Subaceous Cyst Removal

My ex-husband had several removed and each time the scar is just a minimal little tic mark. Watching him deal with the pain and sometimes embarassment from the cysts, I would say it was worth it to have them removed. He had more than one doctor and yet the results were the same. Immediately afterwards there was some slight redness/brusing and puffiness around the incision, but it faded quickly and we kept silvadene (sp?) cream on it while it was healing to minimize the scarring. Ultimately, the decision is yours, but I wanted to share a positive tale for you to consider. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

Good morning, I am 45 years old and a grandma. I have had several of the cyst removed and depending on where the cyst is on your face is the scar factor. 3 of my scars are very very small and you can not see them unless you know where to look and one is a littler larger (looks like it stretched. I would say depending on how much you move that part of the face during the healing process is how big the scar will be. Most physicians can make the scar just a little line.
I also have to say it depends on how you personally heal. Do you have scars from childhood?
The second physician is correct though if it has grown it will continue to grow and the scar will be bigger.

Take a deep breath, pray and have a wonderful Christmas holiday.

1 mom found this helpful

it just depends on the doctor and the way they remove the cyst. as long as you take care of the wound and the stiches afterwards, scarring will be minimal. don't use neosporin on it, use vaseline. people become allergic to neosporin after using in the same spot for days at a time. vaseline will keep the stiches most and the swelling will go away faster the better you take care of it. there is some silicone patches ,that also help with scarring, that you you can buy at most stores. just ask the pharmicist. (i worked in derm for many years, that is how i know all this.) if you have any more questions just ask.

I had one removed from my right side (high cheek bone area) I had two stitches to close the opening after the removal, this was in 2000 and right after it was noticeable but i rubbed a couple of tmes a day with vitamin E oil and it helped the scaring . Today you cant see it when I have makeup on, but when i dont have makeup on you can see the tiny scar but its not un-sightly. Hope this helps, You will be fine. B.

I had three removed off the top of my head. Of course they can't be seen up there. But the doctor had warned me that I may have a bald spot where they were and I don't. So I think it's worth the risk to have it removed.

If not removed it can grow also become inflammed or infected.Since it is neither at this time if you wanted to wait until after the holidays that would probably be fine.As for scarring check with your physician about type of closure they plan to use.closer and smaller stitches leave less scarring. There is also suture less closures a type of glue that is good. The procedure is simple. After care should include a ointment like Mederma to lessen any scar.
Good Luck and May you and your family have a wonderful Holiday Season.

I would definitely go to a plastic surgeon since it is on your face. I work in the operating room and you definitly don't want a dermatologist working on your face. I am sure some can do an alright job but it is your face. Wait until after the holidays.

If I were you, I would make sure I had it removed by a plastic surgeon, not a dermatologist. Since it is on your face.

I'd definitely wait until after xmas to have it removed. It may take a bit to heal and you may need to wear a bandage over it for a little while. I am having a small skin cancer spot removed from a visable area on my chest. Because the spot is in a visable area, the dermatologist I saw, refered me to a plastic surgeon to have it removed so that the scar would be more minimal. You should talk to your dermatologist about your scaring concern (which is very valid) and see if he or she could refer you to a plastic surgeon for the removal so you can ensure that you end up with the best possible look post-removal. I've not had my spot removed yet, but did have the consultation with the plastic surgeon and she said to expect the overall healing process to take about 3 months. I believe that she also said around 7 days after my removal there will be a creme that I will apply that should help minimize the scarring a bit. Anyway - I encourage you to ask a lot of questions and seek out the best procedure.

i had one on my back of my head, i was born with it, then later in my teen years it started bothering me, my mom took me to my doctor who then sent be to the dermatologist, who did a byopsy and said it was called novesious subaceous cyst (not sure if i spelled that right) but it went all the way to my skull, he sent me to a plastic surgreon who could min. the scar. so i went had the surgery done, the scar was small, buti developed a staph b infection from the hospital which requried me to have another operation, so my scar was no longer small. A few years later it grew back and even bigger, so i had the operation done again. My last one was in 01 my scar has gotten so big that the only way i feel comfortable is to wear my hair in a pony tail so it wont show, it has grown back again, but i have choosen not to do it anymore, it is very painful, and when they tell u that u have it friday and back to work or school monday that is a lie, u are laid up for a while, it hurts to move your head, and with two kids i just cant do that. Now i dont know if it is just because that it was done on the back of my head, but i would think it would be the same for my face. But you might want to look into having a plastic surgeon assist so your scar would be min. Good Luck.

S.-
Several years ago I had one that my Dr. "drained." He then filled it with cotton for about a week. I pulled the cotton out in the shower as he advised and the incision healed up fine. The scar is a thin line that is about 1/4 inch long. I don't know the difference in having it removed and drained, but I had mine at least 10 years ago and it has not returned. He used a local when he made the incision, so I felt nothing, and never really had any pain. I wore a band aid over it until the cotton could come out. Just do what makes you feel better about you!

I have had one of these cyst on my elbow for years. In has become inflammed a couple of times and swollen. A short round of antibiotics has offered relief for that. I too recently decided that I wanted it removed but after several attempts, I have yet to find a dr. who wants to remove it for me. And I have now been told by two alternative health professionals that I should leave it alone. I was actually told that the cyst was probaly the result of something else going on in my body.

You should do whatever you are most comfortable with and not what you feel pressured in to. My only concern would be if you have this one removed who is to say you will not end up with another one. The last thing you want is to end up having multiple scars. Good luck to you.

Hello Stacy! One on my male co-workers had the same type of cyst on his forehead. At first he elected not to have his removed but it started growing. So he had is removed. I would have to agree that the small scar that it left was more eye pleasing than the growth was in the middle of his forehead. Anyway, I hope this helps and good luck with everything.

You've had a lot of good advice, but I just wanted to add that there are dermatologists that specialize in more of a plastic surgery approach. I had a mole that needed to be removed from my face, and b/c of the location, my regular dermatologist referred me to a specialist that deals with facial dermatology. I'm sorry, but I don't recall the drs name or I would plass that on to you. Good luck!

S.,
It looks like you had this done today but I wanted to reassure you that you will be fine. I had one removed on my forehead about 10 years ago and did great. The scar is not noticeable at all now! These little cysts are just a collection of harmless cells so there is nothing to worry about in that respect. They can grow and look ugly but that's about it. I hope your surgery went well and you aren't in too much discomfort. Enjoy the holidays!
M.

I agree wait til after the holidays. My daughter has a cyst on her face. We are actually going to have a plastic surgeon remove it. So the scaring will be less noticable. I was told by her dermotologist she would need 2-3 stitches and hers is very small! We are seeing a Dr. David Taylor. He sewed me up when I was little and my sis hit me in the head with a golf club. I had 150 stitches and you can hardly tell. And let me know you if you any more questions as we are getting hers removed in the begining of Jan. My little one has a calcuim deposit cyst / tumor. So hers will actually grow and could get infected. Your might be the same thing. It was called polyocist (sp???). I can check what it was if you need me to. Good Luck, L.

I would definately wait until after the holidays.

S.,

About five months ago I had one removed from my jawline. Mine was pretty deep, so the dermatologist ended up doing three "layers" of internal stitches and the outside stitches were pretty minimal. I got the stitches removed in about a week and the "railroad" pattern (as he called it) that was left behind wasn't too bad. It's darker than my normal skin, of course, but I feel soooo much better having a slight scar than having that cyst on my neck; people were always touching it and asking about it, I was so self-conscious.

It will hurt pretty good for a while (just a warning!) but I think it will be worth it for you, too.

If you have any other questions, just ask, I'll be happy to give any information that I can.

Good luck!!!
E. :)

If you have it removed, there is a cream called Scarless that my husband used on his face when he had a small cancer removed and it really worked. He has no scar. You can buy this over the counter at Wal-Mart. S.

http://www.dermablend.com/index.aspx
I have yet to find anything (severe burns, acne, scars, uneven pigmentation) that this won't cover - it's expensive but it lasts forever, and if you seal it with the powder it won't come off in the pool, working out, you name it.

S.

I had one removed from my upper back when I was a teenager. There is a scar there, but I don't see it very well any more. What I've been told is that you should have it removed especially if it has a tendency to inflame and/or get larger. They spread too. You can have another one pop up some where else on your body. If you can find someone who specializes in facial surgery. Although it would be a very small incision, just the after care alone can make a difference in how the scar heals. Good luck.

Hi, my Mom had one removed many years ago from her back. It was the size of a small egg. The scar is a nice straight line (yours should be too unless it's in a really weird spot). Just use vitamin E oil or Mederma or whatever your dermatologist recommends faithfully. The face heals remarkably well. Don't be vain. You are doing something about it and they are right that it would only grow and get bigger if you left it alone. With really advanced make-ups these days and good scar medicine, you will be surprised that in a short while it might not be too noticable. Good luck.

My 3 year old daughter had a sebaceous cyst removed from her eyelid in Aug. by a plastic surgeon (I recommend this over a dermatologist because the plastic surgeon makes a living minimizing scars and helping people look their best). They did it as a minor outpatient procedure in the hospital. She went in first thing in the morning and was up running around by noon. It was about the size of a pea. She has a tiny scar but the surgeon was able to put it in the crease of her eyelid to help hide it. The incision was about an inch long. She had internal stitches that dissolved within a couple weeks and they also used that glue to avoid putting external stitches (which helps with less scarring). If the cyst isn't too big, the incision should be small therefore leaving little scarring. The worst part was the black eye she had for a week. Good luck, hopes this puts your mind at ease. Merry Christmas and have a happy new year!