Tiny red pinpoint dots on arms

I am 28/female.  I'm not sure if i've had these "dots" my whole life, but am just noticing them within the past few weeks.  I have noticed a couple - very few and far between - tiny red pinpoint dots on my arms.  I have not noticed any on any other parts of my body, just arms.  They are flat, not raised at all, very tiny (not noticable unless you look really close to my arm).  All of them are single pinpoint dots - no grouping.  If I push on them, they do not seem to disappear completely (only fade a bit), but if I scratch one, it will disappear and then reappear within a couple seconds.  Can you please let me know what these dots could be?

[olivmorgan]

also, the dots/spots do not bother me at all.  The skin around them looks completely normal.  

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
One possibility for such type of pinpoint red dots is petechiae.  They are pinpoint-sized red dots under the surface of the skin. They are common after skin trauma and viral infections. They should go away in a few days. But if they persist then please consult a physician and get other causes ruled out which include allergic reaction, autoimmune diseases, thrombocytopenia, ITP or leukemias.

My sincere advice is to get it examined from a dermatologist. It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[olivmorgan]

Thank you.  I have read up on petechiae.  They are under the skin, but what I am experiencing seems to be at the surface... or coming through to the surface.  There are very few, not clusters and maybe aout 1/10 mm in size or smaller.  It almost seems to me like blood coming through pores???  When I scratch them, they disappear, then the red will come back to the surface again.  It looks as if someone took a needle and made tiny little pricks on my arm.  Ever hear of this before?  Another thing I was looking at was cherry angiomas?  Thanks for your help.

[kissesrkey]

Hi...I have your answer! It's folliculitis...or blocked pores. I f you notice you will get more when you have been sweating a lot. I get them mostly on my legs where I grow the most hair...

[olivmorgan]

Thanks, that's what a doctor told me as well when I recently went to a walk-in clinic.  He said they are kind of like blackheads, just red.  When I mentioned petechiae, he just laughed it off and said no, definitely not that.  I did notice them for the first time while I was at the gym lifting weights, so I can definitely see that they are more prominent when sweating.  It is probably something I've had for a very long time and just noticed now, so I'm now constantly examining them.  Everyone I explain this to over the internet say "petechiae", but this is different... like I said, they are on the surface, flat, blood red, singular pinprick dots.  They disappear when I scratch them, but reappear within seconds.  Thanks for taking the time to respond to my inquiry.

[Lyssmusic1009]

I just noticed the same thing on my skin today. I believe I have had them for a while. Mine are exactly how you describe them, except when I was int he shower, it seemed like these little pinpoints were bleeding because I would scratch at it in the shower and they would disappear then reappear. I was honestly worried I had some sort of bed bug... but I'm not sure.

[bigbristols22]

Hi do you still have these as i have this too, loads on my arms and chest and a few on my neck. I have had them for around 4 weeks now and would love to know how they are for you now since you posted this
Thanks