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A cyst is a closed pocket beneath the skin filled with fluid or a soft, cheese-like material. Cysts are usually painless and benign, but they can grow, become inflamed, get infected, or simply be in a spot you’re tired of feeling every day. When a cyst bothers you, or keeps coming back after draining, removal is a routine, in-office procedure at Trillium Creek Dermatology.
Types of Cysts We Treat (Epidermoid and Sebaceous Cysts)
The most common skin cysts are epidermoid cysts (often called sebaceous cysts), which form when skin cells multiply below the surface instead of shedding. Pilar cysts appear most often on the scalp. Your provider will confirm what kind of cyst you have, and that it is a cyst, before recommending treatment.
Does a Cyst Need to Be Removed?
Not always. A small, quiet cyst can simply be watched. We recommend evaluation when a cyst grows, becomes red or painful, drains on its own, returns after being drained, or when you would just prefer it gone. An inflamed or infected cyst should be seen promptly. Treating it early is simpler for everyone.
How Cyst Removal Works
The key to permanent removal is taking out the entire cyst wall, not just draining the contents. A drained cyst usually refills. In-office removal is done under local anesthetic: the cyst and its sac are removed through a small incision, which may be closed with a stitch or two. The procedure typically takes 20-30 minutes, and most patients return to normal activity the same day.
Why see a dermatologist rather than wait: removing an intact, uninflamed cyst is a smaller procedure with a better cosmetic result than removing one that has ruptured or scarred down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cyst removal painful? The area is fully numbed; you may feel pressure but not pain.
Will it leave a scar? Incisions are kept as small as possible; scars typically fade to a thin line.
Can a cyst come back? If the entire sac is removed, that cyst will not return. New cysts can form elsewhere.
Is it covered by insurance? Often yes when the cyst is symptomatic, inflamed, or recurrent. Our staff can help verify.
Can I pop a cyst myself? Please don’t. Squeezing forces the contents deeper, invites infection, and makes eventual removal harder and more scarring.
Cyst Removal in Brunswick and Strongsville
Appointments are available at our Brunswick and Strongsville offices, as well as Medina, Wadsworth, and Wooster. Schedule online or call 330.725.0569.
