Skin care - Fordyce spots granules - disease - lips - genitalia - areolae

Fordyce spots granules → Treatment and cure of fordyce spots disease → White bumps on skin, lips, fingernails, teeth, tonsils and genitalia → Nevus pigmentosus

What are fordyce spots (granules)?

Fordyce spots are sebaceous glands without connection to hair follicles.

They are benign, painless, small, pale, white or whitish yellow, raised bumps of 1-3 mm diameter appearing on the the vermilion region of lips, inside of the mouth, aureole or genital area(not a disease).

These granules are named after John Addison Fordyce, an American dermatologist.
Fordyce spots are sebaceous glands. Sebum may be discharged from them.
Sebaceous glands are normally connected to the pore in hair follicle and lie in the skin without showing bumps.
However these fordyce granules are ectopic glands and have no connection to hair follicles and open out directly.
These granules are out of place glands (ectopic) as instead of being at level with skin, they appear as small raised bumps usually on lips, nipple, penis and labia.

Fordyce spots disease prevalence

Though this granules condition is seen in both men and women, it is very common in men and about 80% of them have it.
The incidence is found to get reduced with old age, as is the case with other sebaceous glands.
fordyce glands are found in newborns and in the children though they are present they are dormant.
These granules become active after reaching of puberty as in the case of other sebaceous glands in the body.
It is believed that there is a genetic link to this 'disease'.
It is an idiopathic disease condition arising from unknown or an obscure cause or arising spontaneously.
Fordyce granules is not a contagious disease or caused by pathogens.
However if the lesions are squeezed and skin gets damaged, infection and disease of skin may result.
They can appear as single lesion or as a cluster on the affected area.

Though no particular treatment is necessary, the fordyce bumps are of cosmetic concern.
Men and women are known to go into depression fearing that, it may be some form of sexually transmitted disease (STD), genital warts or cancer.
Sometimes fordyce spots are mistaken for pearly penile papules (Hirsuties papillaris genitalis). However pearly penile papules have nothing to do with sebaceous glands and are just skin overgrowth and are benign.
They spoil the aesthetic appearance of the affected persons if they occur on lips or genitalia.
Fordyce spots granules disease have been successfully treated with topical application, laser therapy and electro-desiccation.

Fordyce spots on the lips (enlarge)

Skin care - Fordyce spots treatment and cure

White bumps on skin, lips, fingernails, teeth, tonsils and genitalia → Fordyce spots overview → Fordyce spots treatment and cure → Nevus depigmentosus
Fordyce spots require no treatment as they are benign and harmless. However for aesthetic appearance, treatment and complete cure is available.

Topical applications for fordyce therapy

The acidic form of vitamin A is Tretinoin and it is also known as ATRA (all-trans retinoic acid).
It is a medicine most commonly used in treating acne.
The topical form is available as gel and cream. For the cure of fordyce spots this ointment must be applied daily till the condition resolves.

Individuals with sensitive skin must use this cautiously and if any adverse reaction starts must discontinue immediately.

Women who are pregnant or who are planning a pregnancy should not use it as tretinoin is a teratogen and can cause fetal abnormalities.
They can only consider the therapy for fordyce spots after child birth.
Better results are achieved when tretinoin used along with AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) which is another topical solution for acne.
Individuals undergoing therapy for fordyce disease with the above drugs should protect themselves from sun exposure as the treated skin can get severe sun-burn and sun poisoning.

Fordyce spots on the upper lips (enlarge)

Use of super pulsed laser therapy

For patients seeking improvement of aesthetic appearance from this condition, therapy with CO₂ super pulsed laser has been found to be very effective and safe.

Excellent results with complete re-epithelization was achieved.

No side effects were observed and in the medicated area no remnants of the fordyce condition were seen in 15 days.

Diathermy, liquid nitrogen freezing and TCA peels have been used for fordyce spots treatment and cure with varying levels of success.

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