Last updated on August 13, 2020
Question
What are the white bumps that look like acne on the shaft of the penis called?
Answer
There are several possibilities:
The most common is when you begin to grow hair, the openings for the hair shaft is often small. As the fine hairs begin to thicken, they push up the skin around the hair. It looks like the “goose bumps” you get when you are cold. Eventually these openings stretch larger and the bumps disappear.
Some boys have a condition known as Fordyce spots. These are small white or slightly yellow lumps that cause no problems and require no treatment. While it is known that the oil glands for the hairs are involved, the cause is unknown.
Another possibility is called “pearly penile papules.” These are skin-colored bumps, about the size of a pinhead, that are often found in a row around the penis’s circumference next to the glans. They do not itch, weep, or bleed. They appear more often on uncircumcised men, but they are found on circumcised men as well. The cause is not known and they cause no harm.
Anything sore or inflamed that persists should be seen by a doctor to make sure that you have not contracted a serious skin disease.