Sebaceous Cyst on scalp

[DeeDeeMarie]

I am a 42 year old female who recently went for her physical and posted a question on here regarding breast cancer relating to thyroid cancer.  This is NOT my question.  Since I am now taking such an active part in my health (hopefully NOT too late), my question is this.  Approximately ten years ago I was diagnosed with a sebaceous cyst on my scalp.  I didnt give it much though since I trusted my doctor.  Over the past several years, I find it is getting larger and it does NOT seem to be mobile, which Im told sebaceous  cysts are.  Could this be cancer After all of these years?  I cant get an apt. with my dermatologist for two weeks so I thought that maybe til than someone can put my mind at ease.  Thank you in advance.

[S35]

A related discussion, Sebaceous Cyst Removal was started.

[larrykp]

A related discussion, cyst on the scalp was started.

[Jay200]

A related discussion, A Sebaceous Cysts Story was started.

[Keeski]

I have had Sebaceous Cysts on my scalp since I was a teenager.  Every 6 months or so, I go into my family physician and he makes a tiny incision w/ a scalpal after numbing the spots.  He usually gets a sac (hard formed) that is off white in color and shaped like a kidney bean.  They all have tested back from pathology as nothing and I keep getting them cut out.  My doctor does not have to shave the spot that he cuts, he usually puts two stitches in each one and then in 7-10 days I have him pull the stitches out.  Very simple.  

I have often wondered why I get them and no one else in my family?  Can I prevent them?  Tried to dig one out on my own one time... BAD IDEA!!!!

[BabbleMonkey3]

Hi, I am wondering about my sebaceous cyst as well.  It's buried under a lot of hair on my scalp.   I am concerned about a few things.  First of all, I want to know exactly how serious this is.  It doesn't hurt now, but I don't want it to continue to grow so that it will start causing me pain.  I can't see it, I can only feel it, but my mother has looked at it, and made me go see a doctor.  I have known about this for months, maybe even a year, but I didn't know what it was and just thought it would go away.  I am wondering if I need surgery for this.  If I do, I am nervous because I have slight paranoia about going through serious pain and infection during and post- surgery.  Also, do they have to shave a lot of my hair?  My bat mitzvah is in a few weeks and I would like to have all of my hair on my head.  But the cyst is starting to annoy me a little and may grow to hurt.  Please tell me, someone, how much it hurts and how much hair I would have to lose.

Thank you    

[patrycha]

Hello,
My questions are about Sebaceous Cyst.
Since I can remember I had them. I know my father had/has them, his mother and most of his brothers and sisters. None of my brothers and sisters has any, but they look more like my mom's family. I got the genes of my father's family. Anyway.
My first question;
Is it genetic? Because it looks like it is in my family.

Another thing. I had one removed when I was younger and my mom discover it while brushing my hair. She noticed only one on my scalp and I did not tell her about the second that she had missed. It was on the top of my head and it's still there. I knew they had to shave my hair and I was scared that kids at school would laugh at me. Anyway...It was it late 80's and doctor in Poland did not check nor cared if I had something else. I don't remember much now, but since then nothing came back in the same place. Since then in last couple of years I discovered two more. That makes three now. I read a lot about it and I'm pretty scared. There are some horror stories out there, like:

("The surgery was traumatic in that I was awake and the cyst didn't want to leave me. The surgeon Yanked and Yanked on it and finally, after pulling VERY hard got it out but I felt all the nerves to my forehead being ripped out when he did it. After surgery I had no feeling in the entire back of my head for a year...and even now I still have areas that have no feeling because of the nerve loss. In addition to the nerve loss, he didn't get it all and within 4 weeks I had another small lump forming the lump got infected and I've had horrendous infections about every 3 months like clockwork. I also get eruptions of puss pockets all over my neck and face that I think are related to breaking this cyst up. It seems to have allowed what was once confined to a small area to spread...")
AFTER READING THAT I ALMOS CRIED!!! HOW OFTEN DOES IT HAPPEN???

The one cyst on the top of my hair makes me very uncomfortable to the point that I don't go to the hair salon anymore. I want to have it removed but I have couple problems with that.
1st: I have a wedding to go to in three months and I'm afraid that they will shave so much hair that I will look hideous. Should I wait till after the wedding to go?
2nd: I do not have health insurance. Does anyone know the average price of a surgery like that?
3rd: I am panicky and scared of pain and shots!!! Does it hurt a lot? Please be honest!!!
4th: What are the chances that the doctor will not clean this correctly and it will get worse? What doctor should I go to? Like I said NO INSURANCE-NOT SO MUCH MONEY!
Thank you for ANY IFORMATION on this subject.
P.