Every day is a chance to turn a new page. Whatever has been bothering you for weeks does not have to follow you into tomorrow.
This photo shows a man sitting on the exam table with a large, tight swelling on his upper back, just below the shoulder blade, while a doctor holds gauze beside it.
A lump like this on the back is most often an epidermoid cyst. It starts when a hair follicle or pore gets blocked and a small sac slowly fills with keratin.
The back is a common place for these cysts because the skin there is thick and oily, and it is hard to see or wash properly on your own.
When the sac becomes inflamed, the lump can grow to several centimetres within days, turn red and warm, and feel sore every time a shirt or backpack strap rubs across it.
