What should you know about an inflamed lump under the skin?

A lump beneath the skin can be soft or firm, movable or fixed, and painful or painless. Inflammation often adds tenderness, warmth, redness, or swelling. A [Boils](/conditions/boils/) page explains a common painful, infected lump, while other lumps have different causes. Most lumps are not diagnosed safely from a description alone. A changing, bleeding, crusting, or non-healing surface deserves assessment because skin cancers such as [Basal Cell Carcinoma](/conditions/basal-cell-carcinoma/) can sometimes resemble an ordinary lesion.

Do not squeeze, puncture, or repeatedly massage the lump. Keep the area clean, note its size and changes, and reduce rubbing from clothing or equipment. A clinician may examine the skin and nearby tissue and decide whether observation, drainage, medication, or another treatment is appropriate. [Steroid Injection Into The Skin](/treatments/injectables/intralesional-steroid-injection/) may be considered for selected inflammatory lesions, not for every lump.

Arrange prompt assessment for a lump that grows quickly, becomes increasingly painful, feels hot, drains pus, or is surrounded by spreading redness. Fever, chills, or feeling very unwell can signal a more serious infection. Seek urgent help for severe swelling near the eye or airway, or for rapidly worsening symptoms. A persistent or changing lump should be examined even when it is not painful.

Ask what features point toward infection, a cyst, scar tissue, or another growth, and whether the lump needs imaging, drainage, or a sample. Ask which changes should prompt an earlier review and how to protect the area meanwhile.