Anyone ever have a Sebaceous cyst on the face?
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free skin care · Fri Nov 09, 2007 5:32 am

I have been diagnosed with a sebaceous cyst just to the side of my chin and have a visable raised spot. I am wondering if anyone has been able to reduce the size or get rid of one with a steroid injection. No doc wants to cut it out because of the scarring (and I tend not to be a good scar healer anyway.) HELP! Confused

free skin care · Fri Nov 09, 2007 6:50 am

My husband had a sebaceous cyst on his cheek many years ago. He had his removed and left with a very small scar. In saying that, I am sure that they have other ways in 2007 to desolve sebaceous cyst. Looking forward to hear how other EDS member dealt with this.

Quote:

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.

free skin care · Fri Nov 09, 2007 1:54 pm

I've only had them on my scalp, and the doctor cut them out, but I'll add my response so your question will get bumped up. (No pun intended.......)

free skin care · Fri Nov 09, 2007 2:21 pm

Winnie...I was surprised to find out that there are no new procedures to get rid of sebaceous cysts. I thought maybe they had some kind of sucker-ducker needle that slurped it right out Laughing

but nope, the knife or a steroid are my choices. The risk with steriods is that the muscle can atrophy resulting in a sunken spot. I actually had that happen to one of my butt cheeks!! I got a cortisone shot in one cheek after a bad case of poison ivy, and within a few wks that butt cheek disappeared! I swear, it completely atrophied! Since I am relatively butt-less anyway, this was not a good look for me. It took one full year for my butt cheek to come back! Embarassed

consequently, steroids scare me...

free skin care · Fri Nov 09, 2007 2:26 pm

mountaingirl wrote:

Winnie...I was surprised to find out that there are no new procedures to get rid of sebaceous cysts. I thought maybe they had some kind of sucker-ducker needle that slurped it right out Laughing

but nope, the knife or a steroid are my choices. The risk with steriods is that the muscle can atrophy resulting in a sunken spot. I actually had that happen to one of my butt cheeks!! I got a cortisone shot in one cheek after a bad case of poison ivy, and within a few wks that butt cheek disappeared! I swear, it completely atrophied! Since I am relatively butt-less anyway, this was not a good look for me. It took one full year for my butt cheek to come back! Embarassed

consequently, steroids scare me...

oh..my...god. that is terrifying. is this the same thing as a cortisone shot? a lot of people do it relatively often for acne, but it sounds like you have a sensitivity -- yikes! I get poison oak all the time and often have to take predisone -- I will have to remember to never let them near my butt with injectible steroids!

free skin care · Fri Nov 09, 2007 2:35 pm

I think that corisone is a steroid. Yep..I'm keeping them needles away from my but-tocks!

free skin care · Fri Nov 09, 2007 3:10 pm

I have a very small sebaceous cyst on the bridge of my nose. It is about 1mm in diameter and I have had it now about 3 years. I hate it Sad

. I saw a couple of derms and a plastic surgeon on the NHS and they all told me that it could be cut out but would leave a horrendous scar. Basically they are very reluctant to do anything on the NHS which would be considered cosmetic, for example years ago when I first got treatment for acne the spots cleared up I was still left with lots of blackeads and congested skin. I asked if anything could be done and was told rather curtly that it was a merely a cosmetic matter and not to waste time in future. I think they must be able to get rid of these as an old boyfriends dad had a huge one on his nose and it was removed without a mark!
I think perhaps they just prefer to wait until they are quite large. Johnny Depp also had one on his nose that was removed without a scar, and yet SJ Parker has never had hers removed nor has the british actress Catherine Tate has a large one on her chin that hasn't been removed, I would think that if something could be done they would have had theirs removed but perhaps they are not bothered by them?
I have been trying to keep my cyst as flat a possible by using peels and retin a. I did once scour it right off with an emery board, apply TCA and super cop x 2 but it just grew back. I think that is the issue with them is that you have to actually punch out that whole area of skin quite deep into the dermis and actually remove the sebaceous gland that has become enlarged, just removing the bump isn't enough as it would just grow back. It is okay to do this on the body perhaps or a place where the scar would be hidden but on the face there is little room for error and so for a lot of docs just not worth the risk.
I was thinking of trying steriod cream on it also but after what you say about atrophy I am rather put off!

I think lasers might be the answer and I am looking into this treatment myself but it is too pricey for me at present and success is not garenteed either.
They can put a man on the moon but they cannot find a way to get rid of these cysts Rolling Eyes

I wish you the best of luck in dealing with this and if you find something that works pls do let us know.
Pandora x
P.S. Sorry for the rant but these cysts really bother me and I do not think they are a mere cosmetic issue as most Doctors seem to think!

free skin care · Fri Nov 09, 2007 7:02 pm

As a teenager I had two sebaceous cysts removed from my face. One was on my temple right beside my right eye, the other was on my left cheek - they were both the size of a pea. I am now in my 50's, so the surgery was a long time ago. I was left with small scars and a tiny hole that has never heeled up. However, I think I prefer the scars to the cysts - the scars are really only noticeable to myself, whereas when I had the cysts people were always asking me about them which drove me crazy - especially as I was a teenager.

I have also been plagued by these other cysts that were all over my forehead and cheeks - very tiny little cysts that if you squeeze them just come back. One dermatologist cut one out and sent it for pathology - it was a kind of cyst, but I've forgotten the name of it. Anyway, I'm super prone to these damn things and the bad news is that they are very difficult to treat because of all the scarring that surgery causes. I ended up getting my forehead lasered and that was quite successful. However, I have had the most success myself "operating" on them. That is pricking and squeezing and then using Retin-A. My forehead is now relatively smooth, in fact its a 90% improvement on what it was.

So, regarding your sebaceous cyst - if it really drives you mad, I would get it surgically removed and treat any resulting scar with Retin-A.

Let us know how you go with it.

free skin care · Fri Nov 09, 2007 7:14 pm

wow...lots of information here...encouraging and discouraging. Personally I would rather have a scar than the lump. I say that now, but I might say the reverse after the cut is done. If I have to get it cut out would you all advise a plastic surgeon over a dermatologist?

free skin care · Fri Nov 09, 2007 7:26 pm

mountaingirl wrote:

wow...lots of information here...encouraging and discouraging. Personally I would rather have a scar than the lump. I say that now, but I might say the reverse after the cut is done. If I have to get it cut out would you all advise a plastic surgeon over a dermatologist?

I would imagine that the procedure would be the same, whether done by a plastic surgeon or a dermatologist. However, I suppose there would be more of a "comfort zone" with a plastic surgeon in that their training covers the area of reconstruction. Actually, I too am about to have a consultation with a doctor about the removal of a mole on my cheek. It's one of those "witches" ones with the hairs growing out of it - uuugh! So I think I would rather have a small scar too than this retched thing!

free skin care · Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:38 pm

Kelui...I saved this link to this website after reading about a paste that will rid you of warts and moles (without a doc.) (It was on the EDS forum) Check it out: www.hid-n-discoveries.com/ItWorksPaste.html

free skin care · Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:53 pm

I would say with any kind of surgery of this kind to go with a plastic surgeon if possible.

free skin care · Sat Nov 10, 2007 3:47 am

mountaingirl wrote:

Kelui...I saved this link to this website after reading about a paste that will rid you of warts and moles (without a doc.) (It was on the EDS forum) Check it out: www.hid-n-discoveries.com/ItWorksPaste.html

Thanks Mountaingirl, I'm going to order this and give it a go. Very Happy

free skin care · Sat Nov 10, 2007 5:39 am

A product that burns the skin to the point of creating a black scab in 20 minutes seems warranted of extreme caution and know how. I would keep your appointment with the doc. It is your face after all. The website itself mentions almost inevitable scarring with their product for which they advise after care cream.

free skin care · Sat Nov 10, 2007 9:25 am

Hi, last july i went to see my doc because i had a lump near the tip of my nose, and he said it was a sebaceous cyst, and that no doc would want to operate because it was bang in the centre of my face. I went back two weeks ago and another doc reckons it could be basal cell carcinoma, i am seeing a specialist on Tuesday.
My advice is to make sure it is checked out properly, apparently they can start our as cysts and then develop into skin cancer, (they always paint the picture black don't they !)
Tip= i've being using 20%salicyic acid and it definately keeps the bump down, and i think it has shrunk slightly.

free skin care · Sat Nov 10, 2007 12:18 pm

Yikes Nicola! I hope everything turns out well for you. I've had a cancer scare once myself and it's a hard thing to deal with.
Hugs!

free skin care · Sat Nov 10, 2007 1:21 pm

Hi SylphideNoir,
thanks for your kind words, at first a sebaceous cyst freaked me out, but i'd gladly settle for one now,
thanks again
nicola

free skin care · Sat Nov 10, 2007 8:27 pm

I had a sebaceous cyst right beside my nose when I was about 18 y.o. When I went to the dermatologist to have it checked out, he gave me a cortisone shot to see if that would take care of it...but it didn't make any difference. He said the cyst wasn't harmful and it was up to me if I wanted to have it surgically removed. It wasn't painful or anything, so I left it alone...but after a couple of years it seemed more noticeable (I could actually see it in pictures...a raised bump beside my nose!)

I finally decided to have it surgically removed, and right after the surgery, the doctor told me that they had removed not just the one, but "three cysts...like a cluster of large grapes"!!!! They did a biopsy on the cysts, and luckily they were all benign. I don't remember being concerned about what kind of a scar it would leave at the time...I was just so grateful it wasn't anything serious...but I do remember when my face healed, I was amazed that the scar was barely noticeable...about the size of an enlarged pore!

Nicola, I hope all goes well for you at your next dr. appt. Please keep us posted. {{{Hugs}}}

free skin care · Sat Nov 10, 2007 8:45 pm

I really thought that the removal of cysts by doctors was a common occurrence. Maybe all this reluctance to operate is caused by the litigious world we now live in - perhaps they're all terrified that if they leave a scar they'll be sued. Or am I just being too cynical? Rolling Eyes

free skin care · Sat Nov 10, 2007 9:17 pm

Nicola...yes, your dilemna helps me get some perspective. I hope everything turns out ok for you.
Kelui...I also don't understand the reluctance of Doctors about cutting them out...as if a lump is more attractive than a scar?! Rolling Eyes

free skin care · Sun Nov 11, 2007 4:57 am

thanks everyone, i'll report back on tues with the good news, (you have to be optimistic)
nicola

free skin care · Sun Nov 11, 2007 6:43 am

Keliu wrote:

I really thought that the removal of cysts by doctors was a common occurrence. Maybe all this reluctance to operate is caused by the litigious world we now live in - perhaps they're all terrified that if they leave a scar they'll be sued. Or am I just being too cynical? Rolling Eyes

No, you're not being cynical. Our world has gone lawsuit crazy. Granted, there are some legitimate lawsuits out there. But for the most part, there is this "you owe me; I'm entitled" attitude. Oops, sorry for getting on my bandwagon. Shock

free skin care · Sun Nov 11, 2007 3:24 pm

I had one on my left cheek about two inches from my nose which was removed about seven years ago. The scar he left was, I thought, ridiculous in relation to the size of the cyst and so this past summer I decided to have some restylane injected to see if it would help. It didn't Sad

In other news, I've recently read that topical vitamin C can cause basal cell carcinomas to fall off.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, November 9, 2007

Topical Vitamin C Stops Basal Cell Carcinoma
(OMNS Nov 9 2007) The most common form of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma, often responds to a remarkably simple, safe, at-home treatment: vitamin C. Physicians and patients report that vitamin C, applied directly to basal cell skin cancers, causes them to scab over and drop off. [1] Successful use involves a highly-concentrated vitamin C solution, directly applied to the blemish two or three times a day. Vitamin C is selectively toxic to cancer cells, but does not harm healthy skin cells. This is also the basis for high-dose intravenous vitamin therapy for cancer. [2] Even higher concentrations of vitamin C can be obtained by direct application. The use of topical vitamin C to kill basal cell carcinoma has been known at least since 1971. Frederick R. Klenner, MD, wrote: "We have removed several small basal cell epithelioma with a 30 percent ointment" of vitamin C. [3]

One person, who reported that a 2mm diameter spot on the nose would not heal for months, had it disappear within a week with twice-daily concentrated vitamin C applications. Another patient reported that after dermatologist-diagnosed multiple spots of basal cell carcinoma were coated with vitamin C, the spots fell off within two weeks. [4]

Basal cell carcinomas are slow growing and it is rare for them to metastasize. This provides an opportunity for a therapeutic trial of vitamin C, provided one has proper medical diagnosis and follow-up.

Preparation of a water-saturated vitamin C solution is simple. Slowly add a small amount of water to about half a teaspoon of vitamin C powder or crystals. Use just enough water to dissolve the vitamin C. Using less water will make a paste. Either way, application with the fingertip or a cotton swab, several times daily, is easy. The water will evaporate in a few minutes and leave a plainly visible coat of vitamin C crystals on the skin.

Consult your doctor before employing this or any other self-care treatment. A physician’s diagnosis is especially important, since other forms of skin cancer, such as melanoma, are faster growing and more dangerous. If the vitamin C treated area is not improved after a few weeks, a doctor should be consulted once again

free skin care · Sun Nov 11, 2007 4:12 pm

Many years back, I had one at the side of my eyebrow. My GP got rid of it, cant remember if he sucked it out or cut? Sucked I think. Anyhow I have a mark like a hole or indent there. I prefer that to people thinking I had a huge pimple there instead! Now of course it is camouflaged by wrinkles Laughing

free skin care · Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:14 pm

hi, have to have a biopsy on tuesday hoping its a sebaceous cyst but wont know for a few weeks, panicking because i have to have stitches and am worried it will leave a big scar
Crying or Very sad

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