LUMPS, BUMPS, AND CYSTS
The professionals at The Dermatology Center of Memorial believe that informed patients are better equipped to make decisions regarding their health and well-being. For your personal use, we have created an extensive patient library covering an array of educational topics, which can be found on the side of each page. Browse through these diagnoses and treatments to learn more about topics of interest to you. Below we include a brief description of some of the Cosmetic Services we offer. Please feel free to contact our offices with questions.
As always, you can contact our office to answer any questions or concerns.
Cosmetic Services
Botox Injection
An excellent treatment for wrinkles caused by muscle movement, Botox injection is a simple procedure taking only 10 or 15 minutes which involves minimal discomfort. Botox is used to treat forehead wrinkles, crow's feet, and frown lines between the eyes. It can also be helpful on the lower face.
Juvederm
Juvederm is a hyalurinc acid filler which can be used to improve wrinkles in the lower face, plump up aging ear lobes, and fill in deep troughs under the eyes. It is not a permanent filler, lasting between six and nine months. Dr. Schwartz has found Juvederm to be a great improvement over the injection of bovine collagen which lasts a shorter amount of time and introduces and an animal substance into the body.
Restylane
Restylane is a hyaluronic acid derivative which absorbs water and adds volume to skin giving a youthful look. Hyaluronic acid is a substance which occurs naturally in skin and which diminishes with age. Injections of restylane are used to diminish deep large smile lines (nasolabial folds) and to fill out the lip and diminish wrinkles around the mouth. It can also help to fill in scars and indentations, to plump up floppy earlobes, and to decrease hollows beneath the eyes.
Other filler materials are available at our office including Radiesse. All injections of botox and filler materials at our office are personally administered by the doctor.
There are literally hundreds of different kinds of lumps, bumps and cysts associated with the skin. Fortunately, the vast majority of these are harmless and painless. The chart below provides a guide for some of the most common forms of skin lumps, bumps and cysts.
Dermatofibromas
Characteristics
- Red, brown or purple growth; generally benign
- Usually found on arms and legs
- Feels like a hard lump
- Can be itchy, tender to the touch and sometimes painful
Treatment
- Usually does not require treatment
- Most common removal by surgical excision or cryotherapy (freezing it off with liquid nitrogen)
Epidermoid Cysts (Sebaceous Cysts)
Characteristics
- Round small bumps, usually white or yellow
- Forms from blocked oil glands in the skin
- Most commonly appear on the face, back, neck, trunk and genitals
- Usually benign; occasionally leads to basal or squamous cell skin cancers
- If infected, will become red and tender
- Can produce a thick yellow, cheese-like discharge when squeezed
Treatment
- Antibiotics might be prescribed if there is an underlying infection
- Dermatologist removes the discharge and the sac (capsule) that make up the walls of the cyst to prevent recurrence
- Laser surgery may be used for sensitive areas of the skin, like the face
Folliculitis
Characteristics
- Red pimples around areas having hair
- Inflammation of the hair follicles
- Caused by infection or chemical or physical irritation (e.g., shaving, fabrics)
- Higher incidence among people with diabetes, the obese or those with compromised immune systems
Treatment
- Topical antibiotics
- Oral antibiotics
- Antifungal medications
- Eliminating the cause
Keratoacanthoma
Characteristics
- Red, dome-shaped, thick bumps with craters in the center
- Abnormal growth of hair cells
- Triggered by minor skin injury such as a cut or bug bite
- Ultraviolet radiation from sun exposure is the most common risk factor
Treatment
- Cryotherapy (freezing off the bump with liquid nitrogen
- Curettage (surgically cutting out or scraping off)
Keratosis Pilaris
Characteristics
- Small, rough white or red bumps that neither itch nor hurt
- Usually worse during winter months or when there is low humidity and the skin gets dry
Treatment
- Usually does not require treatment
- In most cases disappears on its own by age 30
- Intensive moisturizing is the first line of treatment
- For more difficult cases, use of medicated creams with urea or alpha-hydroxy acids
Lipomas
Characteristics
- Soft fatty tissue tumors or nodules below the skin's surface
- Usually slow growing and benign
- Appear most commonly on the trunk, shoulders and neck
- May be single or multiple
- Usually painless unless putting pressure on a nerve
Treatment
- Usually does not require treatment unless it is compressing on the surrounding tissue
- Easy to remove via excision
Neurofibromas
Characteristics
- Soft fleshy growths under the skin
- Slow growing and generally benign and painless
- Pain may indicate a need for medical attention
- May experience an electrical shock at the touch
Treatment
- Usually does not require treatment, particularly if it does not cause any symptoms
- If it affects a nerve, it may be removed surgically
Skin Cysts
Characteristics
- Closed pockets of tissue that can be filled with fluid or pus
- Can appear anywhere on the skin
- Smooth to the touch; feels like a pea underneath the surface
- Slow growing and generally is painless and benign
- Only needs attention if it becomes infected or inflamed
Treatment
- Usually does not require treatment; often disappears on its own
- May need to be drained by a physician
- Inflamed cysts respond to an injection of cortisone, which causes it to shrivel