armeade25 133 Posted May 2, 2019 I haven't been here in a while, and that was a decision I made because I felt like I had to in order to move forward. I was doing better, a lot better. I was actually living my life, for a while, free of as many concerns as I used to have. But I've had some recent anxieties come up in my life and I guess it's causing a bit of a health anxiety flare up. So the latest is... I have extremely fair skin, and it's normal for me to have a lot of freckles/weird marks. My entire family does. I've had a dermatologist for a while and she's tested a couple of odd moles, nothing sinister coming of any of that. I've also had a lot of undiagnosed health concerns from skin aches when drinking (I don't drink alcohol at all anymore) to an itchy spot on my back to head prickly feelings when I'm hot. But lately... I've noticed a lot of small red dots on my skin. I have about 7-10 on my scalp and maybe 5-7 on my chest that I've recently noticed, and some on my chest as well. They're freckle-looking but bright, bright red. I've done a quick Google search (against my better judgment) and they seem to be called cherry angioma. Most reputable sites list them as benign and normal aging skin for fair folks (I'm 27) and both of my parents have a few. I just have far more than they do. They're not super noticeable but they are to me, and I hate it. I keep worrying that they are something sinister. I saw on one site that they can indicate internal malignancy (cancer) and that scared me to death. Does anyone else know anything about this? I hope you're all doing well. I've missed this place. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jgriffin 32 Posted May 2, 2019 6 minutes ago, armeade25 said: I haven't been here in a while, and that was a decision I made because I felt like I had to in order to move forward. I was doing better, a lot better. I was actually living my life, for a while, free of as many concerns as I used to have. But I've had some recent anxieties come up in my life and I guess it's causing a bit of a health anxiety flare up. So the latest is... I have extremely fair skin, and it's normal for me to have a lot of freckles/weird marks. My entire family does. I've had a dermatologist for a while and she's tested a couple of odd moles, nothing sinister coming of any of that. I've also had a lot of undiagnosed health concerns from skin aches when drinking (I don't drink alcohol at all anymore) to an itchy spot on my back to head prickly feelings when I'm hot. But lately... I've noticed a lot of small red dots on my skin. I have about 7-10 on my scalp and maybe 5-7 on my chest that I've recently noticed, and some on my chest as well. They're freckle-looking but bright, bright red. I've done a quick Google search (against my better judgment) and they seem to be called cherry angioma. Most reputable sites list them as benign and normal aging skin for fair folks (I'm 27) and both of my parents have a few. I just have far more than they do. They're not super noticeable but they are to me, and I hate it. I keep worrying that they are something sinister. I saw on one site that they can indicate internal malignancy (cancer) and that scared me to death. Does anyone else know anything about this? I hope you're all doing well. I've missed this place. Me and another gentleman were just talking about those. Are your cherry angiomas or petechiae? Cherry angiomas are raised. Petechiae are under your skin 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
armeade25 133 Posted May 2, 2019 Ohhhh, thats a fair distinction. They're flat. A couple are slightly raised but they appear flat to the naked eye. They're extremely bright red and vary in size slightly. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jgriffin 32 Posted May 2, 2019 3 minutes ago, armeade25 said: Ohhhh, thats a fair distinction. They're flat. A couple are slightly raised but they appear flat to the naked eye. Sounds like cherry angiomas. I'm really freckled too. Around 30 I noticed one. Now I'm 39 I have several.totally harmless and normal 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
armeade25 133 Posted May 2, 2019 That's good to hear. I'm seeing my doctor on Tuesday to look at them but they're just....weird. And I've never noticed so many on my scalp. Someone was braiding my hair the other day and noticed quite a few that I'd never seen before so it really freaked me out. I keep reading that they're fairly normal after 30 but I do tend to get weird things quicker than other people, lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jgriffin 32 Posted May 2, 2019 17 minutes ago, armeade25 said: That's good to hear. I'm seeing my doctor on Tuesday to look at them but they're just....weird. And I've never noticed so many on my scalp. Someone was braiding my hair the other day and noticed quite a few that I'd never seen before so it really freaked me out. I keep reading that they're fairly normal after 30 but I do tend to get weird things quicker than other people, lol I have some on my scalp too. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
armeade25 133 Posted May 3, 2019 Thanks for all your reassurance @Jgriffin-- it's really helpful to know I'm not the only one with these! I get nervous every time I look in the mirror. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lofwyr 215 Posted May 3, 2019 I have a good many of these. Got my first couple around your age. I too hate them, and have a ton now at 48, but as much as I hate them for vanity reasons, they are harmless. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mollyfin 366 Posted May 3, 2019 14 hours ago, armeade25 said: I saw on one site that they can indicate internal malignancy (cancer) and that scared me to death. They can, but only in certain circumstances. If you suddenly get a lot of them, see a doctor. If you have a few and one pops up every now and then, it's fine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
armeade25 133 Posted May 3, 2019 3 hours ago, mollyfin said: They can, but only in certain circumstances. If you suddenly get a lot of them, see a doctor. If you have a few and one pops up every now and then, it's fine. I'm seeing my doctor on Tuesday so I'll be asking her about this. I probably have about 20 in total but they're spread out on my body. I don't think they all popped up at the same time but I'm not really sure as most are hidden by my hair. I've always been scared of cancer because I have so many other health challenges that haven't been officially diagnosed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ihadcancer 321 Posted May 3, 2019 Cherry Angiomas can be flat! I have a lot of cherry angiomas on areas where clothing rubs but I'll be 69 soon. Tiny red dots on the scalp (or anywhere except palms) can be an irritated hair follicle. I noticed one this morning. My hair is so white that it stood out when I was combing my hair. Petechiae are sometimes caused by a shirt rubbing around the arm or those jersey's with a mesh type material. Think pin head sized hickey. LOL I take daily aspirin and have petechiae on my shins. They're super common and benign in older people especially with dry skin. Quote Size and shape: Most cherry angiomas are less than a quarter inch across (or roughly 0.5 cm) and can look more like a red dot than an obvious bump. They are often raised and rubbery but can be flat, particularly early on. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
armeade25 133 Posted May 4, 2019 I don't want to worry about this. I've had normal bloodwork for a long time so I'm hoping that excludes some sinister possibilities. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lofwyr 215 Posted May 4, 2019 When they talk a lot of them popping up indicating malignancy, they are talking about dozens of them, and in a few days time. The one case I know of was a very rare cancer and the young man developed over 30 of them in 48 hours. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mollyfin 366 Posted May 4, 2019 17 hours ago, armeade25 said: I'm seeing my doctor on Tuesday so I'll be asking her about this. I probably have about 20 in total but they're spread out on my body. I don't think they all popped up at the same time but I'm not really sure as most are hidden by my hair. I've always been scared of cancer because I have so many other health challenges that haven't been officially diagnosed. If you got that many in one day you should see a doctor. Over the course of your life, no big deal, most likely. My SO has dozens if not hundreds. No one has ever suggested it's the culprit of her health problems (she has an autoimmune condition that causes other problems). It's so frustrating to have ongoing problems that seem to have no cause. I honestly can't remember the last time I felt "well," but most if not all serious causes have been ruled out. Doesn't mean it doesn't add to my anxiety though! I hope you get to the bottom of yours eventually. My ex is a "zebra" with a bunch of rare issues and one thing I've learned is how hard it is to get a diagnosis sometimes, even with things that aren't so rare. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
armeade25 133 Posted May 4, 2019 I guess all of this should help me because I know some of them at least I've had for a long time. It's just hard to not expect that I'm going to be the next rare case, and I was shocked to see even just a few on my scalp. I know there's a genetic factor with cherry angiomas and my father has quite a few. My mother also has quite a few skin conditions. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mollyfin 366 Posted May 5, 2019 My gf has a few on her scalp as well. No idea if that's unusual (like I said, she has a lot), but clearly not unheard of! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
