How to know when strange white bumps on body are harmless or could be something more serious

The vast majority of people in the world will at some point get little white bumps on their skin, usually either round their lips or genitals.

Spotting a sudden growth that wasn't there before might be alarming but these little spots are usually the sign of something entirely benign and natural.

However, since they can be mistaken for actual serious health issues then you might also fail to spot a genuine concern if you can't tell the difference.

The spots can look like molluscum contagiosum, milium cysts, epidermoid cysts, genital warts or herpes, so in some cases they actually are.

That's a scary sounding list, but you can tell the difference based on some of their appearances.

You might see this and worry something is wrong, but it's natural (Getty Stock Photo)

What are the white spots you find on your lips and private parts?

Usually these spots are harmless. They're called 'Fordyce spots', named after the guy that first properly recorded them who might be wishing his name went down in history for something other than weird spots which people get on their lips and genitals.

Still, it's better than nothing.

Back in 1896 Dr. John Addison Fordyce noticed he'd developed these spots himself and decided to actually make a record of what had happened, which apparently literally everyone else who ever got them before had failed to do.

They're actually little oil glands the secrete a substance called sebum which protects your body, and which for some reason have started protruding above the skin forming the bumps you see.

About 80 percent of adults get them, so you're pretty normal for having them.

What other conditions do they look like?

In the early stages spots on your genitals can be hard to determine between herpes, genital warts and Fordyce spots, but there are some telltale signs.

For example, marks caused by herpes can blister but Fordyce spots will not blister, so if you've got spots doing that then it's likely to be a worse condition than you might have thought.

Warts can appear in areas where Fordyce spots wouldn't, such as in and around the anus or inside the vagina.

Epidermoid cysts, meanwhile, are harder lumps of keratin under the skin which tend to appear on the face, neck and torso, but also commonly show up on the scrotum and genitals.

Molluscum contagiosum, a viral skin infection that usually does not require treatment, also tend to be clustered across your skin, as are milium cysts, and in pretty much all cases you should not try to pop them like they're spots.

For an official confirmation of what they are you're best off seeing a doctor, so if you've got something that looks like Fordyce spots but is acting like something else, then seek the opinion of a qualified medical professional.

If you're worried it's something more serious then be safe rather than sorry and talk to a doctor (Getty Stock Photo)

How can they Fordyce spots be removed?

First things first, don't pick at them or try to squeeze them like you would normal spots.

They're standard parts of your body so if you try to squeeze them off you're going to cause yourself unnecessary pain and do yourself some actual harm.

If you're really eager to get rid of them then there's some treatments, though getting them lasered off runs the risk of leaving scars and other topical methods can be painful.

You can get something called micro-punch surgery to remove the spots without scars if you're really desperate.