Puncturing a sebaceous cyst

I saw a GP about a cyst under my chin and he said that it's cosmetic and I couldn't have it treated by the NHS. I could only come back for anti biotics if it became inflammed. If I wanted it removed it would cost £1000! So I should shop around-incredible. He went on to say that it's a simple procedure that he himself could carry out under local anaesthetic... salt in that wound. It's defo bigger and a little sore as I have to shave over it but have been given very little advice and options to treat it. I think that I went to a GP with little compassion. If you look ok then move along so they can ship you in and ship you out.

re refusal to remove cysts by NHS for cosmetic reasons.

Tell your GP / Consultant it hurts to wear your crash helmet , site safety hard or headphones etc. It's no longer cosmetic but a practical problem then. It worked for me.

do they shave your hair when they remove the cysts? i have one on the top of my head and im afraid of how ill look with a huge hole where the hair wont cover it.

I have had them removed and yes it is mostly considered elective. I found it not to be very painful BUT hair doesn't seem to grown back in that area so depending on where they are and how many, something to consider. I currenlty have 2 but I haven't reached that point of wanting another bald spot even small ones.

I asked my doctor if she could remove one just like that, right on my head. She gave me a song and dance and said it wasnt ready to be lanced. She said to put a warm compress on it on and off for a few days 20 mins on 20 mins off and it should burst on its own. Well I did that but it didn't happen the way she said. I ended up with a scab, the skin had peeled but nothing came out. So I got annoyed and after washing my hair I pulled the scab off...that's when the fun started .😝I ended up pulling the sac and all out on my own (sterilized tweezers) sofar so good it didn't hurt me at all but I have a high tolerance for pain. If it freaks you out follow those instructions then see your doctor once you think it's ready they can do the rest.

i have these cyst's on my pubic area and its not fun, does anyone know of an antibiotic that will make them go away, one poped while i layed in bed and its bleeding alot. i tried to get the sack out so more wouldnt grow. is there a medication for this?

I live in the States and had had two pilar cysts (probbaly what you mean) on my scalp for forty years.  I was so fearful to have them examined as I had always had a very lush full head of hair.  Finally though, the two cysts became unbearable.  They grew and throbbed and I couldn't even rest my head or comb my hair properly. 

I have cut my own hair for forty years as I was too embarrased to go to a hair dresser.

I finally had the bloody things cut out by a plastic surgeon a few days ago.

She did not cut my hair.  In fact, owing to her intervention, my hair is growing in again in those spots.

She removed the cysts entirely, sacs and all to hopefully prevent them from ever coming back.  She stapled the wounds and the staples will come out on Friday, about 9 days after the surgery.

This is the best thing I have ever done for myself.

By the way, it was covered by my insurance as the cysts interferred witth my day to day regimen; washing, drying, and combing hair. 

Go to  a plastic  surgeon.

I had 5 cysts on my head, 2 very small ones that are hardly noticeable, 1 medium sized and 2 large ones that drove me crazy!! I tried to see a doctor once for them and no luck so two years later, took matters into my own hands bc they were getting bigger.

I first cut the medium sized one with a razor blade (exacto knife) and nothing happened. Once it started to heal, it itched so I pulled the skin off and I started to squeeze it and a bunch of puss came out and it was flat and I didn't think about it again until today bc it started getting bigger again. I wasn't aware there are sacs so I never got it out. Today I cut it with an exacto knife and nothing. I pierced it with a needle and nothing but it is small so I don't think there's much puss in there, probably just the sac and I'm just going to leave it.

The next one I decided to go after was huge and the hair on my head where it was had disappeared so it was really starting to show and cause me issues. One day I poked it with a needle and squeezed and squeezed with no luck. The next day or a 2 days later at most, it was itching and I went and looked in the mirror and it was dark in color so I squeezed it and it EXPLODED EVERYWHERE, Gross I know but there was no smell, just disgusting blood and puss and I kept squeezing and squeezing to get it all out and finally I felt a "POP!" and I looked and it was the sac that had popped out! The wound healed on its own and the cyst is completely gone and the spot is now flat (bald too, unfortunately).

So now the other large cyst has been growing bigger and I poked it with a needle and nothing, waited a few days and it was still hard and nothing happening so I poked it again and squeezed, nothing. So then I got an exacto knife and poked into it deep but didn't cut a line as I did with the medium cyst (this seems to work better!) and it exploded immediately and I got a bunch of stuff out of it but the sac isn't popping out like it did with the last one and I can feel it in there still. I think I'll wait until tomorrow and squeeze again and I have a feeling it'll come out. Luckily I didn't lose hair on this cyst and just getting all that nasty stuff out makes me feel better bc it's not a huge bump! Again, no smell (thankfully!!!) with it as I've seen others say.

Just keep everything clean if you do it yourself. I didn't have any pain while doing any of this, just a little afterwards where I made an actual cut with the knife rather than a puncture but when I simply punctured, no pain afterwards.