Are black dots on my Hermann tortoise's head and face normal?

He looks great! Those spots are normal. You can see how consistent they are around his shell. Monitor him and water quality. Shell rot will appear as pitting, discoloration or very soft shell condition.

You can use a soft bristled toothbrush to gently scrub the area. Maintain clean water and provide a health, balanced diet along with adequate UVB lighting and vitamin supplementation. all these will promote shell and overall health. Monitor for spread, bleeding, lethargy, loss of appetite, softness or pitting. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. If you can provide the species of turtle and an image or two in a new post, we may be able to provide more specific advice.

Looks can be deceiving, but the shell looks fine in the picture provided. "Heathy" is more than just a clean shell though. He should be eating and defecating normally, basking regularly and swimming. There should be no redness or pitting on the shell. Provide clean water at proper temp, a basking spot also at proper temp, UVB lighting and an appropriate diet. You can review the article at the link below to confirm correct husbandry. http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

It is difficult to advise you without a visual of what the dot looks like and without more details. If you like you can request a consultation where you can post photographs and an expert can give you more information.

White spots on an aquatic turtle is often related to husbandry - most specifically the quality of the water. Aquatic turtles can be very dirty, and therefore they challenge most water filtration systems and it can be difficult to keep the water clean. I would recommend reviewing your husbandry with a care sheet, such as those for soft shelled turtles on Reptiles Magazine's website, and ensuring that it is as perfect as possible. You can see if the white spots are attached or if there is something just growing on the surface of your turtle - you can use Q-tips or a cloth to try to gently wipe them off, but be careful that you don't wipe too hard and hurt the turtle, and use caution in case Shiro tries to bite while you are trying this. If the white spots do not come off, I would recommend that Shiro is seen by a veterinarian. The spots may be bacterial or fungal growth from water quality problems, as mentioned above, but they may also be a growth of tissue as well. A veterinarian can sample the area, and look at the material under the microscope to determine what it is composed of. From there, they can make recommendations about diagnostic tests or treatments that can be used.

It doesn't appear to be anything to be concerned about, especially if he is behaving normally otherwise. It is possible he is rubbing that area against the rock in the enclosure as he moves about. Wipe it with a moist towel and monitor the area. Watch him to see if he is rubbing against anything in the enclosure. If so, adjust objects or remove them if necessary. Allow a 15-30 minute soak in water 2-3 times weekly to rehydrate and to cleanse.

Keep the water as clean as possible. You may need to empty and scrub the tank then perform partial water changes frequently. If you can handle it safely, gently scrub the spot with a dilute betadine solution. Allow him to dry thoroughly afterwards. Do this daily for two weeks. If the water changes and scrubbing don't work, dissolve 2 tablespoons of plain aquarium salt (NOT table salt). Per gallon of water in a large basin and dip him in it. Allow him to dry before returning to his main tank. Do this daily for two weeks. If the spot still doesn't clear up or if it spreads, he will need to be physically examined by your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet.