Here’s what these red dots on your skin mean:

Anyone like me will often feel their body for lumps, bumps, bruises, and anything else that doesn’t look right.

You could call me paranoid or overly cautious, but I like to know what’s going on with my body, and I like to be ready to see a doctor if I notice something that makes me think something has changed that I can’t explain.

That’s why I was so shocked when I woke up one morning and saw a group of red dots on my shoulder. I did what most people do these days and went straight to the internet to see what I could find to explain it.

It turns out that red spots on the skin are pretty common. There are several reasons for this, so I thought it would be helpful to list them here for anyone who might be going through the same thing.

It’s important to remember that red dots on the skin can be different sizes, shapes, and colors, and they can mean a lot of different things. Some are completely harmless, while others may have causes that could be very bad.

With Petechiae and Purpura
When you see tiny red dots on your skin, that means that blood vessels or capillaries are damaged. Some things that can cause it are stress, coughing, or taking certain medicines. They usually don’t cause any harm, but they can be a sign of a deeper health problem, like platelet disorders.

A Cherry Angioma

People see these as small, raised, bright red bumps. They are caused by too many blood vessels. Most of the time, cherry angiomas are harmless, and they tend to happen more often as we age.

Rash from the heat
Simple, and depending on the place, pretty common. The ‘rash’ shows up on the skin as a pattern of red, itchy dots when sweat gets stuck in sweat ducts.

Responses from Allergies
Simple to understand. A rash that is red and itchy on the skin because of an allergic reaction to food, substances, medicines, or insect stings or bites.

Itchy scabies

An infection of the hair follicles that is usually caused by bacteria or fungi. This leads to red, pus-filled dots that can be painful.

Cellulitis is an infection of the skin caused by bacteria that makes the skin red, swollen, and warm to the touch. Cellulitis usually needs to be treated by a doctor and a course of antibiotics.

Being impetigo
a bacterial infection that can be passed from child to child easily. People with impetigo have red sores that break open, leak fluid, and then harden into a crust.

Illness called Vasculitis

A disease in which blood vessels become inflamed. Red dots show up on the skin because of vasculitis, which can be linked to autoimmune diseases or infections.

Blood vessels
These are birthmarks caused by blood vessels growing in the wrong way. There may be times when medical help is needed, but these are usually not harmful.

After all is said and done, red dots on the skin don’t always mean something is wrong. On the other hand, it’s important to see a doctor if:

There is fever, pain, or some other kind of discomfort with red dots.
The dots get bigger, more of them, or brighter very quickly.
These dots are accompanied by other signs, such as feeling tired, weak, or dizzy.