A lump you cannot see easily can feel more frightening than it is. Quiet the worry by learning what it usually is and how simply it is treated.
This photo shows a woman with her hair pulled back and a tight, red, shiny swelling behind her ear, just where the ear meets the skull.
A lump in this spot is most often an epidermoid cyst. A blocked pore forms a sac under the skin that fills with keratin over months.
The skin behind the ear is oily and often missed during washing, and glasses and hair products can keep irritating the same spot.
When the cyst becomes inflamed it can grow quickly, feel tender to the touch and make it uncomfortable to wear glasses or sleep on that side.
A doctor will examine the lump and the area around it, because swellings near the ear should always be checked by a professional.
If it is a cyst, it can be numbed, opened and drained, and the sac removed through a small cut so the lump does not come back.
Afterwards the spot is cleaned and dressed, and it is usually checked once more after a few days to make sure it is healing well.
Washing behind the ears daily, keeping hair products off the skin and not picking at bumps all help prevent new cysts from forming.
Quiet the worry and let someone experienced take care of it. The videos below show cysts behind the ear being treated by professionals.
