Lipomas and cysts are small growths which can occur under the skin. Typically, these conditions are benign, or non-cancerous growths.

Lipomas

A lipoma is a small glob of fatty tissue that can grow underneath the skin; some people may have many lipomas, and they can occur anywhere under the skin and sometimes even within a muscle. Occasionally, people may suffer from multiple lipomas which grow under the skin, and may have a family history of similar growths occurring in relatives. A lipoma is usually treated with removal. The surgery to remove a lipoma involves making a small skin incision over the growth, dissecting healthy tissue away from the lipoma, and removing the lipoma before closing the skin incision. Lipomas can often be removed with local anesthesia alone; this involves injecting a numbing medication under the skin and the person undergoing treatment can remain awake for the procedure with minimal to no pain or discomfort during the surgery. Sometimes, a person may need sedation for removal of the lipoma; this is more common with very large lipomas or lipomas growing deeper under the skin or in the muscles.