I have this annoying problem that's also slightly embarrassing. I have a weird rash on my fingers; I think it may be (very small) warts. They come and go; I actually noticed them a couple of years ago on one finger, then they went away by themselves and they pop back up now and then. At the moment, they're all over my fingers, mainly on my fingertops and along the top / sides of my fingers.
As I said I suspect they are warts, but pictures of warts I find online do not look like this at all. They are very, very tiny, skin-coloured and only make the surface of my skin a little less smooth. They're (luckily) quite inconspicuous; if I would take a picture of my hands you wouldn't be able to see them. They don't hurt either.
So no pain, not very obvious, but they still annoy me! Also because I'm afraid they might spread to other parts of my body. Since it's on my hands I can't really avoid touching anything.
Now, as I've told you it comes and goes, I started thinking it might be food-related. Does anyone know of any specific vitamin deficit that might cause something like this? Or could it be stress (I just finished my exams)? Has anyone experienced something similar? I haven't really cut anything out of my diet though, I'm just calorie counting..
I have consulted my pharmacist, who couldn't help me. I'm not going to the doctor until I've run out of other options. ;-)
Doesn't sound like warts. Could be an allergy to something, not necessarily food. Dish washing detergent, hand soap, hand lotion ? Any changes in products just before the breakouts ?
I used to babysit a little girl that had skin colored bumps on her skin the doctor told her it was a form of eczema. However KP also looks alot like little flesh colored bumps too; Try looking up keratosis pilaris on google image search. I have a wart on my finger it's very tiny; it was frozen off once but has come back; I don't believe warts just vanish without some type of intervention but I could be wrong. It also has what seems to be a black dot inside of it, and I think most warts are like that. If I were I would go to the dermatologist just so you can get it under control for now. Good luck!
I would go see a dermatologist about the skin, but also get in to your regular doctor for some blood work. I have never heard of or seen anything like what you describe. However, many people who have skin conditions have found that addressing a vitamin D deficiency has been helpful. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, though, so you don't want to take it's use lightly. People have taken toxic doses. Do your homework and see your doctor to see what your level is. Ask for the 25(OH)D test.
I'm pretty sure it's not keratosis pilaris; I have that on my arms a little bit and this is different. However, it could be either an allergy or eczema. I hadn't thought if this before but it makes sense; it's just that it's not by far as bad as people I know who have eczema. When you look very closely the bumps do seem like tiny blisters. Anyway, I'll keep track of what products I am using on my hands and see what happens. The rash, or whatever it is, has gone now so I guess there's not much point in seeing a dermatologist now. :-)
But I will as soon as it pops back up. Thanks for your advice!
Call a derm and make an appointment now! People have been known to wait 6 months or more to get in to see a derm as a new patient. It's significantly less as an established patient, but you could still wait. Maybe you won't have a flair when your appointment comes up, but keep the appointment anyways. Then you become established and you'll be able to get in faster the next time you have a flare.
Is it itchy? I was getting a rash that sort of sounds like what you're describing (but it itched like mad) and found out I had an allergy to latex. It went away when I got non-latex dish gloves.
The pictures on the Internet always look worse than what it might actually look like on your hands. That's why they tell you never to Google your symptoms, because you'll come out thinking you have cancer.
Get yourself to a dermatologist because this doesn't go away... you'll just have to manage it. The way to eliminate it? Reduce your stress, avoid irritants on your hands (soaps), and keep them moist.
Chances are, you're not going to avoid stress forever or never wash your hands. What I've had to do is just manage it -- keep hand lotion with me at all times, use gloves to wash dishes or clean, exercise to reduce stress... stuff like that.