You know you worry about every little thing when it comes to your child. And usually you are making a mountain out of a mole hill. However, if you find a hard bump on your child's skin, you should take the child to the doctor for a diagnosis and possible treatment.

Conditions

Those hard bumps on your child's skin might be a skin cyst. According to the National Institutes of Health, a skin cyst is a pocket filled with tissue1. Hard bumps on your child's skin might also be keratoacanthoma, which causes benign tumors filled with keratin, the protein that forms nails and hair2. Additional possibilities include cherry angiomas, dermatofibromas, folliculitis and keratosis pilaris345.

Symptoms

Keratin Levels

Learn More

Most of the conditions that cause hard bumps on children's skin do not have any other symptoms. Some of these conditions might cause mild symptoms such as itching at the site; one condition that can cause itching is keratoacanthoma2. Folliculitis, which is an infection of the follicles, can cause pus-filled blistering, pain and inflammation3.

Diagnosis

Lipomas are fat-filled lumps that are usually not painful; a doctor usually can diagnose a lipoma without any kind of testing. Doctors also usually can visually identify cysts, keratosis pilaris and folliculitis34. Conditions such as keratoacanthoma, neurofibroma and squamous cell cancer might require a diagnostic biopsy2. Your doctor can diagnose neurofibromas with an X-ray, MRI or ultrasound.

Contracting the Hard Bumps

Little Bumps on the Ears

Learn More

Conditions such as keratoacanthoma can be caused by exposure to sunlight and X-ray2. The condition keratosis pilaris is the result of a buildup of keratin, although the reason for the buildup is unclear4. Causes of folliculitis include covering the skin, excessive perspiration, inflammatory skin condtiions and abrasions3. Dermatofibromas, cherry angiomas and neurofibroma all have unknown causes5.

Treatment

Cysts, folliculitis, and lipoma might go away without any treatment3. Neurofibroma and keratoacanthoma might require removal of the affected area2. Burning, cryotherapy, laser surgery and traditional surgery are possible treatments for cherry angiomas and neurofibroma. With keratosis pilaris, your doctor might prescribe topical corticosteroids and retinoids4. Liposuction or surgery are possible treatments for lipomas.