What are these benign lifelong hand dots?

April 10, 2013 12:11 AM

Explain my stigmata for me.

For as long as I can remember, I've had two red slightly raised bumps on my palms. Pictures here and here. I assume it's just some weird birthmark of some sort, but I'm sort of curious what exactly they are. Is there a name for this?

posted by fishmasta to Health & Fitness (9 answers total)

Best answer: Cherry hemangioma?
posted by JujuB at 12:19 AM on April 10, 2013 [7 favorites]

Yep, I have them too. That's the answer.
posted by empath at 12:43 AM on April 10, 2013

Oh, sweet, thanks for the question and the answer! I've had one on the pad of my right pinky finger forever and never really knew what it was. :)
posted by juliebug at 1:47 AM on April 10, 2013

How cool to have a matching set. I had one of these on my palm since I was a child, but it then progressed to become a pyogenic granuloma and I had to have it removed because it would bleed all the time. It started out looking exactly like yours and then looked exactly like that first picture in the wiki link. No need to treat unless it starts to change. I'm a hand surgeon, but not yours and only sharing my own anecdotal experience.
posted by karlos at 4:41 AM on April 10, 2013

Oh wow, I was wondering what that was. I have one of those, too and I had no idea what it was. I bled like a stuck pig from it the one time it was cut like 15 years ago, but now it's just pink and weird looking. I thought it was a weird mole, but I guess not.
posted by empath at 6:17 AM on April 10, 2013

I have one, too, always wondered what it was. When I was a kid a cousin told me not to touch it because it was "where your skin starts" and implied that I could unravel myself like a sweater if I picked at it. Relieved to hear that's not the case.
posted by donnagirl at 8:20 AM on April 10, 2013 [3 favorites]

What?? You people only have one?
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 9:42 AM on April 10, 2013 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks everyone. Sounds like JujuB has it. I'll rest easier tonight.

Donnagirl, I'm really hoping your cousin is wrong cause I tap mine all the time. They're like my stress buttons.
posted by fishmasta at 12:56 PM on April 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: In other news, I'm really happy that one of the Related Questions to this is to one about another (since removed) random mass in my body. I'm not sure what that means, but I'll take it.
posted by fishmasta at 10:08 PM on April 10, 2013