Dr Khaled Sadek Archives - LipomaCyst.com | Cysts and Lipoma Specialists

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Forehead Lipoma Risks

October 1, 2021/0 Comments/in Lipoma /by Khaled Sadek

What is a Forehead Lipoma?

Forehead lipomas are benign fatty growths that form on the forehead. Forehead lipomas are not life-threatening but are a cause of distress. Forehead lipomas are usually removed when they become too noticeable.
Lipomas on the head are particularly disfiguring and patients often complain of low self-esteem, bullying or making changes to their appearances to prevent the lipoma being observed.

Causes of a Forehead Lipoma

Forehead lipomas are most often caused by trauma to the affected area. Unlike pilar cysts, forehead lipomas are not usually reported to have a genetic basis. See a more extensive material on pilar cysts here.
Patients recall having developed lumps on the scalp as a result of an accident or a direct trauma. Repeated insults to the head, such as heading a football, can also be a cause of developing a fatty lump.

Forehead Lipoma Removal

Forehead lipoma removal is more complex than other cyst excisions.
Unlike cysts, or pilar cysts, lipomas are fatty lumps and present in the form of a fatty pad that lays underneath the skin and sometimes underneath a muscular layer.
Lipoma tissue is more friable than cyst tissue, therefore their removal is trickier and it requires a skilled practitioner to perform this surgery.
Forehead lipomas are usually removed during a minor surgery procedure, under local anaesthetic. The removal steps are similar to cyst removal and they involve numbing of the affected area, a small incision of the skin, lipoma excision and suturing of the incision.

Forehead lipoma surgery poses its risks.

The main risk of surgery is bleeding during and/or after the procedure. The human head is webbed in small, medium and large blood vessels and sometimes, depending on their location, lipomas are deemed to be unsafe for removal under local anaesthetic. Very rarely the lipoma may lay very close to the location of a nerve, if this is the case then the procedure is unlikely to be performed at the clinic.

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Multiple Pilar Cysts

September 3, 2021/0 Comments/in Cyst /by Khaled Sadek

What is a Pilar Cyst?

Pilar cysts are benign growths that form around the hair follicles and are commonly found on the scalp.

Cysts on the scalp can appear isolated, but they can also be found in the form of multiple pilar cysts.

They appear as spherical bumps on the body with a skin-like appearance. You can see what a pilar cyst looks like on our pilar cyst removal surgery on our YouTube channel.

How to identify a pilar cyst?

Pilar cysts are very common and can appear on any part of the body. However, the majority of pilar cysts appear on the scalp. They are slow growing and at first not obvious. With time they will grow and become more noticeable.

When examining a pilar cyst you will notice that they have a smooth curved surface with a slightly boggy consistency. They are not typically painful but if pilar cysts are left untreated they can not only grow in size but can also become infected (see below).

Multiple pilar cysts have been reported to run in families, therefore they can have a genetic origin.

We recommend seeing you doctor if you suspect a pilar cyst. You can also send an online enquiry at lipomacyst.com or contact@lipomacyst.com and we will get in touch.

Multiple Pilar Cysts Removal

Cysts of the scalp are one of the routine cyst removal treatments we carry out in our clinic. It involves numbing of the affected area with local anaesthetic, a small incision, before removing the cyst and cyst sack. The wound is then closed and we do not shave the hair.

Pilar Cyst Removal Recovery

Scalp lesions heal well, and a full recovery is to be expected 2-3 weeks after the surgery.

The stretched skin over the pilar cyst is then reabsorbed after a few weeks.

It has been observed that pilar cysts may also develop dips in the skull where they sit. This is one of the reasons why early removal is recommended.

Cyst Sack Removal

Pilar cysts tend to have a thicker sack than epidermoid cysts. This makes the pilar cyst removal much easier and quicker, as the sack very rarely breaks. In most cases, the cyst sack is removed whole and minimally damaged, like a small marble. We recommend sending the tissue biopsy to the laboratory for analysis. That way we can be confident that there are no cancer cells present. Cancer in pilar cysts is very rare.

Infected Pilar Cysts

Pilar cysts can get infected. This usually happens as a result of squeezing the cyst, accidentally hitting it, or simply by leaving it for too long. When a cyst becomes infected, the cyst sack ruptures and the contents drain around the affected area, creating redness, tenderness and pain.

When a cyst becomes infected you may notice a discharge and discomfort on the affected area of the scalp. We recommend seeing your doctor to have the cyst removed, who will also be able to confirm the diagnosis.

Multiple pilar cysts tend not to get infected as often as isolated ones, as the patients usually request removal before the cysts grow out of proportions, due to their number and unsightly appearance. Early removal reduces the risk of infection.

Other Scalp Lumps

Apart from pilar cysts, other lesions can develop on or around the scalp. The most common are lipomas, forehead lipomas, or moles.

Multiple lipomas on the scalp tend to be less frequent than multiple pilar cysts. Lipomas on the scalp, forehead lipomas or temple lipomas usually develop in isolated lumps, as a result of trauma.

The lipoma removal technique is different than the cyst removal technique, given the difference in tissue. Lipoma removal on the scalp usually require more time, as they are often friable and adhered to the layers. A more extensive material on forehead lipoma removal can be found here.

Moles on the scalp are found even less frequent than multiple pilar cysts or lipomas. Mole removal is a simple procedure that usually involves shaving off the excess skin on the affected area.

Cyst Removal at Home

No DIY! Cysts are not pimples that can be squeezed out of the skin. They form underneath the skin layers so attempting to remove them in a non-surgical environment is dangerous. We use local anaesthetic, that contains adrenaline, which reduces the blood flow around the affected area, for a pain-free cyst removal and minimal blood loss.

Please, do not attempt to remove cysts at home! It is not advisable to remove cysts at home, as the risk of bleeding and infection is very high and can even result in injury. Get in touch at lipomacyst.com or contact@lipomacyst.com for cyst removal!

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How To Treat Lipomas

February 26, 2021/2 Comments/in Lipoma /by Khaled Sadek

In this weeks online YouTube tutorial Dr Khaled Sadek discusses the causes and management of lipomas. A lipoma is a benign fatty growth which can increase in size over time. Unlike normal fat under the skin, a lipoma tends to grown in a mass. This is known as a benign growth, and is not cancerous. Lipoma often need to be removed for a number of reasons; discomfort, appearance, increased size, pain.

The cause of Lipoma growth is unknown but there are a number of factors which are associated with their presence. The most common feature is a family history. There is a genetic element to the growth of lipomas, but they can also occur at random. Trauma is also associated with lipoma growth. Often common sites of trauma include the shoulder and forehead. Over time these lipomas can increase in size.

In a very few rare conditions, the lipoma growth can turn into a cancerous growth. These are known as liposarcoma. For this reason its important to send tissue samples to the laboratory for histological analysis. Lipoma removal is carried out under local anaesthetic, so you are awake throughout the surgery. Once the lipoma is removed, the skin is brought together with stitches. These stitches remain in place for 10 days.

If you would like more information on lipoma treatment then please get in touch and we will provide you with a free consultation.