Lumpy discolorations on face?

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I've had a slight bump on my upper lip for a few months now. You can barely see it's there. It's slightly raised and slightly lighter than the skin around it. It doesn't hurt, it isn't a hard mass - I can push on it. There's never been any pain with it and it hasn't grown or changed. It hasn't caused me any problems whatsoever. So I just kind of ignored it.

Today I'm noticing something similar, but larger, and it's on my nose. Again, it's just slightly raised and slightly lighter colored than the rest of my skin. Like the lip bump, I can push on it and it doesn't hurt and doesn't feel hard or anything like that. I haven't noticed these lumps anywhere else on my body, only my lips and nose. Both are on the right side of my face - the nose bump is on the right side of my nose and the lip bump is to the right of center on my upper lip. I don't know if that's significant or not.

Anybody have any idea what this could be? With the lighter coloration, I'm wondering about vitiligo, but I don't believe there's any swelling or lumpiness with that. I did some googling of skin cancer but this doesn't look like any form of skin cancer either. And like I said, the lip bump hasn't grown or changed or hurt or anything like that the entire time it's been there. I don't know! I don't like discolored bumps on my face though, even if they aren't super noticeable. Anybody have any ideas?

(I'm at work right now but I'll try to post photos later tonight or this weekend.)

 

[Carrie630]

hey cat, once you can post a photo I'll let you know. I have a variety of bumps on my face so maybe I'll recognize yours.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Thanks Carrie! The more I look at it, the more I'm unsure as to whether it's actually raised or if it's just an illusion, that the lighter colored skin is making that patch look raised and lumpy. I don't know! I did more googling and vitiligo is the closest match I can come up with. There's a defined border, but the lighter skin isn't super pale like vitiligo is. Maybe it's early-stage vitiligo? I wonder if there is such a thing? Anyway, still at work but will post photos soon.

 

[Carrie630]

I've got some spots on my face that are flat, but not exactly. it's almost like there's an extra pad of skin there. I have those lighter and darker. I also have some white bumps, and some flatter light flesh colored bumps that are usually round.

You might be talking about this de-pigmentation thing that can happen with some medications. I got that when I was a kid. they'd be more noticeable the more tan I was.

It is spots or splotches? I think vitiligo usually looks kind of splotchy, the edges are uneven.

I just found this link http://www.antivitiligo.com/vitiligo/things-like-vitiligo.html

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I'd say it's definitely a splotch and not a spot. At least the one on my nose is. The one on my lip, it's harder to tell. And what you said about it's like having an extra pad of skin under there, that seems like what I've got. Both spots, lip and nose, are lighter skin. That's why I was wondering about vitiligo. But a friend of mine has vitiligo and she's got it all over - arms, legs, face, etc. And the skin is significantly lighter than the surrounding skin. Mine, it's just my face as far as I can tell - I may have the faintest of white splotches on my shins, it's hard to tell since my legs didn't get very tan this summer. But nothing on my arms or anywhere that did get tan, just my face. And the pale splotches aren't super pale like with vitiligo. Hmmm. I don't know. Might have to get a referral to a dermatologist. Like I want to go see yet another doctor!

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I should add that it's really hard to tell if the splotch on my nose is lumpy or not, because my nose is lumpy anyway. I broke it when I was a kid and it never healed right so it's bumpy & crooked. The spot/splotch on my lip, that I've had for a few months now, I showed it to hubby when it first appeared and he seemed to agree that it looked a little lumpy. But also hard to tell because it's on lip skin which isn't very smooth to begin with either.

 

[Carrie630]

I have white spots on other parts of my body, with and without the pad of skin. I haven't been overly concerned about them. they don't seem to grow or bother me like other skin/face issues. if you are concerned you might want to see a derm, but yeah.. another doc. you just never know if a GP is going to answer you or send you to a specialist.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Arg, so I've tried taking photos of my nose skin, but I just can't capture it. Either it's too dim or the flash goes off and just washes me out completely. I tried a bunch of times and have a headache now from all the camera flashes, ha ha. At some point I'm going to have my hubby try to take a photo of my nose and lip skin weirdness, but he's working all weekend so I'll have to wait.

 

[Carrie630]

aw I'm sorry you're having so much trouble getting a pic. *hugs*