Bumps On The Forehead: A Complete Guide To Causes & Treatments

Don't worry—we did the work for you. 

Depending on what your bumps look like—as well as how they act and react to—you may be dealing with one of the five conditions below: 

Perhaps the easiest type to diagnose is acne, which can range from blackheads and whiteheads to pustules and cysts. Blemishes that appear on your forehead will look similar to the breakouts you get anywhere on the body. "When cells within the oil glands stick together and block the pores, oil builds up, leading to inflammation," says board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, M.D. 

This is just a fancy way of saying congested skin (These are also sometimes called sebum plugs). Essentially when your pores become clogged from makeup, thick creams or hair products, or external debris, you might find your pores become blocked—and therefore bumpy—without developing into full-blown, inflamed zits. 

Unlike acne, milia are not caused by an infection in the pore. According to Elena Villanueva, D.C., founder of Modern Holistic Health, milia is actually a buildup of keratin that gets trapped beneath the surface of the skin. It's also important to know that, unlike acne, milia does not get inflamed, red, or swollen. (This is a telltale sign of milia: if your bumps are flesh-colored and you typically don't experience acne.) Causes of milia can differ, but the general cause of their development is a lack of natural exfoliation of the skin. For more information on this type of skin bumps, read our guide on milia. 

Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition that results in several skin changes. For some skin tones, it may result in intense flushing (or redness) around the cheeks, nose, and forehead. For any skin tone, it may result in thickening of the skin and textural changes. Finally, it may result in small bumps on the face, forehead included. You're likely dealing with rosacea (or rosacea acne, a combination of the two conditions) if you experience bumps on the cheeks and nose as well as the forehead. 

This is essentially a temporary condition resulting in an inflamed, angry, bumpy rash that was triggered by an allergic reaction or external irritant. People with highly sensitive skin often experience contact dermatitis, although any skin type may deal with it from time to time. Everyone's skin is different, however, so everyone will likely have different flares.

Now, since there are several causes of forehead bumps, you might reason that there are several fixes: hes and no. There are general rules to follow for smart skin care that can and will help any of the above issues. Then there are more specific tips that someone with acne should try—but that would totally backfire on those with rosacea. 

If you are experiencing bumps on your forehead, there are general tips you'll want to follow no matter what. So even if you haven't totally nailed down what you're dealing with, you can feel free to start here:  

Since these all have to do with clogged pores, you can treat these similarly: 

For both of these skin conditions defined by inflammation, you're going to want to focus on just that. Pare back your skin care routine and invest in soothing actives:

Bumps on your forehead appearing and don't seem to go away? Annoying indeed. The root cause may come from several influences, so it's worth investigating your skin to see what's causing yours, and then tending to it accordingly.