Concerns · Growths & Lesions · CityLink Mall
Sebaceous Hyperplasia Treatment in Singapore
Sebaceous hyperplasia shows up as small yellowish bumps with a central dip, usually on the forehead and cheeks. These are enlarged oil glands treated by a doctor: SkinRev has no non-invasive option, so Dr Sin Yong assesses and treats them at IN Eternity Clinic.
Written & medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong · 8 October 2026
Quick answer
- Sebaceous hyperplasia shows up as small yellowish bumps with a central dip, usually on the forehead and cheeks. These are enlarged oil glands treated by a doctor: SkinRev has no non-invasive option, so Dr Sin Yong assesses and treats them at IN Eternity Clinic.
- Medical, performed by Dr Sin Yong at IN Eternity Clinic (Pacific Plaza, Orchard): Radiofrequency/electrosurgical removal, Laser removal, Cryotherapy, Shave or excision removal by Dr Sin Yong, Prescription treatment.
- Assessment first; individual results vary. Medical pricing is given at consultation.
Sebaceous hyperplasia is an overgrowth of the oil glands attached to hair follicles. Each lesion is a soft, skin-coloured to yellowish bump a few millimetres across, often with a tiny central dip where the gland opens. The bumps appear on the forehead, cheeks and nose, singly or in groups, and become more common from middle age. People often mistake them for whiteheads or acne and try to squeeze them, without success. Searches for sebaceous hyperplasia treatment in Singapore usually begin once the bumps multiply and make the skin look uneven.
With age, cell turnover in the sebaceous glands slows and the glands enlarge. Sun damage, a family tendency and certain long-term medicines, such as some taken after an organ transplant, increase the chance. Sebaceous hyperplasia is benign, but an early basal cell carcinoma can look similar, being pearly with tiny blood vessels, so a doctor should examine any lesion that bleeds, grows quickly or looks different from the rest. Very numerous or unusual sebaceous growths occasionally need further assessment for rarer sebaceous tumours.
SkinRev Lab does not treat sebaceous hyperplasia. Facials, extraction and pore treatments can tidy the skin's surface but cannot shrink an enlarged gland. If you contact SkinRev, we route you to IN Eternity Clinic, where Dr Sin Yong confirms the diagnosis and explains which treatment suits the number of bumps and your skin type. Squeezing or picking at the bumps tends to leave red marks and broken capillaries rather than making them smaller.
“Sebaceous hyperplasia is an enlarged gland, not a blocked pore, so no amount of extraction will shrink it.”
— Dr Sin Yong, IN Eternity Clinic
- What it is
- Benign enlargement of sebaceous (oil) glands around a hair follicle
- Appearance
- Soft yellowish papule a few millimetres across, often with a central dip
- Common sites
- Forehead, cheeks, nose
- Risk factors
- Age, sun damage, family tendency, some long-term medicines
- Lookalike to exclude
- Basal cell carcinoma and rarer sebaceous tumours
- Treated by
- Dr Sin Yong, IN Eternity Clinic
What goes where
The honest ladder:
non-invasive first, medical when it is needed
At SkinRev Lab · non-invasive
There is no non-invasive treatment at SkinRev Lab that changes this concern. We will say so at the first visit and pass your enquiry to IN Eternity Clinic.
At IN Eternity Clinic · Dr Sin Yong
Radiofrequency/electrosurgical removal — A fine electrosurgical or radiofrequency needle is placed into each bump to shrink the overgrown gland. It is commonly used for a handful of lesions and can be repeated for new ones. Numbing cream is usually enough, and each bump takes only seconds to treat.
Laser removal — Ablative and other lasers can flatten the bumps with precise depth control, and are useful for groups of lesions. There is a risk of temporary pigment change on Asian skin, so settings are chosen with care.
Cryotherapy — Liquid nitrogen can treat small lesions, but freezing is less precise for raised gland tissue and can leave pale marks, so it is used selectively.
Shave or excision removal by Dr Sin Yong — A single larger or uncertain bump can be shaved or removed and sent for histology. This confirms the diagnosis when a basal cell carcinoma or another sebaceous growth needs to be ruled out.
Prescription treatment — For many lesions, a doctor may consider a prescription medicine that reduces oil-gland activity, taken for a period under medical supervision. Its effect generally lasts only while it is taken, and it is not suitable for everyone, including anyone who is or may become pregnant.
Enquiries to SkinRev Lab about medical treatments are passed to IN Eternity Clinic, where Dr Sin Yong performs them.
There is no non-invasive route for sebaceous hyperplasia at SkinRev. The bumps are harmless, so treatment is a cosmetic choice. See a doctor if you would like them flattened, if they are multiplying, or if one lesion bleeds, crusts, grows quickly or looks pearly with fine visible vessels, as those features need checking for basal cell carcinoma. If you have had an organ transplant or take long-term immune-suppressing medicine, keep your own specialist informed as well. Dr Sin Yong assesses and treats sebaceous hyperplasia at IN Eternity Clinic, and SkinRev can route your enquiry there.
Where this happens
Assessment and non-invasive care — SkinRev Lab, CityLink Mall #B1-28, 1 Raffles Link, Singapore 039393. Underground from City Hall MRT and Esplanade MRT; a short walk from Raffles Place, Marina Bay, Suntec and Bugis. Open daily 11am–8pm.
Medical treatment — IN Eternity Clinic, 9 Scotts Road, #12-01 Pacific Plaza, Singapore 228210, beside Orchard MRT (three stops from City Hall on the North-South line). Mon–Sat 11am–8pm, closed Sunday. Treatments are performed by Dr Sin Yong. WhatsApp +65 8815 3008.
What the research says
The evidence,
with sources
A review of sebaceous lesions in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology places sebaceous hyperplasia at the benign end of a spectrum that runs through sebaceous adenoma and sebaceoma to sebaceous carcinoma, and discusses how some sebaceous tumours relate to Muir–Torre syndrome. This is why a doctor, rather than a beauty therapist, should decide whether a bump is simple hyperplasia or something that needs further work-up.
A systematic literature review of sebaceous hyperplasia treatment found options ranging from electrodesiccation, surgery and cryotherapy to lasers, photodynamic therapy and oral medication, and concluded that results depend less on the technique itself than on the number of lesions, cost, skin type and age. A blinded randomised study comparing two common methods found that patients and doctors rated electrosurgery more highly than cryotherapy for sebaceous hyperplasia, with pale marks or small scars occurring in a minority of lesions in either group.
References
- Eisen DB, Michael DJ. Sebaceous lesions and their associated syndromes: part I. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2009;61(4):549-560.
- Hussein L, Perrett CM. Treatment of sebaceous gland hyperplasia: a review of the literature. J Dermatolog Treat. 2021;32(8):866-877.
- Sadeghzadeh-Bazargan A, Shafiei M, Atefi N, et al. Evaluation and comparison of the efficacy and safety of cryotherapy and electrosurgery in the treatment of sebaceous hyperplasia, seborrheic keratosis, cherry angioma, and skin tag: a blinded randomized clinical trial study. Health Sci Rep. 2024;7(11):e70154.
Common questions
Your questions,
answered
What is the usual sebaceous hyperplasia treatment in Singapore?
For a few bumps, many doctors use a fine electrosurgical or radiofrequency needle, or an ablative laser, to shrink each enlarged gland. For many bumps, a prescription medicine may be considered. At IN Eternity Clinic, Dr Sin Yong chooses based on the number of lesions, your skin type and how much downtime you can take, after confirming the diagnosis.
What is the cost of sebaceous hyperplasia treatment in Singapore?
Pricing is given at consultation at IN Eternity Clinic, after Dr Sin Yong has examined the bumps and agreed a plan with you. It depends on how many lesions are treated, the method used and whether a specimen needs histology. SkinRev does not treat sebaceous hyperplasia, so there is no SkinRev price for this.
Is sebaceous hyperplasia the same as acne or a whitehead?
No. A whitehead is a blocked pore that can empty, while sebaceous hyperplasia is an enlarged oil gland within the skin. It is usually yellowish, soft and slightly doughnut-shaped with a central dip, and nothing comes out when it is squeezed. Trying to extract it only irritates the skin. It also tends to appear later in life than typical acne.
Will sebaceous hyperplasia come back after treatment?
A treated bump often stays flatter, but the gland can enlarge again, and new bumps may appear because the tendency remains. Many people need occasional touch-up treatment over the years. Daily sun protection and a sensible skincare routine may help, but there is no way to stop new lesions completely.
Is there downtime after treatment?
After needle or laser treatment, each spot usually forms a tiny crust that falls off within about a week, leaving pink skin that settles over a few weeks. On Asian skin, a temporary dark mark can develop, so sun protection is important. Most people return to work the next day, and make-up can usually be worn once the crusts have fallen off. Individual healing varies.
Could my bump be skin cancer instead?
Occasionally. Basal cell carcinoma, the most common skin cancer, can resemble sebaceous hyperplasia, especially when small. Features that raise concern include bleeding, crusting, a shiny pearly edge, visible fine blood vessels and steady growth. A doctor can usually tell the difference with a dermatoscope, and will remove the lesion for histology if there is any doubt.
Related