A calm mind and a steady hand go a long way. Most things that look alarming at first can be sorted out with patience and the right help.
This photo shows a woman seen from behind with a tight red lump on the top of her shoulder near the neck, while a doctor holds tweezers and gauze next to it.
A swelling in this spot is most often an inflamed cyst. A blocked follicle fills slowly with keratin, and when the body reacts to it the lump becomes red and sore.
The top of the shoulder is rubbed all day by bag straps, bra straps and collars, which irritates the skin and makes a blocked follicle more likely to flare up.
As the cyst grows, the skin over it stretches and shines, a small head can form near the top, and turning the head or carrying a bag on that side starts to hurt.
