How to Identify (and Treat) All the Different Little Bumps on Your Face

Sometimes bumps on your face (or other parts of your body) can be indicative of an allergic reaction to something you ate, wore, or applied on your cheeks and forehead.

Hives (also called urticaria) are a type of rash that appears as raised, itchy, and sometimes red welts. They pop up suddenly, upon exposure to an allergen, then disappear a few hours later, per Dr. Schlessinger.¹⁸ Another common allergic reaction is allergic contact dermatitis, which is your immune system’s response to an allergen. In this case, you may experience more severe symptoms, such as burning, intense itching, and excessive dryness hours, even days, after exposure, as SELF previously reported.

How to treat it: This is probably a no-brainer, but you should stop using (or eating) whatever’s causing your facial freak-out. To determine what triggered it, you can see an allergist for a prick or patch test. It can also help to think about any recent product changes you made, such as a new detergent, face wash, or perfume, Dr. Boakye says.

If your allergic reaction is mild and relatively painless, a cool bath and perhaps an over-the-counter oral antihistamine or hydrocortisone cream should do the trick to relieve itching or inflammation, Dr. Schlessinger says. If your symptoms are more intense or you’re also noticing swelling, having trouble breathing, or feeling lightheaded, call your primary care doctor or an emergency room, ASAP. (These could be signs of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction.)

10. Bumps due to eczema

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