Red lump on leg - help

[helpmewithmyhealthanxiety]

I'll preface this to say I'm pretty sure my anxiety has got out of control during my pregnancy and I've been referred to the mental health nurse.

I just really need some reassurance about this red spot I have on my leg. It started as a flat red spot about four months ago and it's now raised. I KNOW it looks like an ingrown hair but it doesn't hurt and it would have gone by now. There's a definite lump underneath that feels pea shaped. I have got a gp appointment on Tuesday - I sort of hope he laughs me out of the office but I don't know how I'm going to get through the weekend and I'm being really unfair to my toddler by being on my phone googling amelonotic melanomas or some other crap.

Please help me!

I would have said it is an ingrowing hair, have you tried looking to see if there is a small hair in the centre? If so and you can pull it out you might release a stream of gunk, but it will only come out once the plug (hair) is out. Then disinfect it. The hair may be really tiny and you will need fine pointy tweezers.

Forgot to add, the lump is very likely a build up of aforementioned gunk and can be squeezed out.

I've got a spot that looks like yours OP. I went to the doc and was told its something beginning with H (not as in she was trying to make me guess like I Spy but as in I can't remember what its called). It generally comes about as a result of a previous trauma like a bite or an ingrown hair. Upshot is, its now a permanent feature of my leg, rather like a mole, but red and now its older it has a brown collar. Still harmless.

Doctors are always happy to check out skin lumps and bumps so don't feel bad about going and for heavens sake don't pick at it beforehand with fine pointy tweezers!! My doc got out her lumps and bumps text book (I'm sure it had a techical name) and showed me a pic of what could have been my lump.

HTH and good luck. Let us know how you get on.

Thank you. Feel a bit better 😊

I wish I could drink 🍷

It is exactly what the last poster is describing but annoyingly I can't think of the name either! That will annoy me now. I also have exactly the same thing on my leg. It grew a bit during pregnancy but it's been there about 4 years now

After some furious googling... dermatofibroma?

I've found that! but it says it should dimple when pinched and mine didn't. I put it into one of those apps and it said it was high risk. I am an idiot.

My BIL is a doctor and is looking to specialise in dermatology but I'm too embarrassed to send it to him. So deep down I know I'm being silly I think.

Ah crap, massive name change fail 😂😂😂

Hi OP,

Have you had your appointment yet?

Yes! Doctor said not sure what it was but come back in two weeks if it hadn't gone away. Which was helpful. It's changed a bit since then.

Thought I would update this by saying I was referred to a dermatologist in the end. He literally glanced it, touched it briefly and said it was a dermatofibroma and gave me his card in case I wanted it removed after I give birth (he wouldn't do it on a pregnant person.) So that was that! They do come up on immunosuppressed people and I think it's because of my pregnancy that it's shown up. It's grown upwards a bit more but that's to be expected apparently and it should get a bit better when I'm not pregnant anymore. Just in case anyone else was googling this as I know it's annoying when there's no update!

After reading this I’m worried about mine! I thought from googling it was a pauple thing? So never been to the doc about it. I’ve had it a few years and it’s grown a bit...

If you've had it for years and you're still alive I wouldn't worry. Mine came up recently and grew quickly. It does look similar, they are common on lower legs in women apparently! I reckon it's something to do with shaving and scar tissue.