Most likely, the red spot is not harmful and will likely go away on its own. However, a red spot on your nose could be a sign of melanoma or another type of cancer.

Red spots can appear on your nose or face for various reasons.

Lesions on the face and nose are often noticed early in development due to their location. This can help to increase likelihood of curing the red spot if it requires serious treatment.

The red spot on your nose could be caused by a disease or skin condition. It is likely that you noticed the red spot on your nose early, but it is important to monitor it for any changes. Try not to pick at the spot or coat it with makeup.

Possible causes for your red spot include:

Acne

The skin on the tip and side of your nose is thicker and contains more pores that secrete oil (sebum). The bridge and sidewalls of your nose have thinner skin that are not as highly populated with sebaceous glands.

It is likely that a pimple or acne could develop on the oiliest parts of your nose. If you have the following symptoms, you may have a pimple on your nose:

  • small red spot
  • spot is slightly raised
  • spot may have a small hole in the middle of it

To treat acne, wash the area and try not to touch it or squeeze it. If the pimple does not go away or improve in one or two weeks, consider having your doctor or a dermatologist look at it.

Dry skin

The red spot on your nose may have appeared due to dry skin.

If you have dry skin on your nose from dehydration, sunburn, or naturally occurring dry skin, you may experience red patches where the dead skin falls away. This is normal as the “new skin” underneath the flaky skin may not be fully developed yet.

Basal cell skin cancer

Basal cell cancer occurs most frequently in those who have:

  • a fair complexion
  • light colored eyes
  • moles
  • daily or frequent sun exposure

Basal cell cancer is usually painless and could appear as a red, scaly patch of skin on your nose. It may also be accompanied by:

If the red spot on your nose is basal cell cancer, you will need to discuss treatment options with your doctor. This may include excision, cryosurgery, chemotherapy, or other treatment options.

Melanoma

Melanoma is another form of skin cancer. This is a type of cancer that begins in your pigment-producing cells. If you have a red spot that fits the description below, you may have melanoma.

  • scaly
  • flaky
  • irregular
  • accompanied with brown or tan spots

Melanoma can vary in how they look. If you think that you may have melanoma, you should get a doctor to check the red spot before it grows or changes.

Spider nevi

Spider nevi usually make an appearance when a person is suffering from a liver issue or carcinoid syndrome.

If the spot on your nose is red, slightly raised, has a center “head,” and has several radiating blood vessels (like spider legs) you could have a spider nevus. This lesion can be treated with pulsed dye or laser therapy.

Measles

If you have many spots on your face and nose accompanied with a fever, runny nose, or cough, you may have measles.

Measles usually will resolve themselves once the fever breaks, however you should contact a doctor for treatment if your fever exceeds 103ºF.

Other causes

Still more causes of a red spot on your nose include:

If the red spot on your nose does not go away within two weeks or the condition worsens, you should contact a doctor.

You should monitor the red spot on your nose for changes in appearance or size and keep an eye out for additional symptoms.

The red spot on your nose could be caused by numerous conditions including:

  • acne
  • cancer
  • spider nevi
  • measles
  • dry skin

If you have noticed the red spot growing in size or changing in appearance, but not healing, you should notify your doctor to have it examined.