What should you know about squishy lump under skin?

A soft, mobile lump may be a fatty growth or a cyst, while a tender, warm lump can reflect inflammation or a boil. The skin above it may look normal or may be red and swollen. A lump that feels soft is not automatically harmless, and a skin lump is not enough to identify a cancer. A clinician may inspect it, feel its edges and depth, and decide whether imaging or sampling is needed. Read more about [Skin Lumps](/symptoms/skin-lumps/), [Boils](/conditions/boils/), and [Basal Cell Carcinoma](/conditions/basal-cell-carcinoma/).

Do not squeeze, puncture, or repeatedly massage the lump. Note when you first noticed it, whether it changes, and whether movement, pressure, or skin products affect it. Keep an inflamed area clean and avoid friction. Arrange a routine examination for a persistent or unexplained lump. If a clinician identifies a local inflammatory lesion, treatment might include drainage, observation, or a targeted option such as [Steroid Injection Into The Skin](/treatments/injectables/intralesional-steroid-injection/), depending on the diagnosis.

Seek prompt medical care if the lump grows quickly, becomes very painful, feels hard or fixed, or develops spreading redness, warmth, pus, or fever. Get urgent help for severe pain with rapidly worsening swelling, or if a lump follows a significant injury. A non-healing sore, recurrent bleeding, or a changing surface also deserves timely review.

What features make this lump more likely to be a cyst, fatty growth, boil, or another lesion? Does it need imaging or removal? What changes should prompt earlier review? If it is inflamed, should I avoid pressure or use a specific treatment?