Sebaceous cyst busted open

[trixie567]

I have had several sebaceous cysts for some time now but one of them started to get larger and over a period of 6 months or so slowly started to get sore and appeared to be infected, I was getting ready to make an appt. and the thing opened up during the night, anyway I did my best to squeeze and residual gunk out, most blood came out from what I could tell, so then it scabbed over and seemed to be gone...

then it started to come back again a couple weeks later, grew pretty quickly then got real sore then again during the night (i suppose the pressure of my head on the pillow) caused it to open up so I went to push anything left out and a little chunk of that keratin popped out...so then proceeded to clean as best I could and dumped hydrogen peroxide at the site!

Will this be the end of it or is it a vicious cycle, I hear if you get them surgically removed they can also come back ?? I have a couple other tiny ones but they have not been bothersome at all yet

Besides blocked hair follicle, what else causes these things ???

[allmymarbles]

I have lots of cysts and asked my doctor (not the HMO quack, but a real doctor) what the cause was. He said sometimes it seemed to be due to a lack of iodine. Well I discovered I was deficient in iodine a few years ago and have been supplementing ever since, but have gotten a few more since then. There is an old wive's tale that those who get cysts don't get cancer. Cysts run in may family, but cancer does not. I doubt the old wives got it right, but I prefer to think they did.

[trixie567]

Mine was about the size of a pea, so hoping that I actually saw it and it came out then maybe that will be THE END for that one, have a few more but have been dormant for yrs. now...mine all all on my scalp in various locales.
I just wish there was something I can do to prevent them but not sure what causes them

[allmymarbles]

I had a sebaceous cyst that was quite large. It developed a little pimple on top of it and when that burst I could see the accumulation inside. I teased it out with a tweezer (it was exactly the size and shape of an almond) and disinfected the area. It healed perfectly and never returned.

[trixie567]

Hey thanks for the reply, will see how it heals and if that gunk starts building up again, I have heard even if you have them surgically removed they can grow back again. I don't have my annual skin check until August so if something is up I will ask my Derm at that time.

[allmymarbles]

Keep the wound clean and see what happens. When the cyst opened the second time the cause of the cyst popped out, so you may heal well. I have gotten cysts all my life. I never had to go to a doctor about them, but now I have one that is growing like mad to so I am off to the dermatologist. If yours grows back, or does not heal well, see a dermatologist. I asked my GP to take care of the cyst, but he wouldn't. Nowadays even if you get a hangnail you have to see a specialist. More money for everybody - except us.