What should you know about nose sebaceous hyperplasia?

The bumps are often small, smooth, and dome-shaped, with a central depression or tiny opening. They may be skin-coloured, pale yellow, or slightly pink and commonly appear on oily facial skin, including the nose. They are not the same as acne, although the two can be confused. A clinician may use close examination to distinguish sebaceous hyperplasia from other bumps; a changing, bleeding, crusted, or unusual lesion may need a different assessment.

If the bumps are stable and do not bother you, treatment may not be necessary. Avoid squeezing them, because this can injure the skin and cause inflammation or scarring. When removal is desired for appearance or repeated irritation, a dermatologist may discuss Electrosurgery or CO2 Laser Resurfacing. These procedures can affect surrounding skin, so the clinician considers the lesion pattern, skin tone, healing history, and risk of temporary colour change before choosing an approach.

Arrange a skin review if a bump changes quickly, bleeds, crusts, ulcerates, becomes painful, or differs noticeably from the others. Seek prompt care for marked redness, warmth, pus, or rapidly increasing swelling. A clinician should also assess a lesion that does not fit the usual smooth, small-bump pattern.

Ask whether the bumps have the typical appearance of sebaceous hyperplasia, whether removal is worthwhile for you, and what aftercare and colour changes to expect from the proposed procedure.