Tiny red pinpoint dots on arms

Question

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?

LilMonsterMama · Answer

I, too, have these tiny red flecks on my upper arms. I believed them to be hereditary, since my parents and sister have them as well. Odd, seeing as we reside in different states, that we would share the same affliction, however, I tried the above mentioned "vaseline trick" and, sure enough, the tiny black things appeared. Horrified, I coated my entire arms in vaseline and removed it all with an oil cleanser. I used a little microscope to view the blood spots/black things, but it was not powerful enough to clearly see what, if anything, they actually were.

IIINWNIII · Answer

Bromine toxicity

Ryan76t9 · Answer

I posted previously that these are fleas. I take that back. I read on another blog that these are mites. People with same symptoms say that they are from rats. Do you have rat problems?

Twasabug · Answer

Well I have those pinpoint flat dots on me to. The ones I have will lose the color for a few seconds if Ipress on it. It is not a blackhead, also not fleas and also not skin tags. I learned something about mine but Dr's don't know. If you clean all around rally good, then put a spot of Vaseline over the spot, give it a minute or two then look around it with a magnifying glass, you'll see a extremely  tiny black spot. It's some kind of bug that is in your skin.  I have no idea what it is. Humans do have microscopic bugs that live on skin but they are to small to see. The only thing I can figure is the microscopic bugs  grow abnormally because of either soap or the body being out of wack. 
   These do not bleed if you pick at them. I have them on my chest and scalp. 
If you tell your Dr he will say you have delusional parasitosis, which means you have bugs on the brain lol!! Hope this help some of yaall. If I ever figure out what kind they are I'll let you know

Ryan76t9 · Answer

I'm pretty sure these are mini fleas biting you. You might see small black specs of dust on ur arm as well. Those are little fleas biting you. They appear when you workout because they don't like the sweat and come out on ur arms. Start washing clothes, sheets, and vacuuming carpets. Flea powder ur car as well. These are nasty little things and hard to get rid of. Your probably a little itchy as well I bet?

Bonnie_Lee · Answer

Hi, I've had these dots all my adult life and I was thin all my childhood through my mid thirties but once I hit 200 pounds, the tiny red dots began to raise and turned into skin tags and moles....or hardened skin.  Once, I accidentally cut one while shaving and it bled but it is still there.  I think some people are simply predisposed to skin tags which don't grow unless you gain a lot of weight.

Bonnie Lee, 39
Western Mass
***@****

JasmineRiter · Answer

14/female. 
I have recently noticed red pinpoint dots on my left arm. I'm not allergic to anything that I know of. I noticed these dots early Saturday morning and I told my mom but she won't do anything about it. Should I be worried about the red pinpoint dots on my arm?

spfdesign · Answer

My spots are full of blood and bleed if I scratch them. I wonder if they are the same things mentioned in this blog or have a different thing going on.

MB1990 · Answer

I have these too. Has anyone had any luck in finding out what these are? I've noticed them over the last 6 months... sometimes they go away and begin to look a darker red and dry up, then all of a sudden they're back with a vengeance! They don't hurt, they're not itchy, just completely flat tiny dots (probably 0.1mm - you can hardly see them, with a couple of odd 1mm ones) and the same things happens... if I scratch them they go away for a second and then they seem to leak back to their original state. I have gone off the pill recently and I've also been exercising more than usual, so not sure if it's related to this? Anyone have any idea?

ACFrench · Answer

I used to have them and wondered what they were, but they went away. I just noticed the tiny red spots on my upper arms today, and I put two and two together - I used to do a lot of workouts when I had them before. I just started working out heavily after several years of not doing so. The spots have returned on my upper arms. I just read this post, SO sweating may be the issue, but not likely it is folliculitis - the spots are not inflamed at all. I will research it. In the meantime, I'm going to try dry brushing before I workout and before showering.  hmmm...interesting. THANK YOU. I wonder if it's muscular, because I've worked out and sweated often doing cardio, but just started strength training last week, and today, I noticed the spots. I wonder if it is muscle waste or exertion specifically causing it, or what????

B0uba · Answer

Hello. I have had those tiny red dots for more than 10 years now. But i haven't asked anybody about them yet. Today i thought i should google them perhaps i could find anything related and i'm happy i did so. The comments were very helpful. And the exact same describing! So i think i shouldn't worry yes? Or should i talk to a dermatologist about them? Thanks in advance :)

Elizabear · Answer

I stumbled upon this site because I had a particularly bad spot on my arm. I've had them before but this one really caught my attention. It's likely that the bumps are cause my Keratosis Pilaris which is when hair follicles get clogged up and irritated by the overproduction of Keratin. Topical creams and lotions are used for treatment mostly "those consisting of moisturizing or keratolytic treatments including: urea, lactic acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, tretinoin, Vitamin D, or topical retinoids. Steroid creams can also be used to reduce redness." Though this comment may not help those who posted 4 years ago, it'll help any who stumble upon it afterwards like I did!

neibrialy · Answer

Hi hun, did u ever find out what this is? I've had them permanently for 17 years mainly on the upper arms. I know exactly what your talking about, they are like someone has been pricking you with a very fine needle point in random spaces but a lot of them. I asked a doc but he wasn't sure because I had no other symptoms but as someone mentioned in another comment that they could be leukemia related I think im getting them checked again because I had an uncle who passed lately of that disease. X

bigbristols22 · Answer

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

Lyssmusic1009 · Answer

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.

olivmorgan · Answer

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.

kissesrkey · Answer

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 · Answer

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.

BKaurMD · Answer

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 · Answer

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

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