Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments

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Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« on: August 22, 2006, 12:49:19 AM » by oliveoil

What can be done about sebaceous cysts? What causes them?

« Last Edit: August 22, 2006, 01:09:35 AM by healthybratt »
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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #1 on: September 04, 2006, 10:35:53 AM » by Pennie

I am going to bump this question and add to it. I seem to have a cyst on my hand. I asked a nurse at church and she said oh, yeah it's probly a cyst but oh, it's hard. The problem is my hand hurts. I can put no pressure on it like leaning on it and I can't bend it either way very far w/o pain. So I am guess it is on a nerve? Is there anyway natural way of gettin rid of it. I can feel it with my hand if I bend my wrist but it isn't quite on my wrist but must forward a touch so when I bend it sticks up. You can't see it and I can only feel it if I bend my hand but I have been having pain in that hand for quite awhile and just discovered the bump. My mother has what is called a ganly cyst? on her wrist and she is having it removed on tues. Hers is pretty big. Looks yucky. I dont' want to have my removed surgically necessarily but I dont' want ot have continued pain either. On another note about 3 yrs ago my son had a small lump on his leg. We surgerically had it "removed" b/c we didn't know what it was. It was a splinter! and the "lump" was puss. Now just under that spot he has quite a large lump. Only this on he says hurts whereas the other one never did. Any thought s on that? Oh, and what is the difference b/t the two kinds of cysts and how do you know the diff? they gangly and the sebaceous? Thanks for any help or insight. Right now the only "natural" way would be to drop a heavy book on it and pop it but the nurse said it would probly just fill up and come back. Shocked

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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2006, 12:40:59 PM » by WithLoveAndJoy

The type of cyst you are referring to is called a ganglion cyst. My father had one on his hand and it was necessary to have it removed. Here are some links below that may help you with your research.

http://www.med.und.nodak.edu/users/jwhiting/gangtx.html
http://www.medicinenet.com/ganglion/article.htm

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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2006, 01:15:41 PM » by Pennie

Thank you joyfullyhis. My mom just had hers removed this morning and they did the aspirtation method on her. I now atleast know of a good dr to do mine if i need to in the future. He did it in the office. All the other drs she saw wouldn't do that.

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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2006, 01:27:20 PM » by WithLoveAndJoy

Glad to help, Pennie. I just know that it can be frustrating when you can't seem to find an answer to something that is worrisome. My dad had his removed, as I mentioned (it was on his wrist) and has nad no difficulty since. Grin

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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2006, 09:28:51 AM » by Pennie

I just thought I would say about my cyst on my wrist........It is worse when I drink coffee. When I drink coffee I wake up with it hurting at night but when I lay off the coffee it isn't as much of a bother. I am just learning to live with it right now and which ways to just not move my hand. My mother had hers aspirated. Hers was on the inside of her wrist. I don't think it went down all that much. Although she doesn't say it bothers her anymore. So, if I ever do something about mine I will proby.....maybe just have it surgically removed.

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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #6 on: November 09, 2006, 10:09:52 AM » by Kati*did

Quote from: oliveoil on August 22, 2006, 12:49:19 AM

What can be done about sebaceous cysts? What causes them?

Hi Oliveoil...I had one on my head once and got it removed in out patient surgery -- slice and pop it out. Not a big deal. Here's what I looked up and found about them:

Info from MedicinePlus Medical Encyclopedia:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000842.htm

Quote

Sebaceous cysts are usually painless, slow-growing small bumps or lumps that move freely under the skin. It's important not to touch or try to remove the substance inside to prevent tenderness, swelling, and infection of a sebaceous cyst.
What is a sebaceous cyst?
A sebaceous cyst is a closed sac occurring just under the skin which contains a "pasty" or "cheesy" looking substance. A foul odor is also often present in the substance called keratin which fills sebaceous cysts. Keratin is a protein that creates the sac of cells called sebaceous cysts. The bumps or lumps you can feel under your skin are actually the sac of cells.
What causes sebaceous cysts?
Sebaceous cysts are often the result of swollen hair follicles, or skin trauma.
What are the symptoms of sebaceous cysts?
Small lumps or bumps that occur just under the skin of the vagina, genitalia, breast, abdomen, face, neck, or elsewhere on the body are the most common symptom of sebaceous cysts.

Occasionally infections may occur. Signs or symptoms that may indicate infection of sebaceous cysts include:

* redness
* tenderness
* increased temperature of the skin over the bumps or lumps
* greyish white, cheesy, foul smelling material draining from the bump or lump

How are sebaceous cysts diagnosed ?
Sebaceous cysts are usually easily diagnosed by their appearance to the trained eye. In some cases, a biopsy may be necessary to rule out other conditions with a similar appearance.
Treatments for sebaceous cysts
Sebaceous cysts most often disapear on their own and are not dangerous. Occasionally, they may become inflamed and tender. Sometimes sebaceous cysts grow large that they may interfere with your everyday life. When this happens, surgical removal in your health care provider's office may be necessary. Small inflamed cysts can often be treated by injection of steroid medications or with antibiotics.
Complications of sebaceous cysts
Sebaceous cysts may occasionally become infected and form into painful abscesses. It is important when sebaceous cysts are surgically removed that the entire sac is excised to help prevent a recurrence. However, it's important to note that sebaceous cyst recurrence in not unusual.

Quote

I got that quote from here: http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/dermatology/a/sebaceouscyst.htm

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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #7 on: November 09, 2006, 02:41:33 PM » by SC

Click here for information sheet on Sebaceous cysts.
Sebaceous glands are little sacks found off of the hair follicle. They produce a type of oil called sebum. Ear wax has sebum in it. When the duct gets clogged, the buildup becomes a cyst.

A ganglion cyst is something different. Click here for a picture and discussion thread, along with a home remedy for brave ones. A ganglion cyst forms when a joint is hyperextended and some of the lubricating joint fluid leaks into a sack, resulting in a cyst when the trapped fluid is not reabsorbed.

So, a sebaceous cyst is located in the skin. A ganglion cyst is deeper, near a joint.

« Last Edit: November 09, 2006, 03:51:22 PM by SC »
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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #8 on: November 09, 2006, 02:59:14 PM » by Pennie

Oh, yes, mine is a ganglion. I didn't mention that. I just put it here b/c it was a cyst thread. Mine is hard and doesn't move and affects my wrist

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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #9 on: August 07, 2007, 08:17:53 PM » by dollhouse

wondering if anyone had any experience with treating an infected sebaceous cyst. have had cyst for several years, but it has recently become red around perimeter and fairly painful.

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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #10 on: August 07, 2007, 10:50:45 PM » by Isaacsmama

I had one on my head too, katidid. Weird. I first noticed it when I was about 14. I thought it was a zit and couldn't get it out, so just left it, It grew and grew and grew. I was right on top of my head, right in the middle. When I was about 25 I went to a doctor to get it out, it was just getting embaracing cause it made a bump in my hair line. The dr said it was a sac of cells, and when it started growing, the body encases it in sac to keep away from the rest of the neighboring cells. Mine got really big, like I said, light a big marble on my head. All they did was numb my head and make a little cut and he pushed and prodded and pulled for a while trying to get it out, it finally 'popped out' GROSS!!!! I didn't get to see it cause he threw it away, but he said it was one of the biggest he has seen. I thought maybe I have not been cleaning well enough, but the dr said that has nothing to do with getting them. I had a friend who had one on her brea*t. I also had one on my thigh but it was small and bothered me, I got rid of it myself (I would not recommend this, but I was young and dumb. I numbed it with ice, and used a sterilized razor blade, cut it open, and used tweezers to pull it out. gross again, but it was not very big. I don't think they hurt anything and I only had to one on my head taken off cause it was embaracing like I said. No recovery, but I had to take a break from work while it healed cause my job involved putting things on my head. Glad to her Im not the only one who had these gross things.

« Last Edit: August 08, 2007, 02:36:54 PM by Isaacsmama »
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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #11 on: September 03, 2007, 11:47:28 AM » by Kitty

Anyone get them behind ears? Tea tree oil seemed to help a friend's shrink and drain...

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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #12 on: March 21, 2009, 01:06:55 AM » by ridgerunner

Bumping this... Has anyone used the tea tree oil suggestion for sebaceous cysts? I had to have one surgically removed from behind my ear 3 months ago... and I've got two more now. What's horrible is that one is on my face!!!! If it gets as big as the other the only choice I can see is between having a scar or a lump. Embarrassed

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

I'm going to start trying nightly plantain poultices, the tea tree oil, and a few other things, I figure they can't hurt, but if anyone has experience with this please let me know what helped. TIA!

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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #13 on: March 21, 2009, 10:42:31 AM » by mykidsmom

Quote from: ridgerunner on March 21, 2009, 01:06:55 AM

I don't have any experience with this but reread some of what SC posted above. I would definately try the tea tree oil. I wouldn't hesitate doing that unless/until it actually opened up. Then you'd want to stop using it. But also, since this is a skin/follicular issue I would think skin brushing would also help to perhaps clear it up. I know it's on your face but I have skin brushed my face before with no trouble. I would do some MILD skin brushing over the cyst and the apply TTO. Maybe do this several times a day and see if it starts to go down in a day or two. It's worth a shot.

patti

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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2009, 05:14:48 PM » by mom24boys

I concur with not putting tea tree oil or poultices on when the cyst begins to drain/is open.

But before it opens, hot packs and treatments are a good idea. It will keep the skin soft and help it thin over the top so once you are able to drain the thing it won't be so hard on you.

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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #15 on: March 22, 2009, 11:47:17 PM » by ridgerunner

Thanks for the suggestions... I have been doing the hot pack at night. I'm going to have to look up 'skin brushing', I've never heard that phrase.

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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #16 on: January 23, 2010, 09:13:19 PM » by cooptimr

My 69 yr old father had an infected sebaceous cyst removed a few months ago. Unfortunately, the cyst has returned. My husband had one on the back of the ear this year, and I applied a garlic poultice to it for about a week, and it completely disappeared. Will this work on a deep cyst on my dad's back as well? I know an ear is rather thin compared to the back, and I am afraid to try anything on my father that may cause the cyst to flare up and become infected again. I read of an herb/vitamin blend called Vitaganic for sebaceous cysts....anyone ever heard of that? What would you suggest?

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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #17 on: January 26, 2010, 09:16:50 AM » by GibsonTown

I have no experience with this particular type. However, there is a doctor in our area who recommends liquid iodine applied to cysts and it seems effective. I've used it on breast cysts.

It sounds as if your garlic presses were effective, and being antibiotic, seems helpful for the local infection if it develops again.

Have you considered tea tree or oregano oil?

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Re: Sebaceous Cysts: Causes & Treatments
« Reply #18 on: January 26, 2010, 10:09:40 AM » by morningglory