I’m worried about some red dots on my penis

Last updated on August 11, 2020

Question:

Hi,

I’m an 18-year-old male and I’ve had these red dots on my penis for a couple of months now and I’m worried that they will stay there forever. I’ve looked around online and a couple of websites say that it could be burst blood vessels. Burst blood vessels do leave small red dots, but they eventually heal and go away, mine don’t. I was wondering what these red dots could be. They don’t itch, I didn’t have sex with anyone so it can’t be an STD, and they’re not ‘bumps’ because they feel smooth. 

Answer:

I hope you understand that since I can’t see what you see and all I have to go on is your description, all I can offer is a few guesses.

You didn’t mention how large these dots are or if they are raised or flat. But if I had to make a wild guess, you could be seeing swollen blood vessels through your skin. The spots are not itchy or painful and are covered by a thickened area of skin and the spots are slightly raised. If the swelling is near the surface of the skin, it may bleed when rubbed or injured. They can appear individually or in groups. There is no known, reliable method for treating them. (In other words, they come back after most attempts to remove them.)

If the spots are bright red with a sharply defined edge, flat, and feel velvety, you might be seeing pre-cancerous lesions. These too are not painful or itchy. These should be checked by a doctor.