What should you know about raised itchy bumps?

Bumps around hairs, sometimes with a pustule, can occur with folliculitis. Small prickly spots after sweating fit heat rash. Rough, uniform bumps on the outer upper arms or thighs may be keratosis pilaris. Firm pearly bumps can be milia, while purple or very itchy areas may have other causes, including lichen planus. A sudden widespread eruption after a new medicine or product needs medical review.

Note when the itching began, whether bumps come and go, and whether they are linked with heat, shaving, exercise, a new product, or a new medicine. Do not squeeze or scratch them, since broken skin can become infected.

Wash gently with lukewarm water, use a fragrance-free moisturiser, and wear loose clothing. Cool compresses can reduce the urge to scratch. Avoid shaving over inflamed follicles and pause new cosmetics until the trigger is clearer. A clinician may suggest oral antihistamine therapy for selected itchy eruptions or another treatment once the cause is identified. Cryotherapy is reserved for particular lesions and is not a general treatment for unexplained bumps.

Arrange an assessment when bumps persist, recur, spread, drain, become painful, or leave marks. Seek urgent help for swelling of the lips or tongue, breathing difficulty, faintness, blistering, skin peeling, or a rapidly spreading rash with fever.

Ask whether the bumps involve hair follicles, whether a medicine or product could be responsible, and which treatment is suitable for your age, pregnancy status, skin site, and other medicines. Ask what changes should trigger urgent help.