Sebaceous Hyperplasia

Get rid of unwanted and overactive sebaceous glands.

Safe and effective sebaceous hyperplasia treatment options with low downtime.

sebaceous hyperplasia removal singapore
Cheek sebaceous hyperplasia

What is Sebaceous Hyperplasia?

Sebaceous hyperplasia is a common and benign condition of the sebaceous gland that we frequently encounter in clinical practice. Affecting about 1% of the population, it generally affects males from the middle ages onwards.

What Causes Sebaceous Hyperplasia?

The exact cause of sebaceous hyperplasia is unknown. It is thought to be related to circulating male hormones, androgens. Sebaceous glands are androgen sensitive, and activity of these glands may be related to age and circulating androgens.

Forehead sebaceous hyperplasia

What Does It Look Like?

Sebaceous hyperplasia appear as yellowish to skin coloured bumps. When you look closely, you can see a small pit in the middle of the lesion surrounded by small blood vessels. They usually grow up to 3mm in diameter and feel soft to touch. Sebaceous hyperplasia are found mainly on the forehead, cheeks and nose. On occasions, you may find them at the areola, scrotal and penile regions.

How Is It Diagnosed?

Most cases can be diagnosed based on careful clinical examination. They may sometimes be confused for syringomas and milias. For lesions that are equivocal, a skin biopsy may be necessary.

Treatment Options for Sebeceous Hyperplasia Removal

Sebaceous hyperplasia can be safely left alone as it poses no physical harm. However, many individuals seek sebaceous hyperplasia removal as they are troubled by the physical appearance or experience skin irritation. Treatments must take into account the potential risks and benefits. Treatment options include:

  1. Electrocautery
  2. Cryotherapy
  3. Laser ablation
  4. Chemical ablation
  5. Shave excision
  6. Photodynamic therapy

Oral isotretinoin is sometimes used for severe cases. However, there are many side effects of oral isotretinoin therapy and recurrence rates are common upon stopping the medication.

Sebaceous hyperplasia removal is challenging as the condition may recur. In order to treat the condition the sebaceous gland must be removed, which may require more than one treatment session at APAX Medical & Aesthetics Clinic. A consultation with Dr Moses Ng, an experienced and skilled laser surgeon, will determine the best sebaceous hyperplasia removal treatment for you.

sebaceous hyperplasia removal surgery

Laser Sebaceous Hyperplasia Removal

Following application of a topical or local anaesthetic, the laser beam ablates and destroys visible sebaceous hyperplasia. The deeper sebaceous glands are extracted out. As the procedure only affects the outer surface of the skin, healing is excellent. Depending on your condition, 1-3 treatment sessions may be needed.

A topical or local anaesthetic is applied prior to your procedure to maximise your comfort. The procedure itself is virtually painless.

A scab would form the first 2-3 days after the procedure. Most individuals recover within 7-10 days.

As with any surgical procedure, there is a small risk of bleeding, infection, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, recurrence and scarring. In our experience, these side effects are uncommon and temporary.

While the procedure is to improve your appearance, it does not prevent sebaceous hyperplasia from recurring. It may recur on the same site or appear at different areas.

This depends on the site, number and complexity of the removal. Procedural fee is from $380 onwards.

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References:
  1. Farci F, Rapini RP. Sebaceous Hyperplasia. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing, Treasure Island (FL); 2021. PMID: 32965819.
  2. Kim JH, Park HY, Lee WS, Kang JS.   Sebaceous Hyperplasia Effectively Improved by the Pin-Hole Technique with Squeezing.   Ann Dermatol. 2013 May;25(2):257-258.
  3. Yu C, Shahsavari M, Stevens G, Liskanich R, Horowitz D. Isotretinoin as monotherapy for sebaceous hyperplasia. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology : JDD. 2010 Jun;9(6):699-701. PMID: 20645535.