusters of tiny capillaries at the surface of the skin, forming a small round dome ("papule"), which may be flat topped.

When they first develop, they may be only a tenth of a millimeter in diameter and almost flat, appearing as small red dots.Pls don’t worry as they are harmless.

Wash the areas several times with fresh water. Do not use any cosmetic products at the sites. You can apply some calamine lotion or Neosporin cream on the spots as it will help in soothing the skin. If still the symptoms do not improve then pls get a clinical examination done by a dermatologist.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted.

[Dr Santos]

Hi,

Another differential could be keratosis pilaris, a very common condition in which there are numerous rough follicular spots, which may be skin coloured, red or brown on the outer aspect of the upper arms. It has a tendency to be more severe during the winter months or other times of low humidity when skin dries out. This is genetic in origin and no cure is available. Moisturizing helps and others choose laser treatment to reduce the redness.

Take care and regards.