Lipomas are non-cancerous and harmless, so they will not pose a risk to your health if they are left untreated. Nevertheless, they can grow larger over time, making them more noticeable or bothersome.

If a doctor has confirmed that the lump on your skin is definitely a lipoma, then there is never any cause to worry. Lipomas are benign tumours, and so they pose no threat to your health. However, if the lump is causing you pain, embarrassment or frustration, then it is best to have it treated.

Lipoma removal is a minor surgical procedure, so minimal aftercare is required. It will take roughly 10 to 14 days for the wound to heal, after which time the stitches will be removed. Aside from this, no downtime is needed, and patients can return to their normal activities immediately after the treatment. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to avoid strenuous exercise for a week after any surgical procedure.

Although it is possible, it is very unlikely for a lipoma to return after it has been removed surgically. However, if the growth does recur, it can be excised again.

A local anaesthetic is used during lipoma removal surgery. Consequently, the procedure is not painful, though it can be somewhat uncomfortable.

All forms of surgery come with a very small risk of infection at the surgical site. Similarly, it is possible for some redness or swelling to appear in the treatment area after the procedure, but these symptoms should disappear within 4 to 7 days.

No, lumps or bumps on the skin should never be removed at home. This is because they must be tested for cancer in a laboratory. Furthermore, even if a doctor has confirmed that the lump on your skin is a non-cancerous lipoma, you should not try to remove cyst at home, as this is likely to cause an infection.

Although lipomas are sometimes called ‘lipoma cysts’, they are not actually cysts in the technical sense. A cyst is a sac-like pocket underneath the skin that is filled with fluid, gas, or semi-solid material. If you squeeze a cyst, its contents will be discharged through a small hole on its surface.

By contrast, a lipoma is a benign tumour, which appears when fat cells multiply abnormally.

Unlike cysts, lipomas do not contain fluid or gas, and if you squeeze them, they will only move a little beneath the skin.

Lipomas and sebaceous cysts (also known as epidermoid cysts) look very similar, since they are both soft and slow-growing lumps beneath the skin, which move freely under gentle pressure. However, sebaceous cysts can be differentiated from lipomas by the small hole on their surface, called a central punctum. Lipomas do not have any marks or holes on their surface.

Ultimately, if you find an unusual lump of any kind on your skin, you should have it diagnosed by a medical professional. This will conclusively determine the nature of the lump and eliminate the risk of cancer.