What causes a cyst on face? Skin cyst is a fluid filled sac that appears as a bump lying under the surface of the skin. Small sebaceous cyst near the eye can hurt, won’t go away or pop. In the post below, find more on cyst removal, treatment, symptoms and the likely possible causes of acne cysts on face.
Cysts are usually abnormalities in the body that resembles like a bump or a lump inform of a sac filled with fluid and non- fluid material. Cysts are common on the skin and can be found anywhere including the scalp, face, neck and back. A cysts lying underneath the skin on your face is common and usually harmless. In fact, lumps or cyst on the skin may just go away without treatment.
It can be hard to identify whether a lump is a cyst or something that might need treatment. It is advisable you visit your GP for the lump or bump to be correctly diagnosed. It is common to confuse cysts with boil or skin abscesses. Unlike cysts, boils or skin abscesses occur as a result of infection causing pain. This page cover everything you need to know about cysts on face, sebaceous cyst and how you can remove the cyst with home remedies.
Cyst symptoms
Cysts can appear anywhere. Facial cyst can feel like you have small peas under the surface of the skin. Infection, clogging of oil glands on face can result to cysts on the face. What are the symptoms of cyst? Here are the symptoms to look for just in case you develop one. They include:
- Painless lumps, bumps or sac fluid filled
- Vary in size. It can be smaller than a pea growing slowly to a few centimeters
- Smooth to touch when you roll under the skin.
- Can become tender, red or sore if they get inflamed. Infection can result to foul-smelling pus or discharge from the cyst.
Cyst on Face Pictures
here are some of the pictures showing how a cyst on face appears or look like.
What causes cysts
What causes facial cysts? Cysts can develop on anyone regardless of age. Cysts tend to affect the young people and middle-aged adults. If you have a history with acne on your face, you are prone to facial cysts. Cysts cannot be inherited through genetics. You simply cannot get skin cysts on face if any member of the family has it or was suffering from it in the past.
You are likely to get cysts or bumps on your face from a number of skin conditions. These skin conditions are the common causes of facial cyst. They include:
1. Skin cysts
Facial cysts arising from skin cysts are non-cancerous resembling pockets of tissues that are fluid filled. Usually, the fluid is made up of pus or other material. Skin cysts on face can develop as a result of infection or blocked sebaceous glands. A painless, slow growing and smooth to the touch when they are rolled under the skin are the signs and symptoms of skin cysts on face.
Skin cysts do not require treatment. Most of these cysts will go on their own without necessarily treating them. Although they rarely cause pain, they hurt if they get inflamed or rupture. Facial cysts may need to drain if they are getting bigger and causing discomfort.
2. Folliculitis
An inflammation of the hair follicle can result to a cyst on the face. This can be caused by either an infection in the hair follicles, chemical or physical irritations on the face, scalp or thighs. People with diabetes or obesity are more at risk to suffer from folliculitis. If you have a compromised immune system, you are susceptible to folliculitis. The signs and symptoms of facial folliculitis include itching skin, multiple red pimple-like cysts.
3. Lipomas
Facial cyst can be due to lipomas: they are subcutaneous soft tissues tumors that can appear anywhere on the body including the face. Lipomas are asymptomatic but can appear as a nodule or in group. Lipoma cysts are slow-growing and generally harmless. The size of most lipomas is less than 5 cm in diameter. Although lipomas are painless, they can cause pain when they compress nerves.
4. Epidermoid cysts
Sometimes referred to as sebaceous cyst, epidermoid cysts are benign or non- cancerous skin cyst turning outward from the hair follicle. Although epidermoid cyst are found commonly on the genitals, chest and back, they can also occur in other areas of the skin such as face. Epidermoid cysts usually have a round appearance. The cyst usually has a dark portion that is clearly visible. If you squeeze the cyst, a cheesy white discharge is produced.
Antibiotics can be used to treat epidermoid cyst on face. However, the effective treatment requires the sac of the cyst to be removed completely. The sac has be remove completely otherwise the cyst will return. Your doctor will be able to remove the cyst by making a small incision in the skin having the cyst.
5. Cherry angioma
The lump or facial cyst can be caused by cherry angioma. The cause of this skin condition is not known. It is common to people over the age of 40. The symptoms include a smooth, cherry-red bump on the skin. The condition usually appear on the trunk of the body. However, it can also occur on other parts of the body including your face.
The cysts or bumps is small, smooth red growths. In most cases, they do not require treatment. You may remove angioma if they are bleeding or they cosmetically unappealing. Removal cab be through lasers or electrocautery. The growth tissue is burnt or destroyed by used of an electric current. This removal method may cause scarring.
Sebaceous cysts on face near eye
These are noncancerous small lumps lying beneath the surface of the skin. Sebaceous cyst can appear anywhere on the skin. But the most common part you are likely to notice them include the face, neck and trunk. The cyst do not necessarily cause any problem therefore needing no treatment at all. You may choose to have the cyst removed if its appearance cause any discomfort or it hurts when it’s infected or ruptured.
Sebaceous cysts on your face near the eye form out of the sebaceous gland. Cysts tend to develop if the gland or the duct gets blocked or damaged. Physical trauma such as injury, scratch, skin condition, can result to damage.
Sebaceous cyst and epidermoid are terms used interchangeably. But the truth is, they ae different. Sebaceous often arise from hair follicles while epidermoid cysts develop from skin cells. Sebaceous cysts will arise from an inflamed hair follicle that occasionally becomes swollen. Epidermoid cysts are as a result of cells from the skin. The surface of the skin known as epidermis. The symptoms of sebaceous cyst on the face include:
- a small round lump lying beneath the skin
- tenderness, redness, swelling on the area if inflamed
- painless bumps unless infected or ruptured
- soft to the touch
- little blackheads plugging the central opening of the cyst
Infected sebaceous cyst on face hurts
Sebaceous cysts grow slowly and are usually painless. Sebaceous cyst can become inflamed or infected causing pain and discomfort. If the cysts get ruptured, it can result to boil-like infection or a skin cyst abscess. An abscess is generally a tender mass surrounded by a colored area ranging from pink to deep red.
An infected sebaceous cyst is painful and warm to touch. Inflammation around the hair follicles can lead to an abscess. Effective treatment for infected sebaceous cysts requires draining the cyst. Antibiotics alone will not cure an inflamed cyst on the face near eye. Although the draining may occur on its own, it must be done by a doctor through a safe procedure called incision and drainage (I&D).
In most cases, the procedure has no complications or side effect after treatment to drain or to remove it the cyst surgically. However, even after the surgery is done to remove the cyst, they can sometimes recur.
Cyst on face won’t pop or won’t go away
Facial cyst that refuses to go away or won’t pop is scary and difficult to live with. Cysts should go away on their own without treatment. Unlike the normal sebaceous or epidermoid cyst, cystic acne on the face is deeply embedded in the skin tissue thus actually hard to pop. Facial cyst that refuses to go or won’t pop can be removed by surgery. In most cases, incision is done to remove the cyst.
A cyst that won’t pop is usually with other foreign materials, including build of cells (keratin). The cyst is removed through incision, under local anesthetic. The area around the skin is numbed by some local anesthetic before a cut is made.
Facial cyst removal
A cyst on the face is harmless and will go its own without treatment. However, if the cyst gets inflamed or infected and ruptured, it can be painful. If the sebaceous cyst makes you look cosmetically bad, you need to remove it. A cyst on your face that becomes swollen or tender can be healed through effective home remedies. Here’s how to remove the cyst with home remedies:
- You can put a warm moist compress over the cyst to help it drain.
- Press a washcloth immersed in warm water gently against the cyst and the surrounding skin
- Leave it on the skin until the washcloth cools
- Repeat the procedure two to three times a day
- For effective result, do the above procedure several times a day.
- You should resist any urge to pop or squeeze the cyst like a pimple. An inflamed cyst can be removed by a doctor through a safe surgical procedure. The cyst can be drained through incision or injected with a steroid medicine to reduce swelling. Do NOT be tempted to pop the cyst. If the zit is infected or inflamed, you risk spreading the infection. The sac may still be left underneath the skin, it can grow back refusing to go away even after treatment. An infected cyst can be treated with antibiotics.
3. Surgically removing the cyst
Facial cyst can be drained by surgically removing it. Your healthcare provider will carry out additional test to ascertain the cyst is not cancerous. Common tests include:
- CT scans to help your doctor in finding the best route for surgery identify abnormalities
- Ultrasounds to identify the contents of the cyst
- Punch biopsy to check any signs or symptoms of cancer
Without surgery, the cyst is likely to come back. Surgery helps to remove the cyst completely. It is the best treatment. Depending on the tests and appearance of the cyst on the face, one of the following methods may be used to remove facial cyst:
- Conventional wide excision: it is effective as the cyst is completely removed but long scar is left behind.
- Minimal excision: scarring is minimized but there’s a possibility the cyst will recur
- Laser with punch biopsy excision: here, laser is used to make a small hole to drain the content of the cyst. Additionally, the outer walls are removed later about a month.
Besides surgically removing the cyst, your doctor may give antibiotics ointment to prevent infection. You may also need a scar cream to reduce the appearance of any surgical scars.
Facial cyst treatment
Cysts are normally harmless and will go on their own without necessarily needing treatment. Cysts do not cause any pain at all unless they are ruptured or inflamed. Some cyst bothering you or appearing cosmetically unappealing can be drained to relieve the symptoms.
Do not be tempted to pop the cyst. It may be infected risking spreading the infection on the surrounding skin. If the sac is left underneath the skin, it can recur. See your GP if the cyst is inflamed.
How to get rid of cyst on face with home remedies
Home remedies can be used to help drain sebaceous cyst on your face. They are effective in speeding the healing process. Below here are some of the effective home remedies to cure facial cyst.
1. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is one of the effective natural home remedies to relieve several ailments. It has anti-inflammatory properties to get rid of infections. Apply fresh gel from aloe plant directly on the cyst. The gel helps to reduce swelling and reduce risk of infection on the cyst. You can also drink aloe Vera juice directly to remove fungal and bacterial infections from the body.
2. Tea Tree Oil
To get rid of cyst on your face, you may have to use tea tree oil. It is one of the effective home remedy with its beneficial anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. It is these properties that can help heal cyst, acne and other skin and health problems. Apply some tea tree oil directly on the cyst. It will fight of infection and inflammation reducing the risk of cyst recurring.
You may also use diluted tea tree oil. Here’s how:
- Mix tea tree oil and water. It could be a ratio of 1:9
- Apply directly on the cyst
- Do this thrice a day for several days for effective results.
3. Castor Oil
Sebaceous cyst on your face can be healed using castor oil. An inflamed and itchy sebaceous cyst can be healed effective with castor oil. Follow this procedure to get rid of cyst on face:
- Put a piece of cloth in the oil
- Place the cloth with the oil on the infected cyst
- Repeat this procedure twice daily for several days
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider is one of the effective and useful home for treating various health problems. It can help to drain pus from infected cyst.
- Apply natural apple cider vinegar on the infected cyst
- Cover it with a bandage
- Remove the bandage after 3 to 4 days
- Pus will ooze out, after you remove a hard layer formed on the cyst
- Clean the pus, and cover with a new bandage
5. Warm compress
Warm compress is another useful and effective home remedy to drain cyst fast.
- Gently press the cyst with a washcloth immersed in warm water
- Leave the warm cloth on the cyst until it cools
- Repeat the procedure two to three times a day
- For effective result, do the above procedure several times a day.
6. Baking soda
Baking soda has antiseptic properties that can help get rid of facial cyst. Harmful bacteria that may invade the cyst on your face can be removed effectively by baking soda.
- Add a tablespoon of baking soda in glass of water
- You can add sea salt to the mixture (baking soda and water)
- Place the mixture on the cyst on your face
- Leave it for about 15 minutes
- Rinse it off with lukewarm water afterwards.
Facial Cyst Removal Video
Further references:
- http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/skin-cyst/Pages/Introduction.aspx
- http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sebaceous-cysts/basics/complications/con-20031599
- http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/cysts-lumps-bumps – 1-7
- http://www.healthline.com/health/sebaceous-cyst – 1
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebaceous_cyst
- http://www.medicinenet.com/cyst/article.htm