blood blisters

[Jane]

I have many,many small pinprick sized specks of blood under my skin.ones I have had for a while are growing some about the size of a dime. So far I only have one on my face but I fear more will come. What do you think they might be and should I be concerned. My upper arms are covered in them, if the big ons get knocked they ooze blood for a long time.

[Blue]

I thought they were called "hemangiomas"  I think I got them from the sun (too much tanning and burning as a teen) so I now stay out of the sun to prevent more little blood capillaries from bursting and making a permanent bubble under the skin.  I had one big one on my leg when I was a teenager that kept breaking and bleeding and the doctor cut it off and zapped it shut with what looked like one of those wood burning hobby tools.  It worked, now I just have a scar, no more blood bubble there.  But I still have other pin ***** sized blood bubbles and I noticed sometimes that if it itches and I scratch then it starts to get bigger.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Jane:

I don't know what you have, but you ought to see a doctor.  Many pople get so-called cherry spots, hereditary collections of blood vessels on their chest and back that look like little cherries, but those rarely bleed.  Your description doesn't make any diagnosis spring to mind.  My advice therefore is to check it out.

Best.

Dr. R