What should you know about a white cyst on the scalp?

Pilar cysts form around a hair follicle and commonly feel smooth, firm, and rounded beneath the scalp. The pale material seen through a thin surface or at a small opening is keratin, not necessarily pus. A scalp lump can have other causes, so appearance alone cannot confirm the diagnosis.

Avoid squeezing, piercing, or repeatedly picking at it. Those actions can irritate the skin, introduce bacteria, or leave the cyst wall behind, allowing the lump to return. A clinician will consider its size, mobility, tenderness, surface changes, and how long it has been present.

Keep the area clean and avoid tight headwear or hairstyles that rub the lump. If it catches on a comb, protect it from friction and arrange a routine dermatology assessment. A quiet cyst may only need observation; a bothersome or recurrent one may be discussed for cyst removal, usually with attention to removing its surrounding sac.

Do not apply harsh acids or attempt home drainage. Photographing the area and noting changes in tenderness, redness, discharge, or size can help your clinician understand its pattern.

Arrange prompt medical review if the lump becomes rapidly larger, hot, red, increasingly painful, or starts draining. Seek urgent help if redness spreads, you feel unwell, or swelling affects the eye, ear, or neck. A firm lump that changes, bleeds, or does not behave like a stable cyst also deserves an examination.

Ask whether the lump appears to be a pilar cyst, whether monitoring is reasonable, what signs would suggest inflammation, and whether removal would include the cyst wall. You can also ask about expected wound care and the chance of recurrence.