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Avatar universal

Numerous, small, painless, flesh-coloured, amorphic bumps on base of penis

As the title mentions, I've noticed the development of numerous (perhaps ten to twenty), very small, flesh-coloured bumps on the right-side of the base of my penis.  They somewhat hard and don't seem superficial, and they are almost completely painless.  Some are round, but many are amorphic*, often taking on sort of an oblong shape.  They are located in areas where my pubic hair grows most densely, and many (but not all) have pubic hairs growing out of them.  They first appeared about ten months ago, and have been very static since; there has been very little change in their state since I first discovered them almost a year ago.  Furthermore, the fact that they are only located on the right side of the base of my penis leads me to believe that, since their distribution is very asymmetrical, they are not the normal state of my hair follicles around the base of my penis.

I've considered the possibility of them being the symptom of an STD, but I haven't found one with symptoms that seem to fit this problem well enough.  Also, since I've never had unprotected sex, and since I haven't been terribly promiscuous, I'm disinclined to conclude that they are the symptom of an STD.  However, I realize that I certainly can't rule STDs out completely.

I lean toward thinking that this problem is related to the pubic hair, since the bumps only reside in the region where my pubic hair grows, and because several of them actually have a hair growing out of them.  Also, I used to shave my pubic hair on occasion (perhaps once a month), and the bumps arrived a couple weeks after shaving one time when my pubic hair appeared to be growing back.  I have since stopped shaving my pubic hair in fear that doing so again may induce the creation of more bumps.

I'd appreciate any help you can provide that may give me an idea of what this problem is, and if there may be any OTC solutions to my problem.  Thank you very much! :)

*Note: When I describe the shape of some of these bumps as "amorphic", I don't mean that the shape is dynamic.  The shape is very static; it just isn't any basic geometric shape.
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
With folliculitis, the condition usually resolves on its own. Fordyce spots and other benign spots such as pearly penile papules and sebacious prominence stay a little longer. But if with doubt and if it is causing you excessive anxiety :) , you can always have this evaluated further by your doctor for proper diagnosis. Direct clinical examination is important. This is one limitation with diagnosing over the internet. Folliculitis is common in areas with hair and it is not also a thing to be worried about. It is recommended, however, to have the area clean and dry always and to avoid manipulating the spots to prevent secondary infection.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask any other question you need to clarify. Take care and best regards.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you the reply too! :)

I've considered folliculitis, but the symptoms and pictures of folliculitis don't appear to be much at all like my condition.  The bumps I see in pictures of folliculitis are much, much more prominent and much redder than my bumps; mine are devoid of any discolouration.

But perhaps it is folliculitis.  If that is the case, and I apply a warm compress to it, should I notice any reaction that may further imply that my condition is folliculitis?

Thanks again for the reply, your help is very much appreciated. :)
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the reply! :)

I looked up pictures and read a little bit about Fordyce's spots, and this seems to be very similar to my problem.  The only noticeable differences were that the bumps in these pictures appeared to be maybe slightly larger than my bumps, the bumps in the pictures didn't seem to have pubic hairs growing out of them, and that the bumps in the pictures appeared to be uniformly distributed over almost the entire penis, while mine are located to one specific area.  But overall, they seem very similar to my bumps.  Thanks again!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
HI,

From your description, this could indeed be folliculitis, which starts when hair follicles are damaged by friction from clothing, blockage of the follicle, or shaving. In most cases of folliculitis, the damaged follicles are then infected with bacteria or sometimes fungus.  Common symptoms include a rash, itching, and pimples or pustules near a hair follicle in the neck, groin, or genital area. The pimples may also crust over. Diagnosis is through visual inspection of the lesion. Hot, moist compresses may promote drainage of the affected follicles. Treatment may include antibiotics such as mupirocin applied to the skin.  It usually responds well to treatment, but may recur. However, if if it persists, or recurs frequently, have this evaluated  further for proper management.

Take care and keep us posted.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
They sound like either fordyce spots or something called "sebaceous prominence."  Both "conditions" are completely normal and completely harmless.  Google some pictures and see if that's what you might have.  If that is the case, there's really  no treatment--it's just a part of your skin!
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