Sebaceous hyperplasia is a skin disease which occurs when the sebaceous glands swell. The more common manifestation of this skin condition is made up small blisters, appearing mostly on the face, coupled with abnormal discharges from the sebaceous glands.
With this condition, the patient could suffer from growths of a kind of yellow and whitish colour in the face and acne. This disease consisting of small papules usually affects younger people but can also be used in association with swollen sebaceous glands on the faces of middle-aged and senior people.
Although these sores can appear serious as they display several tones from white to yellow and skin-coloured, sebaceous hyperplasia is harmless, if you ignore the cosmetic element, but it won’t go away on its own without treatment.
Sebaceous hyperplasia can be somewhat similar to basal cell carcinoma so you need to enlist clinical expertise in order to tell the two apart. This glandular disease can be mortifying for the patient in question as it directly pertains to their looks and it might cause them to stay at home while waiting for the medication to start showing signs of improvement.
The treatment will take some time to be effective and this delay can be an additional source of frustration, although some people are able to stomach it better than others.
What causes this illness?
This disease has unknown causes but we do know it’s not contagious. Sebaceous hyperplasia is assumed to surface as a result of a reduction in the androgen levels commonly related to ageing. Some argue ultraviolet radiation may also be a contributing factor, although these claims are fairly unsubstantiated, as manifestations of this illness include papules popping up in areas that aren’t directly hit by sunlight.
Signs and Symptoms to look out for
Sebaceous hyperplasia will manifest itself initially through noticeable small lumps. This glandular disease will display an overgrowth of some of the glands with small raised blisters with a central depression. The patient will not want to be seen in public due to the self-awareness of the cosmetic implications of the illness, which displays the following symptoms, although it may not be limited to them:
Swollenness of the sebaceous glands
What treatment options do sebaceous hyperplasia patients have at their disposal?
The first step in tackling this condition is to remove the part of the oil-producing gland now risen to the surface, which will greatly reduce any beauty deficit the patient might be experiencing. The daily application of tretinoin cream or gel will have a slow-acting effect on sebaceous hyperplasia but it will impede any worsening of the illness.
This disease doesn’t technically have a treatment. The resulting sores can be eliminated by light cautery, diathermy or laser vaporization or by using a modern form of photo facial therapy.
It will remove the undesired tissue and avoid the parts of the skin that have gone by unaffected by this condition. In addition to a daily application of tretinoin cream or gel, the use of Accutane can also help with the reversal of the symptoms of sebaceous hyperplasia, but only the regular use of tretinoin cream will stop new lesions from appearing.
There are other treatment options, which may be suitable according to the specific manifestation of symptoms the patient is experiencing. Your dermatologist will be able to advise you as to the combination of options you should employ to effectively tackle sebaceous hyperplasia but here is a list of additional methods: