Stay the course when something takes time to heal. Small steps taken every day add up to a big difference.
This photo shows an older man with a swollen, red lump on the side of his neck, just behind and below the ear, with a small head in the middle.
It is most likely a cyst. The skin behind the ear has many oil glands, and when one of them or a hair follicle gets blocked, a cyst can slowly form.
This area is easy to miss when washing, so oil and dead skin can build up there, and it often collects blackheads too.
When a cyst here becomes inflamed, it can feel tight and tender and make it uncomfortable to turn the head or rest on a pillow.
