Sebacious Cyst...?

Question

Apologies if i spelt it wrong, but i have extremely large ... and i mean huge lumps appearing all over my head ... my Doctor told me they were sebacious cysts. Their are about four in my ear lobe, currently small but seem to grow randomly, there are, from what i can feel, fou "dormant" on my foorehead and one huge one and there is one "dormant" on my chin and on huge one. They only occur in the facial area and are very VERY unsightly.

Can anyone tell me what is going on, i know is something to do with hair follicles (see wikipedia - they also have images of the things i have....) but i cant find an explanation as to what to do in simple terms.

If anyone could translate how to resolve them simply or tel me simply what to do, it would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

Sebaceous cysts form at the base of a hair follicle- that's the spot where each hair grows from, you'd call it the root part. Beside each hair follicle, you have a gland which produces oil both to lubricate the hair and the skin around it. For reasons not always clear, the follicle gets irritated and the opening is healed closed by the body. The oil gland continues to produce oil, which forms the whitish contents of the cyst. They are not deadly, but most people find them unsightly. Some people just seem more susceptible to them than others.
If you tend to form ingrown beard hairs, that may be one source of the problem, and shaving can certainly aggrivate things. Short of growing a full face beard, though, none of the hair removal methods are preferable one from another. Shaving with a nice clean razor and not too closely seems to work well for some men, but there's always the risk of irritating things just from the friction of it. Chemical hair removers can irritate the hair follicles just in the process of eating away the hair- and since the trouble starts with a follicle, that would just make matters worse. And electric razors irritate skin as well, with a drag on the skin and beard hairs, sometimes not so much cutting the whiskers as yanking them out. The dermatologist I used to work for recommended shaving with a clean single edge blade only, in the direction of the hair growth.
Large cysts can be surgically removed by a dermatologist or doctor. The trick is getting the entire cyst out in one piece. If any part of the cyst wall is left behind, it forms a new cyst. It's not all that uncommon to remove one and have a neighboring hair kick up later, or have the original one return. It doesn't do any good to just squeeze it either, because it will just refill. But a good experienced doctor or dermatologist would be the best person to do the removal job, all the same. It does leave a small linear scar behind, but sometimes that's preferable to the large painful or unsightly cyst. I think your best bet would be to see a dermatologist for an evaluation and see what he or she has to recommend. I imagine they will offer to remove the large ones from your chin, and leave the rest alone for the meantime. As long as they are small and not inflammed, that's usually the best thing to do. It's also hard to remove the small ones completely. The larger they are, the easier they are to get out intact. I'm sorry that this is the best I have to offer advise-wise, but there isn't much better to give. If you can, go see a dermatologist. They would have the most up to date info on treatment and prevention, and be in the best position to offer some kind of solution.

Answer 2

I had a big sebaceous cyst under my right eye. The consultant at the eye hospital told me that there is an oil secreted by the sebaceous gland which can harden and block the tear duct. It can be thought of like butter which when hot melts and moves easily but when cold is hard. The consultant advised me to place a very warm damp cloth over my eye several times a day and it would drain away. I did as he said and the cyst disappeared. I would suggest you do likewise after consulting a doctor about it to check if this is ok.

Answer 3

Apparently vitamin a and beta carotine can help with over production of keratin which causes these cysts. Lactic acid also helps and is found in milk, the myth of milk baths actually helps with this problem apparently. When bathing or showering use powdered milk and rub into the areas affected, then rinse or put it on a warm damp cloth and hold for a while. Foods like dairy products are high in these acids and vitamin a. Though be careful with vitamins as too much 'a' can possibly cause damage to the liver.

Answer 4

Multiple sebaceous cysts are common. They are caused by infection of sebaceous glands in skin. They can be removed surgically under local anesthesia if necessary in more than one sitting. The actual cause of multiple cysts in head and neck is a focus of infection most often in teeth or tonsils. The focus and cysts can be treated/removed under general anesthesia simultaneously under the cover of antibiotics.

Answer 5

the doc can remove them-i had bad one on my chest and got it operated on-great? no it came back with a vengence so i had it scooped out again this time the aneasthetic didnt work so felt everything-guess what it came back again apparently some cysts are notoriously hard to get all the root out-now i have to live with it cos im going nowhere near a hospital again-i feel for you x

Answer 6

sebacious cyst

Answer 7

I think you must ask your doctor or another specialist doctor (dermatologist) about the possibility of them to be removed by surgery. Then doctor, maybe, will ask for biopsy of the organic material removed for you and the doctor to know if the sebaceous cyst can return or not, and also this exam can indicate a supposed origin of them and their conditions about being another kind of disease.

Answer 8

I have one on my neck and the doctor has referred me to hospital, he says its nothing to worry about, seemingly they drain it if needed, as long it is a sebaceous cyst and nothing more serious like lymph nodes.

Answer 9

i ve had them in my right ear-lobe,they usually come up every year, what i do , and Ive told my g.p this and he agreed, is sterilise a needle or pin,i shove it through then squeeze the crap out of it? sounds pain-full and it is,helps to slug a few beers back first? don't think id recommend it on the forehead though? good luck and happy squeezing?

Answer 10

they may become less frequent as you get older, that has been the case with me. i am 45 now and still get one about once a year, hurts like the dickens, not to mention the comments people make about it..DONT PICK AT IT!!! at least till it's ready to launch, but it's gonna leave a mark.