Skin Health More Skin Conditions How to Spot and Treat Epidermoid Cysts What They Look Like and When to Get Them Removed By Heather L. Brannon, MD Heather L. Brannon, MD, is a family practice physician in Mauldin, South Carolina. She has been in practice for over 20 years. Learn about our editorial process Heather L. Brannon, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Casey Gallagher, MD on September 25, 2019 Casey Gallagher, MD, is board-certified in dermatology and works as a practicing dermatologist and clinical professor. Learn about our Medical Review Board Casey Gallagher, MD Updated on January 15, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All Symptoms Rupture Treatment Removal An epidermoid cyst is the most common type of skin cyst. These types of cysts can occur anywhere on the body but tend to occur more frequently on the face or upper trunk. Other names for an epidermoid cyst include epidermal cyst, infundibular cyst, epidermal inclusion cyst, keratin cyst, and sebaceous cyst. Find out more about what epidermoid cysts look like, whether they cause health problems, and how (and when) they are treated. Illustration by Brianna Gilmartin, Verywell Epidermoid Cyst Symptoms An epidermoid cyst has a cyst wall that is made of skin cells that are found in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. This cyst wall is like a balloon that projects down into the second layer of the skin, the dermis. This balloon, or cyst wall, makes keratin—a protein that's found in skin, hair, and nails and is white, cheesy, or firm. A typical epidermoid cyst looks like a raised, round bump. If you touch it, you can typically feel the cyst wall and move the cyst around under the skin fairly easily. Often there is a small opening on the surface of the skin that may look like a scab, but that opening may be so small that it's difficult to see. This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing. See Photo Epidermoid cyst. Raimo Suhonen / DermNet / CC BY-NC-ND Epidermoid Cyst Rupture Epidermoid cysts usually don't cause problems unless they get very large or the cyst wall ruptures, exposing the inside keratin to the surrounding tissue. This is a problem because the contents of a cyst are very irritating to the tissue around it. A ruptured cyst can get red, swollen, and painful. If this happens, it's best to see your doctor. Treatment Sometimes an inflamed cyst needs to be opened to let it drain; if so, your doctor may recommend treating it with warm compresses for a few days to help the cyst continue to drain. Other times, in lieu of opening the cyst, treatment may involve antibiotics or an injection with a corticosteroid (usually triamcinolone). Can Cortisone Shots Help Heal Your Acne? Removal An epidermoid cyst doesn't have to be removed if it's small, doesn't hurt, and hasn't gotten red and swollen. Doctors typically recommend the removal of a cyst to patients for the following reasons: It's in a place where it gets irritated, rubbing against clothing or jewelry.It's located in a place that is visible and it's getting larger quickly.It frequently gets inflamed or infected. If an epidermoid cyst needs to be removed, it's important that the whole cyst wall is taken out. Remember, it's the cyst wall that makes the keratin contents. If the cyst is merely opened and its contents are drained, the cyst wall remains inside the skin and will start making more keratin, causing the cyst to return. An epidermoid cyst is usually removed by making an incision over the cyst and removing most of its contents. Then, the whole cyst wall is separated from the surrounding tissue and removed. If the incision is large enough, it may need to be sutured closed. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Wollina U, Langner D, Tchernev G, França K, Lotti T. Epidermoid Cysts - A Wide spectrum of clinical presentation and successful treatment by surgery: a retrospective 10-year analysis and literature review. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2018;6(1):28–30. doi:10.3889/oamjms.2018.027 Hoang VT, Trinh CT, Nguyen CH, Chansomphou V, Chansomphou V, Tran TTT. Overview of epidermoid cyst. Eur J Radiol Open. 2019;6:291–301. doi:10.1016/j.ejro.2019.08.003 Additional Reading Stone, Mary Seabury. "Cysts." Dermatology. 2nd. Ed. Jean Bolognia. New York: Mosby, 2008: 1681-83.