Purple spots on the skin can range in size and shape. They might appear as lines, small or tiny dots, or large patches. They may occur as a result of different health conditions, but especially a skin condition known as purpura. The spots can develop on various parts of the body, particularly on the face, chest, back, arms and legs. Explore facts, pictures, causes, signs, and symptoms of purple spots on the skin. Also, learn how to get rid of them with medical treatments and home remedies.
Signs and Symptoms of Purple Spots on Skin
Purple or red-colored spots on your skin are called purpura. These spots usually appear due to sub-dermal bleeding or skin hemorrhages. They can appear on the skin of body organs such as the eyes, nose, mouth cavity, arms, legs, or any other parts of your body.
Purpura on your skin can show up as flat spots, patches, or raised bumps that range in size from pinpoint-sized to largely visible marks. Raised purple spots are usually blood-filled blisters that can develop on the surface of the skin.
If your skin develops purple or red blotches that are not accompanied by other strange symptoms, this could be a benign condition that you should not worry about it. However, purple spots could also be an indication of more serious health problems such as chronic blood clotting disorder.
Basically, purple spots on your skin can show up in various signs and symptoms. These spots or patches are usually characterized by the following:
- Small or large raised purple spots on skin surface
- Flat purple patches on skin that are irregularly shaped
- Clots of blood beneath the skin surface
- Blood-filled blisters or bumps on skin surface
- Itchy purple blotches on the skin
- Not itchy purple dots or spots under skin surface
- Purple bruises, cuts or wounds on skin
- Few or numerous purple or red marks on the skin
Purple Spots on Skin Pictures
How does a skin with purple spots look like? To see how it might appear, we have included blood spots under skin pictures in relevant parts of this post. The purpura pictures in this post might have a slight difference from the actual vision due to variations in skin tone.
Despite the variation in skin color, you can use pictures or images to evaluate the condition of your skin and get a hit about it. Nevertheless, you should not use these pictures or photos as your reference for self-diagnosis and treatment without the guidance of your doctor.
Causes of Purple Spots on Skin
Your skin can develop purple spots due to various causes. The causes of purpura spots on your skin are classified into two major categories depending on the level of blood platelet in your body. They include nonthrombocytopenic and thrombocytopenic.
Nonthrombocytopenic causes are those that lead to purple spots on your skin with a normal level of platelet count in your body. Thrombocytopenic causes are related to a low count of blood platelet in the body.
Nonthrombocytopenic Causes
The common causes of nonthrombocytopenic purple spots on the skin include:
- Blood clotting disorders can lead to the formation of purple blood clots under the surface of your skin.
- Use of certain medications that have side effects of interfering with the normal functioning of your blood platelets hence can lead to hemorrhage under the skin surface.
- A congenital disorder that is present since your birth. For instance, telangiectasia is a disorder associated with weakened connective tissue and skin that may develop purple blotches.
- Weakened blood vessels that can burst easily and lead to leakage of blood under the surface of the skin to cause.
- Inflamed blood vessels under the surface of the skin may appear as purple lines in the affected area of your skin.
- A deficiency of vitamin C or scurvy can result in the purple dot, spots, mark or patches on the surface of the skin.
- Skin infections such as eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, hives, boils, skin cancer, cellulitis, scabies, chicken pox, vitiligo, Intertrigo, syphilis, and others.
- Skin injuries that include spank, hits, strangulation, burns that can damage blood vessels under the surface of the skin to bleed, form bruises and purple blotches.
- Birthmarks that develop from angiomas that can occur when blood vessels come together to form a purple raised bump on the skin
Thrombocytopenic Causes
Causes of purple spots on skin that are related to low level of platelet (Thrombocytopenic) include the following:
- The use of certain medication that interferes with the normal functioning of the platelet such as blood ant-clotting drugs. That can lead to purpura spots on the surface of your skin.
- Autoimmune disorders may lead to the attack of blood platelets by the body’s immune system.
- The consequence of blood transfusion that may lead to an ABO blood incompatibility reaction that is usually associated with purple marks on the surface of the skin.
- An infection in your bloodstream that may lead to damage to blood vessels. This can result in subdermal bleeding and purple blood spots under the skin.
- An underlying chronic infection in the body such as HIV, hepatitis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr.
- Systemic lupus erythema is an autoimmune disorder that causes your skin to develop purple blood spots under the skin
- Infection of Rocky Mountain spotted fever that can be spread by infected tick bites. it is caused by bacteria that may lead to purpura spots on your arms, legs and other parts of your body.
How to Get Rid of Purple Spots on Skin
If purple spots on your skin are becoming bothersome, no need to worry. You can get rid of purpura spots on your skin using either home remedies or medical treatment. Natural home remedies are effective treatment methods when your skin has tiny, few and mild purple spots that are not caused by more serious health conditions.
Alternatively, you can go for medical treatment by visiting your doctor. The medical treatment method is the best option for the case of chronic purple spots that are caused by a more serious health condition such as viral infection and autoimmune disorders.
Treatment
After the visit to your medical doctor, he/ she will determine the main cause of purple spots on your skin by using accurate diagnosis plan. Finally, your doctor will give you the appropriate medical treatment depending on the causes of your health problem
Some of the treatment method that your doctor might give you includes;
- Oral medication: your doctor may prescribe for your oral drugs that can help to treat underlying infections that causes purple spots on your skin.
- Skincare product: The doctor will give you the prescription of the appropriately medicated creams that can help to clear away purpura spots on your skin.
- Laser treatment: These include plastic surgery of the skin to lighten your skin and remove purple marks.
Home Remedies
you can use the following natural treatment methods that can help to remove purple spots, marks, and patches from your skin. You can try the following treatments that include:
1. Lemon juice and raw honey
A mixture of lemon juice and raw honey has a powerful natural bleaching property that can help to remove purple spots on the skin.
How to use:
- Mix ¼ cup of lemon juice with 2 teaspoons of honey
- Apply the mixture to the affected area of your skin
- Leave it to stay on your skin for about 20 minutes before you rinse it off
- Repeat this treatment twice a day for a few weeks until the purple spots on your skin clear away
2. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is natural remedies you can use to remove various types of skin spots include purpura spots. This herb has anti-inflammatory and bleaching abilities that can help to relieve purple skin spots.
How to use:
- Simply get Aloe Vera cream or gel and apply it to the affected area of your skin
- Allow it to stay on your skin for about 30 minutes before rinsing it off
- Continue applying it twice a day for a few weeks until your skin improves
3. Olive oil
Olive oil has medicine values that can help to remove purple spots on skin. It can also help to soothe itchy purple spots or patches on your skin to facilitate the healing process.
How to use:
- Wash the affected area of your skin and pat dry it with a towel
- Apply few drops of the olive oil to the affected area and spread it over with your finger
- Allow it to stay on your skin for the whole day or night
- Apply it three times in a day for few weeks until purple spots on your skin go away
- You can alternatively use any other essential oil instead olive oil such as coconut oil, Neem tree oil, Castor oil, almond oil and Lavender oil
4. Egg white
Egg white is an effective home remedy that you can use to remove purple dots and patches on your face or any other parts of your body.
How to use:
- Get one egg and use a spoon to break the shell
- Separate the white from yellow part
- Use your hand to apply it to the affected area of your skin
- Allow it to stay on your skin for about 15 minutes before you wash it
- Ensure your repeat this step once in a day for few weeks until the purple spots on your skin face away
5. Sugar Scrub
Sugar scrub can help to exfoliate your skin which can help to remove purple spots on skin.
How to use:
- Get a ½ glass of white sugar and mix with 2 tablespoons of raw honey
- Use the mixture to scrub over the affected area of your skin gently in a circular motion
- Allow it to dry before rinsing your skin with water
- This treatment can remove purple spots on your skin instantly to give you a glowing skin
You can use any other applicable home remedies that can help to remove purple spots on your skin. Other suitable home remedies include the application of baking soda, banana peel, tomato juice, and apple cider vinegar.
When to See a Doctor
It is advisable to see your doctor over purple spots on your skin if you notice the following conditions that include:
- when the purple spots, dots, mark or patches has persisted on your skin for a period of more than three weeks without healing
- When the purple spots on your skin are accompanied by other strange symptoms such as fever, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, and
- If your skin develops chronic purple spots that are itchy and makes you feel a discomfort
- When the purple spots on the skin develop into blisters, sores, and wounds that refuse to heal
- If your baby or child develops symptoms of purpura spots that look worrisome
References
- Purple spots on the skin: https://www.buzzle.com/articles/purple-spots-on-skin.html
- Signs and symptoms of purple spots on the skin: https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/tc/bruises-and-blood-spots-under-the-skin-topic-overview#1
- Causes of purple spots on skin (purpura): https://www.healthline.com/health/purpura#causes
- How to get rid of purples spots on the skin: http://scarsandspots.com/get-rid-purple-scars/
- Treatment of purple or red spots on the skin: https://www.healthline.com/health/purpura#treatment
- Home remedies for purple spots on the skin: https://www.rewardme.in/beauty/skin-body/article/home-remedies-to-get-rid-of-red-spots-and-patches-of-skin
Is this the same as Senile purpura?
Also what is a benign neoplasm of skin of forearm. Just went over the Dr. report I printed out. Just wondering because she didn’t say anything about it when I was there. I hadn’t printed it out yet but I will ask her on my next visit.
i wish i knew what this tiny lil purple dot is on my right thumb, its painful at times and it just pours blood at times,, i camt control the bleeding at times , now im getting scared ny dr, took a stitch in it but that didnt help,, i see a dr tomorrow,, i hope he can tell me whast it is…
I might have it I have a bunch right by my vagina area I’m worried what I have three is a bunch of purple dots and lines by that area that’s the only place I’ve seen them
GOOD ARTICLE! SINCE I HAVE GOTTEN OLDER, 69, I HAVE PURPLE ANR RED PLACES ON MY LEGS AND FEET. I KNOW IT IS PREDONATELY BECAUSE OF AGING. I ALSO WAS ON MY FEET ALOT WITH DANCING AND NURSING AS MY 35 YEAR CAREERS. I D PLAN TO SEE A PHYSICIAN TO MAKE SURE THAT I AM NOT HAVING SYMPTOMS OF PAD. I AM SURPRISED TO HEAR ABOUT ALL OF THE YOUNGER PEOPLE HAVING THESE SYMPTOMS. I ENCOURAGE THEM TO SEE A PHYSICIAN IF THEIR SYMPTOMS PERSIST. I WISH THEM THE BEST.
Nice article! You are sharing a best info about purple spots and their treatment. I have purple spots in my leg and I want to get rid of them. So this article can be great for me. Thanks a lot for sharing.
I am trying to find out what causes purple spots on my 27 year old grandson’s chest and if there is anything I can get over the counter to help it go away. What kind of doctor should he see…..thank you for your write up and information about purpura
the article was pretty thorough. you need to see your Dr. to see which type he has and the treatment he will need. the cause will determine the treatment.
Ms Hopkins have you found out why purple spots appear on your grand son, I had one come up a few years ago about the size of a nickel it was smooth and purple, I thought it was a Tiffany necklace I had been wearing so I took it off, it went away eventually now it has appeared again same spot same size same color….praying it’s nothing serious