Hello there mickey,
How are you doing? Have a look at info on vasculitis. In some cases this can occur as you have described. Mine would be red initially, then go purple but be very small and have a weird tingly feeling. Sound familiar?
I haven't got my doctor hat on with the following information, just an SLE patient of over 30 years hee hee !!
They can be red or purple pinprick spots called ‘petechiae’. If the spots are larger (about the size of your fingertip) they are called ‘purpura’. These are the most common skin symptoms associated with vasculitis, but others occur including itching, hives (nettle rash) or wheals on the skin, and painful lumps.
Hope this helps. Take care