They are common. They're just bumps, and if anyone asks, you can say so.
Dr. Rockoff
So how exactly does one go about telling a girl what those weird bumps on one's penis are, nonchalantly? How common are they, really? Enough that most girls already know they're common?
Thanks.
Actually, my advice is not to get so many opinions. Most folliculitis is not actually infected. Topical (external) antibiotics seems to help, and on rare occasions aspiration is needed. The idea that "oil buildup" contributes to "blocked pores" is one of those plausible-sounding factoids that have no basis. Psoriasis, but the way, has nothing to do with what you've been experiencing recently.
My advice is to call or visit the dermatologist to find otu what is actually going on. In all my years, I've never had a case of someone who needed repeated aspirations of scalp cysts, and those cysts I have removed from the scalp have been, without exception, noninfected cysts that were just lumpy annoyances.
So please ask your dermatologist to clarify what you actually have. This will no doubt require another visit. However, the most I can imagine you have is a sterile folliculitis (pus without bacteria) which can be treated with external antibiotics and perhaps the occasional pill (but no needles.)
Best.
Dr. Rockoff