Small Red bumps that bleed

My boyfriend has had a small red bump just to the left of his left cheekbone for about 4 years.  It does not hurt him, but occasionally when he shaves, it will bleed profusely for 1-2 hours.  2 days ago, he had two more appear, one about one half inch from the first one and another one on the end of his nose.  The two that are on his face also have a knot under them that you can feel when you apply gentle pressure. The knot was not there before the second one appeared or if it was it was very small and not noticable as I have put ointment on it for him and never felt any knots before.  Until the knot appeared I thought it was just a small pimple that was maybe infected, but it never goes away.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Sincerely,
Kelli

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Kelli:

It sounds like you are describing angiomas, superficial blood vessel collections common on the face, especially in fair-skinned people.  Cause: unknown.  Significance: little, except if they look bad or if they blled.  Easy to treat with laser or electrocautery.  Have him see a dermatologist for diagnosis and perhaps treatment, but it sounds like a low-stakes situation.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff