Enlarged sebaceous glands presenting as small, soft, yellowish papules with a central dimple — most often on the forehead and cheeks.
Book an assessment →Sebaceous hyperplasia is a harmless enlargement of oil glands that forms small soft yellowish bumps with a central dip, mostly on the forehead and cheeks after 40. Removal flattens the enlarged gland, usually with pinpoint CO2 laser or fine electrocautery. Treated bumps usually shrink well, but new ones can appear over time.
The gland itself enlarges around a central follicular opening; the dimple is that opening. Incidence rises with age and androgen exposure.
Commonly confused with milia, which are white and have no central dimple, and occasionally with basal cell carcinoma — the reason a persistent solitary lesion is examined rather than treated blind.
Colour, the presence of a central umbilication, number and distribution, and whether any single lesion looks different from the rest.
Treatment targets the enlarged gland rather than the surface. Because the lesions are shallow and numerous, the aim is reduction in prominence with minimal textural change.
A single enlarging, pearly or bleeding lesion is not treated as sebaceous hyperplasia until it has been properly assessed.
Options described in the medical literature include fine-tip electrodesiccation, ablative or fractional laser, cryotherapy, chemical approaches and topical or oral medicines for widespread cases. Each targets the enlarged gland; none removes the tendency to form new ones.
At IN Eternity Clinic the choice depends on how many lesions there are, their size and the skin type. In darker skin types, settings are kept conservative because heat-based treatments carry a risk of temporary darkening or lightening.
Treated bumps usually form a small crust that falls off within about a week. More than one session may be needed for larger lesions. Because the glands respond to hormones and age, new lesions may develop and can be treated as they appear.
“The dimple tells you it is a gland. A bump without one, or one that bleeds, is examined first rather than treated as cosmetic.”
Enlarged sebaceous glands presenting as small, soft, yellowish papules with a central dimple — most often on the forehead and cheeks.
Commonly confused with milia, which are white and have no central dimple, and occasionally with basal cell carcinoma — the reason a persistent solitary lesion is examined rather than treated blind.
Colour, the presence of a central umbilication, number and distribution, and whether any single lesion looks different from the rest.
A single enlarging, pearly or bleeding lesion is not treated as sebaceous hyperplasia until it has been properly assessed.
No. Sebaceous hyperplasia is an enlarged oil gland, yellowish with a central dimple. Milia are tiny white keratin cysts with no opening. They are treated differently.
Not exactly. Oily skin is one risk factor, but the bumps come mainly from age-related slowing of gland turnover, sun damage and family tendency. Oil-control skincare does not shrink a gland that has already enlarged.
Every assessment at IN Eternity Clinic is carried out personally by Medical Director Dr Sin Yong at 9 Scotts Road, #12-01 Pacific Plaza. If the honest answer is that treatment should wait, you will be told that.
WhatsApp the clinic →These three small facial bumps are often confused, but they come from different structures and are removed differently:
| Sebaceous hyperplasia | Milia | Syringoma | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Enlarged oil gland | Trapped keratin cyst | Benign sweat-duct growth |
| Look | Soft, yellowish, central dip | Firm, pearly white, no dip | Skin-coloured, flat-topped |
| Usual site | Forehead, cheeks, nose | Around eyes, cheeks | Lower eyelids |
| Who | Adults over 40, oily skin | Any age | Often women, Asian skin |
| Usual removal | CO2 laser or fine cautery | Fine nick and extraction | Pinpoint CO2 laser |
See milia and syringomas for more on each, or the skin growths hub for other lumps and bumps.
Oil glands renew their cells slowly. With age, falling androgen levels slow that turnover further, so cells build up and the gland enlarges around its central opening. Sun damage, a naturally oily skin and family tendency add to it. People taking ciclosporin, a prescription medicine used after organ transplant, develop it more often.
It is not caused by poor cleansing and cannot be squeezed out, because there is no blockage — the gland itself is larger. A rare cluster of different sebaceous tumours can be linked to an inherited condition, which is one reason unusual or numerous lesions are examined rather than assumed.
The aim is to reduce the enlarged gland without scarring the skin around it. Pinpoint CO2 laser on the DEKA platform vaporises the raised gland tissue in fine, controlled passes. Fine-needle electrocautery heats the lesion from its centre. Both are done under numbing cream or a small local anaesthetic, leave a small crust for about a week, and are kept conservative to limit pigment change or a small pit.
Topical retinoids can make lesions a little less prominent. Low-dose oral isotretinoin, a prescription medicine, shrinks them but they tend to return when it is stopped, so it is reserved for selected cases. Because the gland is still there, a treated bump can partly re-form over months to years, and new ones appear with age. Many people have a few touched up every year or two.
No. It is a benign enlargement of an oil gland. The reason a single lesion is checked is that early basal cell carcinoma can look similar, especially if it is pearly, growing or bleeding. A dermatoscope examination usually distinguishes them; if there is doubt, a sample is sent for testing before any cosmetic treatment.
No. Unlike a blackhead or milium, there is nothing trapped to squeeze; the bump is the gland itself. Squeezing only inflames it and can leave a mark. Removal needs a controlled method such as pinpoint CO2 laser or fine electrocautery.
With conservative settings, most treated spots heal flat with little visible trace. A small shallow dent or temporary darkening is possible, more so in darker skin or with large lesions. Treating in stages and protecting the area from sun while it heals lowers that risk.
Cost depends on the number and size of lesions, the method used and whether more than one session is needed. A few small bumps take less time than many across the forehead and cheeks. The plan and cost are explained after examination at IN Eternity Clinic.
These sources describe mechanisms and general evidence. They are not a promise of any individual result; suitability is decided at an in-person assessment.