The possible causes of penis bumps appear to be endless, so much so that even an expert in penis health matters may not know all of them. Take, for example, syringomas. Most men would be forgiven for never having even heard of these little guys, let alone not recognizing them as the cause of anxiety about penis bumps. So with that in mind, here’s a little information about syringomas.
What they are
According to Wikipedia, syringomas are “harmless eccrine sweat ducts.” (Eccrine, by the way, means that something is multicellular and that it retains its cytoplasm when it secretes fluid.) They are typically 1 to 3 mm in diameter, which is pretty small – an inch has about 25 millimeters in it. They tend to be skin-colored or yellowish, round in shape and pretty firm, not a squishy bump.
Although syringomas are more often found in women, men do get them as well. The most common location for them is the eyelid or nearby on the face, but they do often show up on the neck, chest, scalp, stomach and, of course, the penis. When on the penis, the shaft is favored but the glans can sometimes present them as well.
Syringomas usually appear in clusters, as few as two or as many as a dozen or more.
Benign
Fortunately, syringomas are essentially benign. Often a person is unaware he has them until he spots them – and that may happen after they have been there for a long while, especially because they tend to blend into the skin, color-wise. However, some syringomas – those known as “plaque types” – can cause itchiness or irritation.
While syringomas themselves are benign and usually painless, they sometimes show up in conjunction with other conditions or disorders. For example, syringomas are often found in a person with Hailey-Hailey disease, a genetic disorder that causes painful skin blisters. Fortunately, the syringomas and blisters associated with Hailey-Hailey disease rarely appear on the penis.
People with diabetes mellitus may also develop syringomas, although again they tend to occur elsewhere than on the penis. With this form of syringoma, the bumps tend to be clearer and contain glycogen, a kind of sugar.
Syringomas are also frequently found in individuals with Down syndrome, as well as in people with several rare genetic disorders.
Treatment
Because syringomas are benign, most doctors do not recommend treatment; in addition, several forms tend to come and go, so a man may experience these penis bumps only rarely.
When treatment is required, most therapies focus on removing the bumps themselves rather than on treating the cause, which is difficult to determine. Among the removal methods used are surgical excision, carbon dioxide lasers, and chemical peels. Sometimes topical approaches using retinoids or atropine are tried.
When the syringoma causes itchiness or tenderness, lotions or crèmes are frequently suggested to provide relief.
Whether caused by syringomas or other factors, penis bumps often cause irritation or itchiness for a man. Frequent topical application of a top drawer penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin) can provide some relief. The itchiness and tenderness is often related to dry or unhealthy skin, so be sure to select a crème that packs plenty of moisturizing punch. One with both a high-end emollient (such as Shea butter) and a natural hydrator (such as vitamin E) should do the trick. Oxidative stress also affects penis skin, making it more prone to irritation. Therefore, a crème with a potent antioxidant like alpha lipoic acid is needed. Alpha lipoic acid fights the free radicals that cause oxidative stress.
