Skin Cysts
A skin cyst is a small benign swelling in the skin that usually causes no issues, other than cosmetically. Pilar (within the hair), epidermoid and sebaceous cysts are the most common types of skin cysts. They can be annoying and unsightly, but their removal is straightforward under a local anaesthetic.
Sometimes cysts can become infected, leading them to become red and painful. This can require antibiotics and may happen repeatedly. Removing the cyst is the only way to definitively treat the underlying problem.
Price: from £500
Frequently Asked Questions
This depends on the size and location of the cyst, but expect the procedure to take 30-40 minutes.
There will usually be a small dressing over the surgical wound. The area will remain numb for an hour or so. When the local anaesthetic wears off the area will be tender. We advise taking paracetamol and/ or ibuprofen to help with the discomfort. Over the first 24 hours the area may become swollen and bruised. This is to be expected and is completely normal. You may be given an antibiotic cream to use for a few days. The stitches may or may not be dissolvable, but we will advise you on which was used and appropriate aftercare.
The potential risks with this type of surgery are pain, bleeding, infection, scar, swelling, numbness and recurrence.
Occasionally cysts can regrow in the same place. Some people are prone to them and you may develop one in another part of your body.
The vast majority of cysts are completely benign (non-cancerous). Rarely there can be some cancer cells within them. For this reason we always send any lipomas we remove for analysis to confirm exactly what it is.