At some point in life, roughly one in five people will develop a specific type of unexplained bump on their skin. These round, fluid-filled spots are called cysts. They look like blisters but they don’t require friction to form. And you can develop a cyst on any part of your body, even your scalp.
If you develop this type of bump, you’ll probably be left wondering what to do. We can help. At our LUX Dermatology offices throughout California and Nevada, our team can assess your cyst. If it’s cosmetically bothersome, we can remove it. If it’s not, you can usually leave it alone and it will heal on its own. At least, that’s the case if it doesn’t get infected.
But an infected cyst can be painful, smell bad, and cause other issues. In this case, you should definitely get it treated. To help you determine if your cyst is infected, let’s look at some of the common symptoms of an infection.
In most cases, a cyst on your skin won’t be uncomfortable. But if you notice that yours hurts when touched, it could be a sign of an infection.
Some of the most common indicators that your cyst has become infected include:
Because an infected cyst looks swollen, it can be tempting to try to burst the cyst on your own. Don’t do it. If the cyst is infected, opening it means spreading that infection out onto your healthy skin.
That said, don’t ignore your infection, either. Even if it does heal temporarily, you risk the infection coming back.
Ultimately, if you think your cyst is infected, it’s well worth a visit to our team of cyst experts at LUX Dermatology.
At all of our offices, our team offers cyst removal services. The type of removal we recommend will depend on your cyst’s location and whether or not it’s infected.
Usually, that means we drain and clean the cyst, giving your body the chance to heal the infection. Depending on the cyst, we do this in one of two ways.
For larger cysts, we generally make a small incision that allows us to clear out the infected material inside the cyst. If the cyst is smaller or the material inside is consistently liquid, we can use a process called fine-needle aspiration. With this option, we use a very small needle to extract the infected material from the cyst.
Ultimately, we have options for getting the infection out of your cyst without spreading it to your skin. For the tailored care you need to get relief from your infected cyst, call one of our offices in California or Nevada, or book a visit online today.
