Sebaceous Cyst
"Being positive is the best medicine you can take." — Maggie Howard
It is a swelling in skin arising in a sebaceous gland which is filled with a fluid which is called sebum and it is yellowish. It is a sac found under the skin and mostly present on the face, neck, and trunk. It grows on its own and not considered as dangerous but sometimes it grows large and then it causes problems for you. Sebaceous Cyst is non-cancerous and they do not replicate or travel to other parts of your body however they can grow considerably large making them easily visible to others and therefore they become a cause of inconvenience and look terrible.
Causes
A sebaceous cyst is a sac-like structure inside the skin and it comes out from the glands which are named as a Sebaceous gland that is exactly why it is named Sebaceous Cyst. This gland secretes oil which coats the hair and skin. In this skin disorder, a cyst is formed which damages the skin by blocking the secretion inside the cells making oil accumulate inside the skin layer forming a lump. Possible reasons for developing a Sebaceous Cyst are mentioned below:
- Scratch
- Wound due to surgery
- Other skin infections
- Cell damage due to trauma
- Genetics
- Duct deformation
One fact about Sebaceous Cyst is that it may not be apparent even after several weeks after the skin trauma has occurred. The reason behind this late emergence of this skin disorder is that it takes time for the gland to produce enough oil quantity that accumulates and makes a lump that is observable.
Symptoms
Having some knowledge about Sebaceous Cyst symptoms can help you to diagnose it at an early stage. Some symptoms of the sebaceous cyst are the following:
- Tenderness
- Inflammation and lump formation
- Warm
- Redness on skin
- Drainage of bad smelly material
Treatment
The best treatment of a sebaceous cyst is treated through surgery because if it is simply cured by draining the accumulated fluid it usually comes back again and again. It can be treated by draining the fluid which is present inside the cyst and then remove the wall of the cyst. If there is an infection around the cyst so we can treat it with the help of antibiotics. It can be treated by some antibiotics named as cephalexin or cloxacillin.
Diagnosis
If you think that you have a cyst then you should visit your doctor and consult him then he will guide you that you have a cyst or not. Several skin conditions cause lumps and inflammations that appear similar to the Sebaceous Cyst, therefore, it is important to go through a complete skin examination by a dermatologist to make sure that lump is a Sebaceous Cyst and is non-cancerous.
When to Worry
If you have more cysts on your skin and if it pains then you should consult your doctor. If you experience any of the following conditions along with the apparent skin lump, you need to go through proper skin examination to ensure that it is non-cancerous because these conditions increase the chance of the lump being a sign of cancer development in the body.
- Lump becomes too large.
- It grows at a significantly high speed.
- It seems infected
- It reoccurs fast even after surgery
Risks Factors
Some factors increase your chance of developing a Sebaceous Cyst. The most common risks factors that make you more prone towards this skin disorder are mentioned below:
- Skin trauma
- Swollen hair follicles
- Male gender
- High level of testosterone
- Hereditary tendency to form a cyst
Healing Duration
If your incision is left open, it will take almost several months to recover and after incision when your doctor removes the cyst and just scar is left behind then it will almost take 2 to 4 weeks more to recover.