Heal Sebaceous Cysts Naturally: 18 Effective Home Remedies

June 26, 2018

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How often have you felt bumps over your skin and mistaken it for a mosquito bite?

Has it happened quite a few times? If the bump-like structure persists even after a few days, it is likely not a mosquito bite but a sebaceous cyst.

Sebaceous cysts resemble small bump-like structures on the epidermal layer of the skin and appear a bit bigger than a pimple or acne. Effective remedies can heal sebaceous cysts that are not cancerous. It is always best to administer the necessary remedies to treat the cyst before it worsens.

What is a Sebaceous Cyst?

Sebaceous cysts are bump-like outgrowths on the skin that are non-cancerous and not life-threatening. They often contain fluid or semi-fluid deposits and primarily appear near the face, neck, and torso region. Although they may not impose any danger on one’s life, they can often become uncomfortable for the person if left untreated.

Sebaceous cysts are most often spotted by physical examination by a professional, and if the symptoms are deemed normal, they are treated with medicine and other treatments.

In other cases, if the cyst appears to have worsened, it is often tested for cancerous growth. It lasts for about a week or sometimes even more, depending on the severity of the issue.

If the treatments and remedies are administered right in the initial stages, the condition will likely heal soon without worsening.

In most cases, sebaceous cysts don’t necessarily hurt, but if the symptoms worsen, they can form an infection.

What Does A Sebaceous Cyst Look Like?

A sebaceous cyst, or pilar cyst, resembles a small smooth bump under the skin. It is primarily benign and doesn’t harm one’s health.

They can often be red in color and itch in extreme cases. In the case of a sebaceous cyst, the cyst sac is formed from the cells found in the bottom of the hair follicles, where the hair grows.

Many confuse sebaceous cysts with lipomas, which are entirely different skin problems. Lipomas, unlike cysts, are embedded deep within the skin and can be caused by various reasons.

These kinds of cysts often start as pea-sized and then grow to become more prominent if left untreated. They are also sometimes mistaken and confused with epidermoid cysts, which look almost similar to the naked eye but are easily distinguishable under a microscope.

The common characteristic symptoms of a sebaceous cyst include:

Smooth, small, and red bump on the skin
Occasionally accompanied by pain
Warm around the perimeter of the area due to possible infection
Size varies up to 2 cm in diameter

Many people often wonder whether they can pop a sebaceous cyst. It is not as easy to pop a cyst. It can even result in something abrasive, so it is always best to opt for the mentioned home remedies or seek professional help to get it surgically removed.

How to Get Rid of Sebaceous Cyst?

Even though these small little bumps are not life-threatening, they sure do not leave behind a pleasant feeling in a person.

It is why sebaceous cyst removal is a must-do for personal satisfaction.

Several methods are available for treating sebaceous cysts. The most common ones include surgical interventions. However, if you are scared and skeptical of needles, it is best to skip them altogether and rely entirely on home remedies.

However, we have listed some standard preventive home remedies for sebaceous cysts below.

Some of the common ways to get rid of sebaceous cysts include:

Cleanse the face and neck region to unclog the pores
Exfoliate the skin at least once a week or so to keep the follicles clean
Don’t poke any unsanitized needle into the cyst because it may cause infection
A warm compress in the affected area works best
Home remedies that can heal the problem right from the root

Home Remedies for Sebaceous Cyst

Home remedies are one of the best options for treating sebaceous cysts. They help remove the cysts easily and without any side effects.

We have included a thorough list of the best home remedies for treating sebaceous cysts to make things easier for our readers.

1. Apple Cider Vinega

Apple Cider Vinegar is indispensable in the list of home remedies. It is a versatile ingredient with many benefits for health and wellness..

Its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties help heal cysts, and its astringent properties relieve itch and redness around the area.

Pour one to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into a bowl and soak a cotton pad.
Dab the wet cotton over the cyst’s affected area, leave it on for 15-20 minutes, and then wipe it away with a fresh cotton pad soaked in warm water.
Dab with some cold water and repeat the process at least three to four times daily.
If you have sensitive skin, dilute the apple cider vinegar and then use it.

2. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera’s importance in treating skin problems doesn’t require any introduction. It has been proven beneficial in treating several skin-related issues, even sebaceous cysts. If you are looking for good home remedies to remove a sebaceous cyst, aloe vera is one of the best options, if not the best. It has excellent soothing and antimicrobial properties that help treat the symptoms of these cysts. It helps smoothen down the inflammation effectively.

Cut an aloe vera leaf, remove the outer layer, and rub the pulp directly onto the affected area of the cyst.
Leave it for a few hours, hit it off with water, and reapply aloe vera gel over the area.
Repeat this process twice a day till the inflammation and redness goes away.

3. Baking Soda

Baking soda is an effective remedy for sebaceous cysts because of its fantastic exfoliating and anti-inflammatory properties. It usually cleans and unclogs the pores, one of the leading causes of sebaceous cysts.

For effective results, mix one to two tablespoons of baking soda with two tablespoons of water to make a smooth paste.
Apply this mixture to the affected area of the cyst and leave it on for 15-20 minutes
Wash it off with warm water at least once or twice a day until the cyst fizzles down.

4. Banana Peel

Banana peels have good hydrating properties, which help heal the itchiness, redness, and scaly skin caused by sebaceous cysts. They are one of the most effective remedies for removing a sebaceous cyst. Even their phosphate content adds to their beneficial properties in the healing process.

You can either directly rub the peel of a ripe banana over the affected area of the sebaceous cyst or scrape the banana skin, add a tablespoon of honey, and paste it.
Apply this to the area of the cyst, leave it on for 15-20 minutes, and wash it off with water for best results.

5. Castor Oil

Castor oil is yet another fantastic sebaceous treatment without surgery, which not only effectively cures the signs and symptoms but also ensures to restrict the recurrence of the same on the skin. Castor oil has anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties, which help soothe the bump of the cyst and heal the itchiness and roughness of the skin around the area.

Apply a few drops of the castor oil on the area of the cyst and massage it into the skin.
Wet a cotton pad with warm water, rinse the excess water, and place it on top of the area where you applied the castor oil.
Leave it on for 15-20 minutes and remove it after that. Repeat this process twice a day till it completely heals.

6. Coconut Oil

Coconut nut oil is another oil variant that works wonders as one of the best home remedies for sebaceous cysts. It contains lauric acid, which is beneficial in treating cysts because of its antimicrobial properties.

Apply the coconut oil to the cyst and gently massage it in.
Leave it on just like that and repeat this process several times during the day until the cyst and inflammation disappear.

7. Epsom Salt Bath

Epsom salt has excellent antibacterial properties, which are beneficial in treating the primary causative agents of sebaceous cysts. It helps in sebaceous cyst treatment by removing the infection-causing bacteria from the affected area.

Please turn on the bath, add two tablespoons of Epsom salt, and soak yourself in it, ensuring that the salt covers the affected area of the sebaceous cyst.
Soak yourself for 20 minutes or so, and then rinse it off.
Repeat this process at least twice a day until the cyst heals completely.

8. Potato

Potatoes are very rich in Vitamin C, an antioxidant that treats the symptoms of sebaceous cysts and is an antioxidant. It helps prevent further worsening of the cyst’s condition and ensures that it is healed right from the root so it doesn’t have a chance of returning. Potato is one of the most used home remedies for sebaceous cysts and provides impressive results.

Grate a potato and extract its juice from it.
Apply this over the cyst and leave it on for 15-20 minutes until it completely dries.
Wash it off with water and repeat this twice or thrice daily.

9. Witch Hazel

Witch hazel is rich in anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and astringent properties. These, together, help clean the clogged pores of the sebaceous glands and cleanse the entire skin to remove any lingering dirt or other impurities. It also contains a compound called tannin, which helps get rid of sebaceous cysts by eliminating excess oil from the area.

Apply ointments with witch hazel and repeat this process thrice daily for the best results in removing sebaceous cysts.

10. Warm Compress

A warm compress is an excellent remedy for sebaceous cysts because of its multifunctional approach to treatment. The warmth helps heal the pain associated with the cyst. It also helps encourage the cyst to drain out its contents, which further eases the healing process.

Take a bowl filled with a bearable temperature of warm water and soak a cotton pad in it.
Apply this warm compress over the cyst and gently press to let the warmth seep into the skin.
Do this process multiple times throughout the day for best results.

11. Turmeric

Turmeric has held its place as one of the most versatile home remedies. It has been a natural healing ingredient since the beginning of history. It is also very effective in treating the symptoms that come along with the sebaceous cyst.

The compound Curcumin, found in turmeric, helps treat the inflammation and infection that come with the sebaceous cysts. It even helps purify the blood when you drink it directly with some milk, thus allowing further treatment of the problem from within.

There are two ways to get the best of the remedial effects of turmeric on sebaceous cysts.
You can make a paste with the turmeric powder and water, apply it directly to the cyst, and wash it off after 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can drink warm milk with a pinch of turmeric for internal benefits.

12. Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is rich in “microbe tidal” properties, which help kill the germs and bacteria that cause sebaceous cysts in the first place. It helps eradicate the infection-causing germs and, in turn, helps dissolve the uncomfortable bump that often causes a lot of problems for the one suffering.

Take 3% hydrogen peroxide solution in a cotton ball or pad and dab it over the affected area of the cyst.
Hold it right over the cyst for a few minutes, then remove it.
You don’t need to rinse off the extra hydrogen peroxide on your skin.

13. Potassium iodide

If you didn’t know before, Potassium Iodide (KI) is a very commonly used chemical in dentistry. It is rich in antiseptic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it an ideal compound for treating sebaceous cysts as well. Applying the potassium iodide solution cleanses the clogged openings of the sebaceous glands and thereby aids in healing the cyst.

Get potassium iodide solution, dab it onto a cotton pad, and apply it directly onto the cyst and the area adjoining it.
Leave it on for 10 minutes and wipe the excess with a fresh cotton pad.
Repeat this twice or thrice a day till all the symptoms wipe out.

14. Garlic

The wide range of antimicrobial properties of garlic is not unknown to man. The application of garlic over the affected area of the cyst helps fight the germ-causing bacteria, which tend to prolong the cyst symptoms. Garlic helps perish the microbes that cause the pus-like collection inside the cyst.

Peel a few garlic cloves and make a smooth paste of it.
Apply it over the sebaceous cyst’s affected area and cover it with a sterile bandage.
Leave it for 15-20 minutes, remove the bandage, and wash off the area with water.
Repeat this process twice or thrice a day, and use clean bandages every single time.

15. Tea Bags

If you are looking for remedies to remove sebaceous cysts while ensuring the healing and draining process at the same time, tea bags are just the one to opt for. Tea is rich in antioxidants, which help in drawing out the toxins from within the cyst, and it is also rich in tannins, which have excellent anti-inflammatory properties that help heal the cyst from within.

Soak a tea bag (preferably green tea because of its high antioxidant properties) and let it steep for a minute or two.
Apply the soaked tea bag over the affected area of the sebaceous cyst and tie it up with a bandage.
Leave it on for 10 minutes, then discard the tea bag and the bandage.
Repeat the process three times every week for noticeable results.

Essential Oils for Sebaceous Cyst

Essential oils are very effective in treating sebaceous cysts. They heal the cyst and help reduce symptoms. These oils’ healing properties work together to eliminate any signs and symptoms that come with a sebaceous cyst.

16. Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is rich in antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that help cure the signs and symptoms of the sebaceous cyst. Applying this essential oil daily effectively helps eliminate the bumps and the roughness around the area.

Add a few drops of tea tree oil to a teaspoon of coconut oil, lyse this mixture over the sebaceous cyst, and cover it with a band-aid.
Repeat this process daily until the cyst disappears and the area is completely healed.

17. Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil has a slight astringent property because of the presence of mint-like features, which helps cool down the area around the affected part of the sebaceous cyst. It also has several antimicrobial properties that help heal the cyst completely from within without inflicting any side effects on the body.

Dab some peppermint oil onto a cotton pad or cotton ball, apply it over the cyst, and leave it on.
You can even use a bandage to cover the area, leave it on for a day, and change it again the next day.

18. Frankincense Essential Oil

People around the world value frankincense oil for its unique healing properties. It is excellent for sebaceous cysts because it helps shrink the size of the cyst and heal it from within. It also moisturizes the skin around the area, allowing it to stop scaling.

Apply a drop of Frankincense oil directly on the skin and massage it gently.
Leave it on the skin and repeat the process a few times throughout the day.

What Causes Sebaceous Cyst?

When you lump your skin, you first want to discover what’s causing it. To understand the treatment method, you first need to understand the cause behind the problem. There can be several reasons that cause sebaceous cysts, some of which include:

Excess production of testosterone
Clogging of the sebaceous glands
Blockage of the hair follicles
Excess levels of oil production in the skin
Persistent waxing or threading
Enhanced problems with acne on the skin

When to See a Doctor for a Sebaceous Cyst?

Sebaceous cysts are not life-threatening on their own. It’s when it contracts any form of infection, or such is when the situation becomes worse. It is necessary to keep a close eye on the cyst’s formation; if not, it is getting worse instead of healing. If it is the former, it is always best to consult a doctor and get the cyst tested for any traces of malignancy. Better be safe than sorry, so you should not keep the cyst untreated without administering remedies or medicinal treatment.

In rare cases, if you’ve had a cyst surgically removed, part of it might remain and cause an infection. It’s best to consult your doctor if you suspect an infection after the removal.

June 2018

Written by Somapika D
Nov 2024

Edited by Ankita