Bumps on Forehead

What do bumps on forehead mean?

Your forehead bumps even if they are small and painless can still be a cause for concern. Most of the bumps on forehead are temporary symptom of head trauma and are known as hematoma. However, there may be some other bumps on forehead which appear without any head injury. Some of them are related to abnormal tissue and bone growth. Usually, these bumps on forehead are harmless, but you may want to have them treated for cosmetic reasons.

Sometimes, the skin pores on your forehead get clogged with dirt, excess oil, and dead skin cells leading to bacterial growth inside them creating swollen bumps. Those bumps are pimples. If they appear as solid red bumps, these are known as papules and if they have a collection of pus at top, these are called pustules.

What are the potential causes of bumps on forehead?

Bumps on forehead can appear due to variety of reasons. Generally, most forehead bumps are benign if there are no other serious symptoms present.

Knowing whether it needs emergency medical intervention and the cause can help you to make an informed health care decision.

Some of the common causes of bumps on forehead are following.

Trauma

Trauma is a leading cause of hematomas whether it’s from a fall, a collision on the soccer field, a car accident, or other high-impact contact. These hematomas or bumps often turn black and blue after a day or two.

In trauma, tiny blood vessels under the skin get injured, blood leaks out into the surrounding tissue, and the swelling forms a bump or knot on the head. Usually hematomas disappear on their own and a small bump with no other symptoms should be watched for a few days. If it doesn’t get smaller within a few days, it should be consulted with a doctor.

You can use ice on a bump immediately after an injury to keep the swelling to a minimum.

Cyst

A cyst is a kind of fluid-filled sac that forms just underneath your skin. It usually appears whitish or yellowish in colour and is soft to the touch. These cysts may appear on your forehead as bumps and there may be several types of cysts that can appear on the body.

You should not try to pop a cyst as it may lead to infection. You can consult a dermatologist for tropical creams which may help in its treatment.

Osteoma

A forehead bump can also appear in the form of a benign little outgrowth of bone known as oteoma. It usually takes a long time to grow and have no associated symptom.

In most of the cases of osteoma, a treatment is not needed but if the growth is bothersome due to its location, treatment may be appropriate.

Lipoma

It is a kind of bump that develops under your forehead skin due to fatty tissue growth. These bumps are soft and pliable to touch. Lipomas can also form on the neck, shoulders, arms, back, thighs, and abdomen. Generally size of a lipoma is less than 2 inches in diameter, but it can grow as well. Majority of lipomas are not painful but may cause pain if they appear near a nerve.

Infection of sinus

In rare cases, a chronic sinus infection also known as sinusitis can lead to swelling around your forehead and eyes appearing as bumps on forehead.

Stings and bites

A sting by an insect or a bite can cause a small red lump to form on your forehead. You will generally be given an antihistamine to help reduce swelling and itching.

Skull malformation

In case of a facial fracture or other skull injury, it’s possible that a lump could appear on your forehead as the bones heal and fuse together.

Apart from these above listed causes, some other causes of bumps on forehead are.

• Boils – bumps growing out of infected hair follicules
• Cellulitis – a skin infection that appears around a cut
• Contact dermatitis – a skin reaction to different products
• Folliculitis – infection of the hair follicules
• Ringworm – a fungal skin infection
• Rosacea -  a skin condition that causes redness and pimples on forehead and face

What you can do about bumps on forehead?

You should know about the type of bump you have on your forehead and also if you are having any symptom associated with it. If the bump is simply because of a trauma, you should wait and watch as it normally fades away after a few days. If you are having a bump with other symptoms you should seek medical attention and consult your doctor.

A continuously growing and changing bump on forehead can be worry some and you should consult a doctor and resolve it as early as possible.