Medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong · Last reviewed · 3 min read
Published 13 October 2026 · Reviewed by Dr Sin Yong
Sebaceous hyperplasia is a benign enlargement of a normal oil gland around a follicle, seen as a small, soft, yellowish or skin-coloured dome of 2 to 5 mm with a central dimple, on the forehead, cheeks or nose, usually from midlife. It is not acne and not a blocked pore: the bump is gland tissue, so there is nothing to squeeze out. An early basal cell carcinoma can mimic it, so a physician examines the lesion before any in-clinic removal.
Key facts
What it is
Benign enlargement of normal sebaceous glands around a follicle; often runs in families
Signature look
2–5 mm soft yellowish papule with a central dell: a tiny doughnut
Look-alikes
Milia (hard white pearl, no dip), basal cell carcinoma (pearly, fine vessels, may bleed), xanthelasma, syringoma
Treatment
Electrocautery, fine-tip RF or focused laser to each lesion under topical anaesthetic; recurrence is common and retreatment simple
Illustrative image, not a patient.
Where sebaceous hyperplasia matters on this site
Sebaceous hyperplasia is the bump that arrives at an acne consultation and turns out not to be acne, so it is referred to across the bump, pore and growth pages.
A yellow bump with a dimple is usually an oil gland, but a bump that bleeds has lost the right to that assumption.— Dr Sin Yong
If the question is a crop of yellow bumps on an oily forehead, start with the condition page; if it is one bump that bleeds, start with the mole-removal page and its rule.
Not to be confused with
The lookalikes range from harmless to the one lesion that must not be missed, and the dermatoscope is what separates them.
Sebaceous hyperplasia itself: a soft yellowish dome with a central dell. Under the dermatoscope, yellow-white lobules sit around the centre, with fine vessels that run around the rim and do not cross it; the pattern is often described as a crown.
Basal cell carcinoma: pearly, may bleed or crust, with vessels that branch across the lesion rather than around its edge, and sometimes grey-blue dots or an ulcer. Any of these features means examination and, where needed, biopsy before anything is flattened.
Milia: hard, white, no dimple; a bright white round structure under the dermatoscope.
Closed comedone: a blocked follicle, skin-coloured, softer, and part of acne; it has an opening, however small, where a gland has none.
Syringoma and xanthelasma: the eyelid pair; syringoma is firm and clustered on the lower lid, xanthelasma is a flat yellow plaque at the inner upper lid.
Molluscum: a waxy umbilicated papule, usually in children or in crops, caused by a virus.
The rule on this site is that a bump which bleeds, grows or shows visible vessels is not called hyperplasia until it has been examined.
What decides whether sebaceous hyperplasia matters for you
Treatment is cosmetic, so the decision is about precision, numbers and expectations rather than necessity.
Diagnosis first: a lesion with any feature of basal cell carcinoma is examined under the dermatoscope and biopsied if doubt remains.
Number and site: a few lesions on the forehead are flattened individually; a dense crop across oily cheeks is planned as a map.
Skin type: in Fitzpatrick III to V skin, a mark after treatment is the main risk, so each lesion is treated with a fine tip rather than a field.
Oily skin and family history, which predict new lesions over time; retinoids slow new lesions in some people but do not remove established ones.
Expectation: the gland remains, so new bumps appear over time and are treated the same way; this is explained before the first lesion is touched.
The option of leaving them alone is a real one, because they are harmless; see how consultations work for how that conversation is run.
Where it fits
Sebaceous hyperplasia is harmless, so treatment is cosmetic and chosen for precision: each lesion is flattened individually in one short visit. The gland remains, so new bumps appear over time and are treated the same way; oral or topical retinoids slow new lesions in some people. What Dr Sin Yong will not do is treat a bump that bleeds, grows or shows visible vessels as hyperplasia without examining it, because that is the picture of an early basal cell carcinoma. Full page: sebaceous hyperplasia; the pearl it is confused with on milia; the under-eye clusters on syringoma.
Related on this site
It is not the same as sebaceous filaments, which are flat dots lining normal pores.
Frequently Asked Questions
By examination, and where needed by biopsy. Under the dermatoscope, sebaceous hyperplasia shows yellow-white lobules with vessels that run around the edge and do not cross the centre; a basal cell carcinoma shows vessels branching across the lesion, a pearly surface and sometimes crusting or an ulcer. A bump that bleeds, grows or changes is examined before it is flattened.
Not established lesions. Oral or topical retinoids slow the appearance of new bumps in some people, which can be useful on a face that keeps producing them, but an enlarged gland that is already there does not shrink to nothing with a cream. Those are flattened individually in clinic, and retinoids are discussed as part of the longer plan.
No. Acne is a blocked, inflamed follicle; sebaceous hyperplasia is the oil gland itself, enlarged. Acne products, scrubs and squeezing do nothing to it because there is no blockage to clear.
The treated lesion is flattened, but the underlying tendency remains, so new papules can form elsewhere over the years. Retreatment is simple and done the same way.
References
References
Evaluation and Comparison of the Efficacy and Safety of Cryotherapy and Electrosurgery in the Treatment of Sebaceous Hyperplasia, Seborrheic Keratosis, Cherry Angioma, and Skin Tag: A Blinded Randomized Clinical Trial Study. Health Science Reports, 2024. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Single-Needle Radiofrequency in Patients With Facial Sebaceous Hyperplasia: A Retrospective Study. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
