A common, benign lump, removed cleanly to reduce the chance of it returning.
Skin cyst removal is a straightforward outpatient procedure that excises the entire cyst wall under local anaesthetic, treating uncomfortable or recurrently infected cysts and preventing them from coming back.
What is a skin cyst?
A skin cyst (often a sebaceous or epidermoid cyst) is a small, closed sac under the skin, usually filled with a soft, keratin-like material. It grows slowly and is typically painless unless infected, at which point it can become red, swollen and tender.
Signs worth getting checked
- A round lump under the skin
- Slow, gradual growth
- Redness or tenderness if infected
- Discharge with an odour, if infected
- A small central punctum (opening) visible on some cysts
- A cyst that keeps coming back after previous treatment
Your treatment options
Complete removal of the cyst wall is the only way to reliably prevent recurrence, anything less tends to come back.
If it’s not causing problems, monitoring is a perfectly reasonable option.
If a cyst becomes acutely infected, this relieves pain and infection quickly, though it’s usually a first step rather than definitive treatment.
Removing the entire cyst wall, not just the contents, under local anaesthetic, the most effective way to prevent it coming back.
For cysts that have recurred after previous treatment, or are simply larger, a slightly more involved excision under local anaesthetic to ensure complete removal.
Recovery & aftercare
A single outpatient visit is usually all that’s needed. You’ll have simple wound-care advice and, if stitches are used, a follow-up appointment for their removal.
If a cyst keeps returning after drainage, the cyst wall itself likely needs removing rather than repeatedly treating the infection.
Straightforward and quick for most people, mild tenderness for a few days, back to normal activity almost immediately. Infected cysts treated with drainage first will need definitive removal once the infection has settled, so factor in two appointments rather than one if that’s your situation.
