What causes bumps on buttocks and around thighs? Could the small, painful, itchy lumps that appear on these area be a signal or symptom of STD? How do the bumps look like and what do you do to treat and get rid of the?
A bump appearing on buttocks can be caused by any of the skin condition known to cause a pimple-like bump on other body parts like on face, arms, and stomach. The bumps are annoying and very embarrassing. The two fairly common causes of buttock bumps include folliculitis and carbuncles which are painful clusters of boils.
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What do bumps on buttocks mean?
Bumps on buttock are pimple-like lumps appearing on the butt and around the thighs. Most of these bumps will begin as inflammation or infections of the hair follicles a condition known as folliculitis. The infection could sometimes continue to the nearby skin cells. Due to this inflammation, your pores will clog with oil, dead skin cells and other to form this painful pimple.
For some people, the infection could start just outside the hair follicles. This infection is in most cases caused by bacterial, fungal or irritants (eczema). These micro-organisms penetrate the skin and could lead to this kind of bumps appearing on your buttock.
Poor hygiene around the genital area creates an enabling environment for the breeding of bacteria and other organism causing skin infection. Though painful, most of the bumps appearing on buttock are harmless and do not pose a direct risk to your health. For some bumps such as an abscess, you can drain them to get rid of the content and offer relief for the pain caused.
Possible Causes:
Understanding the underlying cause of the bumps on your buttock is the first and the most important step in trying to deal with the bumps. As said the underlying cause of these bumps will vary from person to person. Skin irritation and damaging of the hair follicles is the main cause of formation of these bumps.
Below we have provided a possible list of the most common cause of these bumps to both adults and children.
a) HPV
Human papilloma virus refers to a group of viruses that affects the skin and the moist membrane lining your body. This area will include cervix, anus, mouth, and throat. Of the 100 type of these viruses, 30 affects the genital area. The virus is highly contagious and can spread through close physical skin-to-skin contact or commonly through sexual intercourse.
Those type of HPV virus that causes warts and not cancer are called low-risk types. The low-risk infection causes cauliflower-shaped warts on or around the genital and anus of both males and females. In females, these warts mostly appear in areas that aren’t easily noticed. These are areas like the cervix and vagina.
High-risk genital HPV, on the other hand, is said to cause cancer. This kind of HPV infection has been linked to causing cancer in both males and females. The bumps or warts caused by this kind of infection is likely to grow into cancers over time.
The virus CANNOT be transmitted by doing the following:
- sharing a toilet seat with infected people
- hugging or holding hands
- swimming together, sharing utensil
- inherited from infected parents.
Bumps on buttocks HPV pictures
The image provided will give a visual outlook of how the bumps caused by HPV look like. The image is for illustration purposes and cannot be used as a substitute for a professional health diagnosis. HPV has been found to cause cervical cancer, currently, girls aged 12-13 are offered vaccination to prevent against this kind of infection.
Red bumps on buttocks STD
Could the red bumps that appear on your buttocks be a sign or symptoms of an underlying sexually transmitted disease? When sexually active, you will not fail to notice different kind of infection in or around your genitals. A common infection if the urinary tract infection whose symptoms will include difficulties in passing out urine, severe pain while urinating and small amounts of urine in short urination duration.
So yes, we just cannot rule out STD as a possible cause of bumps that appear on the buttock. According to the American Sexual Health Association, the classic symptoms associated with a sexually transmitted condition like genital herpes is the appearance of sores, vesicles ulcers. These are lesions or eruptions of the skin. This infection could at times be accompanied with bumps that spread around the genital area and buttocks.
Genital herpes is caused by herpes simple’s virus type 1 or 2. One of this virus predominantly causes the symptoms to show around the genitals whereas the other cause oral herpes. On buttocks, he bumps may resemble a white pimple on skin. The bumps which could be boils or blisters will crust over to form scabs.
For those with HIV/AIDS, the red bumps may erupt on skin folds. It is, therefore, common for these people to have itchy and very painful. Constant scratching the bumps could lead to popping them open, this increases the chances of having a bacterial or fungal infection. With a weak immune system, their body is unable to fight this infection and could worsen the condition.
The appearance of these bumps on buttock or around the genital area is not a clear indication that one has HIV or any other STD. however, many other sexually transmitted infection could result in this kind of bumps on your buttock or around the genital area, and this could include infections such as herpes, syphilis or gonorrhea.
It is very important to have a professional diagnosis to establish the underlying cause of the bumps for effective treatment and medication. This is also important so that you can prevent transmitting the infection to others by practicing safe sex.
b) Folliculitis
Folliculitis is the inflammation of the hair follicles. This condition is common and is mainly caused by bacterial or fungal infection. The infection first appears as small red bumps or white head pimple around hair follicles. When left untreated the infection can spread and turn into non-healing crusty sores.
Though causes severe itching and painful sores, the condition is embarrassing but not life threatening. Onn butt and genital area, severe cases of infection could cause permanent hair loss and scarring. For a mild infection, therefore, simple home care remedies can help relieve and manage the symptoms.
Seek medical attention for severe cases. The risk of getting folliculitis increases with the following activities:
- Regular hot shower and swimming in an untreated pool.
- Wearing synthetic tight cloth that irritates your skin
- Having an open wound
- Those with immune system-suppressing diseases such as diabetes and HIV,
c) Carbuncles
WebMD defines a carbuncle as a red, swollen and painful clusters of boil that are connected with each other under the skin. By definition, a boil is an infection of the hair follicle that has a small collection of pus under the skin.
These bumps are common on hairy parts of the body, but they can also affect other areas such as buttock, thighs, groin, and armpits.
These bumps are caused by a bacterial infection which enters the skin through hair follicles. The best way to treat these bumps is by draining them of the pus- a mixture blood cells, bacteria, and dead skin cells. Unlike boils, carbuncles are more likely to leave a scar after they have been drained out.
The risk factor so these bumps include old age, poor hygiene, and poor health. Other factors will include chronic skin conditions that damage the protective layer of the skin, diabetes, kidney disease or any treatment or disease possible of weakening one’s immune system.
Diaper rash in children
Common in children and those who use diapers for long hours without changing, a diaper rash is a generalized term indicating any skin irritation that develops in the region coved by a diaper. It is actually a form of contact dermatitis common in babies.
A diaper rash may become secondarily infected by bacteria or yeast that are found in the skin. If this is the cases, the topical antibiotic ointment can offer relief for the itching, irritation and burning sensation your child may be suffering from. The best way to prevent this rash is avoiding of skin irritants by frequent diaper changing.
Treatment for the bump on buttock caused by diaper rash can include the following:
- Frequent diaper change
- Application of topical barriers y use of mild petroleum jelly
- Topical antibiotic or antifungal ointment can offer relief for common symptoms like itching, inflammation and skin irritation.
- Avoid high potency hydrocortisone creams, powders, and concentrated baking soda.
Bumps on buttocks and thighs
Bumps appearing on buttock may spread over to the thighs when left unchecked. Those appearing on the thigh are in most cases caused by the irritation of the skin and damaging of the hair follicles. Hair follicles are a small secretory cavity that surrounds the root of the hair. It is through this cavity that sebum, an oil secretion of the sebaceous gland that helps keep the skin and the hair moisturized.
Once the hair follicles are damaged, they will become clogged with the oil, dead skin cells, and other body fluids to form a painful pimple like bumps. This kind of bumps can be very painful and accompanied by symptoms such as irritation, inflammation, and burning sensation.
With constant irritation, the skin can turn red causing the bumps to spread to other areas that did not have these bumps before. This is common with those if the bumps are caused by genital warts. Genital warts is a sexually transmitted infection that occurs around the anal and genital area. This kind of bumps are highly contagious you risk infecting your sexual partner by having physical contact.
Another common cause of a lump on both your butt and thigh is jock itch. Jock itch is a common fungal infection in male. Though common around the groin area, jock itch can spread over to other areas when left untreated for long. The condition is not considered a sexually transmitted infection though it can rarely be seen in females.
Another rare but possible cause of these bumps is Acne. This is the occurrence of inflamed or infected sebaceous glands. Primarily acne occurs in teenagers, the condition is common on the face, some dermatologist believes it could appear anywhere on the body. Jamie MacKelfresh, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Emory University of Medicine in Atlanta disagrees. She say, “Acne on buttocks is not the same as that affecting the face, chest, and back”
With all this possible cause of the bumps, one is left to wonder is there any possible ways to prevent this kind of spread. The answer is yes, there are ways you can protect or prevent yourself from all these. You need to do the following:
- To prevent skin irritation and damaging of the hair follicles. Make sure to wear loss clothes whenever possible. This should also be done to your kid. Loss clothes give your skin some “breathing space” this help avoids irritation and damaging of the hair follicles.
- To ensure your body function in the best way possible, make sure you regularly check with your doctor to bring down chronic condition such as diabetes. This way, your body is ready to fight infection such as bacterial or fungal attacks causing these changes.
- For those with folliculitis or ingrown hair, make sure not to pop them. Popping the bumps leaves your skin open increasing the chances of bacterial infections.
- Make sure you maintain a high level of hygiene around the buttock and the genital area.
- For children, you need to change their diaper regularly to avoid and prevent diaper rash. Before wrapping your kid in a fresh diaper make sure to apply some petroleum jelly around buttock and genital and thigh to keep the skin moisturized.
Bumps on buttocks cheek
Keratosis pilaris a common, harmless skin condition known to cause dry rough patches and tiny bumps could be the reason you developed bumps on your butt cheek. The condition is common on upper arms and thighs. As said the bumps do not hurt nor itch.
Keratosis pilaris is considered a variant of normal skin, as such it cannot be cured nor prevented. The condition can be, however, be treated with moisturizers and prescription creams to help improve skin appearance.
Fungal and bacterial infection are the other possible causes of these bumps. Yeast infection like that occurring during diaper rash or vaginal yeast infection in females. The rash could easily spread over to the buttocks and anal area causing these bumps. Depending on the extent and severity of the bacterial infection oral or topical antibiotics may be prescribed to relieve the skin.
These bumps appearing on your butt cheek can also be a sebaceous cyst or pilonidal cyst. A sebaceous cyst is a common noncancerous cyst of the skin. They are abnormalities in the body that may contain liquid or semiliquid material. They are common on face, neck, and torso but can appear anywhere including on buttocks.
On the other hand, a pilonidal cyst is abnormal pockets in the skin that usually contains hair and skin debris. These cysts are always located near the tailbone at the top of the cleft of the buttocks. This cyst occurs when hair punctures the skin and then becomes embedded. When the cysts infected, it becomes extremely painful. To remedy this, the cyst can be removed by draining or surgery.
The other common cause of these bumps is folliculitis. These refer to the inflammation of the hair follicles. Folliculitis is caused by bacterial and fungal infections.
Bumps on buttocks pictures
Below we have provided some images to help you understand how the bumps on buttock look-like. Remember the appearance of the bumps will vary in size shape and color depending on the underlying cause. The images are for illustration purposes and cannot substitute a professional health diagnosis.
Itchy bumps on buttocks
Most bumps appearing on buttocks and around the inner thigh will be a companied by an itchy sensation. For mild cases, no treatment is required as the itching can clear on its own. Natural remedies like applying aloe Vera gel can be very helpful in relieving the itching.
When the itching is accompanied by inflammation, burning sensation and irritation, then you may apply topical ointments like anti-itching creams, anti—inflammatory and skin emollient to keep your skin soft and moist.
Pictures
The image provided below shows how itchy bumps on buttock look like.
Bumps on buttocks during pregnancy
Though not often, some women complain of itchy and painful bumps appearing on buttocks during pregnancy. Most of these bumps are pus-filled boils. A lot of hormonal changes takes place when pregnant, as such, they may result in abnormal secretion of sebum by the sebaceous glands.
Sebum is the oily secretion of the sebaceous glands that helps keep the skin and the hair follicles moisturized. When overproduced, it could clog in the hair follicles and accumulate to form these bumps, once infected they will become painful.
Bumps on buttocks crack
The moisture and the constant irritation along the buttock crack provides an enabling environment for bacterial growth. The constant irritation will cause the damaging of the skin and hair follicles, once damaged, the pores will become infected with these bacteria and other micro-organisms.
This is what causes folliculitis, the inflammation of the pores. The pores can then clog and accumulate dead skin cells and other body fluids to form painful bumps.
Painful bumps
Painful or bumps that hurt is a clear indication of infection. This could be infection by either bacteria or fungi. Seek medical attention to avoid the infection from spreading underneath the skin. Depending on the extent of the infection, oral or topical antibiotics can be used.
Avoid scratching or popping the bumps.
Small bumps on buttocks, not pimples
Small bumps on buttock can be caused by a rash. The bumps are common during heat rash or diaper rash in children. In females, this bumps could be caused by vaginal yeast infection. The bumps could be painful or painless depending on what is causing them.
Avoid scratching or popping the bumps. A simple warm compress can help speed up the healing process. Topical ointment and skin emollients can also help relieve other symptoms.
Red bumps on buttocks
Red bumps or lump appearing on buttock can be said to be a sign of an underlying sexually transmitted infection. Though not all red bumps are caused by STD, most of these bumps will be caused by an infection such as genital warts and genital herpes.
People with HIV/AIDS are more susceptible to this kind of bumps. Have a professional dermatologist diagnose the bumps to prescribe the most appropriate medication to get rid of the bumps.
Treatment
Treatment for the bumps not only centers on clearing and relieving the symptoms but also treating and getting rid of the underlying infection causing the bumps. The treatment will, therefore, vary depending on how severe the symptoms are and the underlying cause.
Treatment involved could thus include:
- Topical and oral antibiotics for bacterial caused bumps
- Topical ointment to relieve symptoms such as itching, irritation, and inflammation
- Oral or injectable corticosteroids to shrink large bumps appearing on buttocks.
How to get rid with home Remedies
At home you could get rid of the bumps by using the following natural remedies:
- Applying a dilute solution of tea tree oil using a cotton swab.
- A simple warm compress twice or thrice a day can speed the healing process of the bumps especially boils and those caused by folliculitis.
- Other remedies will include turmeric paste, apple cider vinegar and a paste made by mixing cinnamon and honey paste.
- Remember this are just to help relieve the symptoms and not to treat the underlying condition causing the symptoms.