Patience brings relief. Healing rarely happens overnight, but the right care at the right time always helps.
This photo shows a woman in her forties with dark curly hair clipped up and a navy blue top, sitting on an exam table with her head turned away, with a round, red lump on the side of her neck while a doctor’s gloved hand holds gauze below it.
A lump like this is most likely an inflamed epidermoid cyst, although a doctor will also think about a swollen gland or an abscess.
The side of the neck is rubbed by collars and necklaces and collects sweat and hair products, which can block the follicles there.
Once inflamed, the cyst can grow over a few days, feel hot and tight, and make turning the head or wearing a collar uncomfortable.
A doctor will examine the lump closely and may feel the neck around it, because neck swellings should always be checked by a professional.
If it is a cyst, the skin is numbed, the lump is opened and drained, and the sac is removed so it does not come back.
The area is then cleaned and dressed, and keeping collars and necklaces off it for a few days helps it heal cleanly.
Washing the neck daily, rinsing hair products off well and leaving new bumps alone all help prevent new cysts from forming.
Patience brings relief, one step at a time. The videos below show neck cysts being treated by professionals.
