Many people suffer from sebaceous hyperplasia but don't know what it actually is. They consider it to be a condition in which one develops temporary pimples on the skin. However, if the pimples last for long, they certainly need to be treated.
Sebaceous hyperplasia is a skin disorder wherein an individual develops small yellowish pimple-like growth on the skin, normally on the face. These growths are also known as Fordyce's spots. Usually, middle-aged and elderly people experience this disorder, which affects around 1% of the total population in the U.S.
Approximately, 10 - 16% people, who are on a semipermanent use of 'cyclosporin A' for organ transplants, are affected by this condition. In a few cases, lesions are formed during pubescence, and they may occur singly or in a group.
They are formed in areas where several oil secretors are present, like the nose, cheeks, forehead, chest, upper arms, vulval region, and around the teats. They are tiny; pain-free; whitish yellow-colored bumps on the skin's surface.
Oleaginous glands are highly sensitive to androgenic hormones. Even though the number of these glands don't change much, throughout a person's lifetime, their function and size differs depending on the age and circulating internal secretion levels. This disorder has many symptoms, such as hickeys on the skin, especially on the forehead and cheeks, a 'seborrhoeic' skin infection, or acne.
The Various Treatment Options
➜ People may choose the treatment depending on the symptoms. Applying 'tretinoin' cream or gel on the affected area is a simple method of treating the disorder, which would make the pimples disappear over time and will also preclude further complications.
➜ Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) chemical peels can also be used to treat the disorder, but new hickeys will keep forming initially after the treatment.
➜ If the pimples are severe, blemishing, or covering a considerably larger area on the skin, then oral isotretinoin medicaments can be very useful in treating the complication. This medication has proven to show its effects in around 2 - 6 weeks.
➜ 'Isotretinoin' has the capability to temporarily decrease the size of oleaginous glands. However, its use for this purpose should only be recommended by a dermatologist, as a part of the oral retinoid therapy. In case of women, androgen antagonists would surely serve the purpose.
➜ Photodynamic therapy (PDT) or photoradiation therapy is one of the effective treatments wherein the affected area is exactly targeted. This procedure doesn't have any long-term fallouts if used in a correct manner and also allows one to have a clear skin free from scars, post the treatment. Light cauterization is another efficacious way of getting rid of lesions.
➜ Diathermy, a method of physical therapy that involves the production of local heat in the body tissues using high-frequency electromagnetic currents, is also opted by people to remove skin lesions.
➜ Skin hickeys can be removed by another treatment known as 'laser vaporization'; however, this procedure is expensive and very advanced. Some skin specialists may recommend a minor surgical operation or the liquid nitrogen freezing procedure for bringing the skin condition back to normal.
Before applying any kind of creams and gels or undergoing any type of treatment, it is strongly recommended to consult a skin doctor for appropriate steps to treat sebaceous hyperplasia and to avoid serious skin complications.
Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.