Dermatofibromas

This post is all about dermatofibromas and some remedies to help make them look better and ways hide them.

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Q. I have this brown bump on my leg that won't go away. What can I do about it?


A. It could be a dermatofibroma. I see them often on my leg waxing clients. A dermatofibroma is a tan to brown benign raised bump more common in women than men and occur commonly on the legs. The bump feels hard under the skin and can be itchy, tender and easily irritated. A doctor will tell you not to worry about it because it's benign, but it's kind of ugly!

Dermatofibromas are also called Benign Fibrous Histiocytomas. They are the result of some sort of injury to the skin such as an ingrown hair or a bug bite. 

Be careful when shaving because a dermatofibroma may bleed and become sore if nicked. Don't think you can get rid of it by shaving it off. It will be an awful looking sore and will just come back anyway.

Freezing it 
A dermatologist can freeze the dermatofibroma with liquid nitrogen to help improve the look of it but this doesn't usually get rid of it.  One of my clients had hers frozen. It looks like a red bump now instead of a brown bump. I guess there is some improvement but it's still there. It has been at least a year since she had it done so it is what it is at this point.

Here is a picture of a dermatofibroma treated with liquid nitrogen.

A dermatofibroma can be surgically removed, but you will be left with a scar. Keep reading to see a pic of a scar from surgical removal of a dermatofibroma. So what else can you do?

The are a few home remedies you can try. Cellulite creams seem to improve the appearance of a dermatofibroma as well as Vitamin E applied directly to it. You can find Vitamin E liquid packaged in small bottles at the drug store or you can break open a Vitamin E capsule. Apply the cellulite cream and/or the vitamin E 2 times a day. Use a good sunscreen. The sun will cause the dermatofibroma to get darker.

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Mederma
Q. I was wondering, would Mederma help my dermatofibroma look better? 
A. It's a good question. Mederma is a product used to improve the appearance of scars. It contains Cepalin, a botanical extract derived from onions. I didn't know if it would help a dermatofibroma look better so I decided to contact the company. They do not recommend Mederma for dermatofibromas claiming that a dermatofibroma is a skin condition not a typical scar and Mederma has not been tested or approved for treatment of that indication. I think it wouldn't hurt to try it.

Cellulite Cream & Other Home Remedies
Q. Why does cellulite cream help the appearance of a dermatofibroma and are there other home remedies?

A. I'm going to take an educated guess on why cellulite creams make dermatofibromas look better. Cellulite creams reduce fluid retention and firm the skin a bit, plus they hydrate the surface layers of the skin. Fluid reduction would help flatten the dermatofibroma, tightening the skin may shrink it slightly and hydration would get rid of the dry surface. All that is temporary as long as the cream is being used. It won't lighten them.

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Lightening Cream, maybe

I tried hydrogen peroxide on mine to try and lighten it. It didn't do much and it caused a lot of irritation. I'm not sure what a skin lightening cream would do. I think it would be too irritating for me. There are 2 inexpensive brands, Porcelana and Esoterica that you may be able to find in drug stores or on Amazon.

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Vitamins

I have not used Vitamin C, but Vitamin E made my dermatofibroma feel less hard. It is a great anti oxidant and skin conditioner. 

Camphor Spirit

You could try camphor spirit. It is a solution of camphor and alcohol. I haven't tried it. It should be available in drug stores. It has a strong smell and some people are allergic to it.

Essential Oil

I have used lavender Essential Oil. It helped flatten it a little bit. I am going to try frankincense and myrrh essential oil to see if they help. I have read they are both good for healing various skin cysts.

Organic Castor Oil
I've had more than one person tell me they have had a lot of success flattening their dermatofibromas by applying organic castor oil. It's an old fashioned cure all for what ails you. It's very popular right now for growing thicker lashes, brows and hair. Castor oil is a vegetable oil from the seeds of the Castor Oil Plant. It's worth a try.

Update: I have finally tried it on my dermatofibroma. I've been using it for about 4 weeks. It's still raised, but it's texture is smoother since I have been using the Organic Castor Oil. It definitely feels better to touch! I am going to keep using it to see how much improvement I get. 

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Surgery
I have tried lots of home remedies on my dermatofibroma. Some help it look better than others but the ugly thing is still there!

There is only one way to remove it for good...surgery. It must be surgically excised out. A dermatofibroma goes deep into the skin. It will only grow back if it is cut off of the skin at surface level.

The problem with the removal is it leaves a long scar that is about 2 inches or so long. It has to be done that way to be able to sew the skin back together so it is smooth and not puckery.

Here is a picture of a scar from the removal of a dermatofibroma. This surgery was done by a cosmetic surgeon. This scar was also treated with a laser to improve it's appearance. It doesn't look bad at all.

Hide it!
Henna Tattoos
Temporary henna tattoos are an option to help conceal a dermatofibroma. The henna's orangy brown color is similar the color of many dermatofibromas. It could work great depending if the location of the dermatofibroma is a cool place for a temporary tattoo.

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Can you cover it with a real tattoo? I asked the tattoo artist at a local tattoo shop. Click here to view Can you tattoo over a dermatofibroma?

Makeup
I am not ready to tackle a surgical removal and scar at this time so I have a few ways I use to hide it using makeup and self tanner. I put together a little video to show you how I do it. I hope it helps you in your quest to improve the look of your dermatofibroma!

Click here to watch 3 Ways to Hide a Dermatofibroma.

Hope this post helps you with your dermatofibroma. Please let me know if something works well for you. Also, always check back for updates on this post. I will add any new info I get.

       Have a Beautiful Day! 

xo

Jill

Licensed Cosmetologist, Makeup Artist

 Wedding, special occasion or everyday makeup and skin care services available in the Philadelphia, Pa. area. Visit my makeup page for more information!

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