What should you know about a non-sebaceous cyst?

These cysts often feel like a round, mobile lump beneath the skin and may have a small central opening. They can remain quiet for a long time, then become swollen, warm, painful, or drain thick material if inflamed. A skin lump has other possible causes, so appearance alone cannot confirm the diagnosis.

A clinician can inspect and feel the area, ask how it has changed, and decide whether it is safe to observe or needs a procedure. Do not squeeze, pierce, or repeatedly massage it, since this can worsen inflammation and introduce infection.

A small, comfortable cyst may simply be monitored. If inflammation is present, a clinician may consider a steroid injection into the skin; an infected collection may need abscess drainage. Cyst removal removes the sac and may reduce recurrence, but the timing depends on whether the area is actively inflamed and on its location.

Keep the skin clean, protect it from friction, and take a photograph if its size or colour changes. Read about [Skin Lumps](/symptoms/skin-lumps/) and [Cyst Removal](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/cyst-removal/) to prepare for a consultation.

Seek prompt assessment for a lump that becomes rapidly larger, very painful, hot, red, or increasingly tender, especially with drainage or fever. Arrange review if it bleeds, ulcerates, feels fixed, returns after treatment, or does not behave like a familiar cyst. Urgent care is appropriate for spreading redness, severe pain, or feeling acutely unwell.

Does this look like an epidermoid cyst or another skin lump? Is it inflamed or infected? Should it be watched, injected, drained, or removed? If removal is advised, what scar and wound care should I expect? What changes should prompt an earlier review?