Dermatosis papulosa nigra (DPN)

Last reviewed February 2017

What is DPN?

It is a condition where dark spots appear on the head and neck of patients with darker skin tones.

It affects up to 7 out of 10 African American patients. About 5 out of 10 patients have a family history.

You will get small, tan to dark-brown soft bumps on the middle of your face and forehead. The bumps can also be on your neck and upper torso.
After the bumps appear, they do not go away.
People tend to get more bumps the older they get. There is no predicting how many bumps a person will get.
The bumps usually do not cause any symptoms.

It is not dangerous and does not have to be treated.
Some people want the bumps removed for cosmetic reasons. Treatment is not covered by insurance.
One treatment is electrodessication:
- An electric current goes through a needle with a fine tip to heat and destroy the bumps.
- It is done in the doctor’s office.
- Topical numbing medicines can be used before the treatment.
- Side effects are a small amount of redness and pain.
- Treatment should make the bumps go away or get smaller. After treatment you may have a lighter brown or tan flat spot in its place.
- Risks of the procedure include pigmentary changes and (rarely) scarring in treated areas.