Patient guide
Skin cyst removal: types, symptoms and treatment
By the SkinOps team · Updated · 2 min read
Based on information from the NHS website. This guide is waiting for review by a clinician and is not medical advice.
A skin cyst is a round lump under the skin, often filled with fluid or pus. Cysts are usually harmless and grow slowly. Some stay the size of a pea, while others reach a few centimetres across.
They are not cancer and you cannot catch them from someone else. Even so, any new lump deserves a proper look, so here is what to watch for.
Common types of cyst
The name usually tells you where the cyst forms. The ones people most often think of as skin cysts are:
- epidermoid cysts, which form in the top layer of skin
- pilar cysts, which grow from hair follicles and usually appear on the scalp
Other cysts include ganglion cysts near joints and tendons, Baker's cysts behind the knee, Bartholin's cysts near the opening of the vagina and meibomian cysts on the eyelid. These are treated differently.
How to recognise a skin cyst
- a round lump under the skin
- it may contain fluid or pus
- some have a small dark spot in the middle
- it grows slowly
- it may become red and sore if it gets infected, although redness can be harder to see on black or brown skin
Often there is no clear reason a cyst appears. They are more likely if cysts run in your family (especially pilar cysts), if you are middle-aged or female, or if you have acne.
When to get a lump checked
See a GP about any lump you cannot explain. It is especially important if the lump:
- gets bigger
- is painful, red or hot
- is hard and does not move
- lasts more than 2 weeks
- grows back after being removed
Do not squeeze it
Squeezing or trying to burst a cyst can cause an infection, or spread one that is already there. If a cyst becomes sore or red, get medical advice promptly.
Treatment and removal
If a cyst is not causing any trouble, it can simply be left alone. An infected cyst may need antibiotics.
A cyst that is painful, large or getting in the way can be removed with minor surgery under local anaesthetic, so you are awake but the area is numb. It will leave a small scar once it has healed.
NHS or private?
The NHS may remove a cyst if it is having a real impact on your daily life. If you want a harmless cyst removed only because of how it looks, you would usually need to pay privately. Your GP can tell you which applies to you.