For about two months now I've had what I think is a sebaceous cyst on my scalp, and while I'm waiting for my appointment with the surgeon, I've decided to read up on the topic. So far I get the impression that a sebaceous cyst is similar to a big zit. But from what I understand, a sebaceous cyst can't be popped like a zit, because there is a "sac" that needs to be removed or the whole thing will grow back. However I remember as a teenager popping my zits away, even huge ones (once ripe, of course), and most of the time they didn't return at all. Why is there a sac in the cyst but not in the zit?
"plabord" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
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For about two months now I've had what I think is a sebaceous cyst on my scalp, and while I'm waiting for my appointment with the surgeon, I've decided to read up on the topic. So far I get the impression that a sebaceous cyst is similar to a big zit. But from what I understand, a sebaceous cyst can't be popped like a zit, because there is a "sac" that needs to be removed or the whole thing will grow back. However I remember as a teenager popping my zits away, even huge ones (once ripe, of course), and most of the time they didn't return at all. Why is there a sac in the cyst but not in the zit?
"plabord" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
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Sebum vs. pus.
HMc
So then it's no riskier to pop a cyst that a zit? Then why all the warnings everywhere about a sac that has to be removed?
PL
No risk at all. It's the difference between a cyst and an abscess. If you "pop a zit", you are, in essence draining an abscess and it heals once drained. If you pop a sebaceous cyst, you will empty the cyst capsule but as long as the cyst wall remains, the cyst will just reform. The cyst wall ("sac"😉 has to be removed.
Most sebaceous cysts will eventually become infected. It REALLY sucks when that happens.
Most sebaceous cysts will eventually become infected. It REALLY sucks when that happens.
HMc
Thanks for the responses.
My appointment with the surgeon is two weeks from now, and I'm really tempted to lance the thing. I know there are no guarantees, but if I sterilize the needle and wipe the area with alcohol, etc., would lancing it decrease the chances of infection, since these cysts seem to get infected on their own anyway, or increase them? Again, I know there are no guarantees, but just in general in your experience.
I'm really tempted to lance the thing. I know there are no guarantees, but if I sterilize the needle and wipe the area with alcohol, etc., would lancing it decrease the chances of infection...or increase them?
IMHO, poking a hole in the thing would probably *increase* the chance of infection.
"plabord" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
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Most sebaceous cysts will eventually become infected. It REALLY sucks
when
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that happens.
HMc
Thanks for the responses.
My appointment with the surgeon is two weeks from now, and I'm really tempted to lance the thing. I know there are no guarantees, but if I sterilize the needle and wipe the area with alcohol, etc., would lancing it decrease the chances of infection, since these cysts seem to get infected on their own anyway, or increase them? Again, I know there are no guarantees, but just in general in your experience.
"Lancing" it will accomplish nothing except possibly get it infected and certainly making the surgeon's job harder. If a patient came to me wanting their sebaceous, and they had just "lanced" it, I would tell the patient we had to wait until it healed before we would try to excise it.
