Have you ever found a strange lump and thought that it might be serious?
It turns out that most are completely harmless, according to doctors. Here’s our guide to those common lumps and bumps.
..On your scalp
Likely to be: A sebaceous cyst.
What is it? “A smooth, round, painless lump caused when an oil gland gets blocked,” explains Glasgow GP Dr Penelope Ward.
“This is the most common lump seen by GPs and typically occurs during your 20s and 30s.
"It varies from pea-sized to several centimetres and may also be found on the neck, upper back and chest.”
How is it treated? “It is best left alone unless the cyst is particularly large, unsightly, or becomes infected,” says Dr Ward.
It can in that case be removed by a simple surgical procedure using local anaesthetic.
..On the forehead
Likely to be: A seborrhoeic wart if you are an older adult.
What is it? A harmless, waxy, brown spot that looks like it is “stuck” on the skin, usually on the hands or forehead.
But Bradford GP Dr Darren Simpson adds: “As you get older, it darkens and takes on a warty texture. Because of this, it can sometimes be mistaken for a mole or even a malignant melanoma – skin cancer.”
How is it treated? Best left alone. It can’t be removed for cosmetic reasons under NHS rules.
However, if it becomes inflamed or irritated, it may be ‘shaven’ off the skin under local anaesthetic – or frozen with liquid nitrogen, which causes the wart to crumble and drop off over several days.
“If you have any mole or skin lesion that is changing in size, shape or colour, you should see your GP for a review,” says Dr Simpson.
..On your hand (or foot)
Likely to be: A wart.
What is it? A small, hard or crusty-looking lesion that appears like very thickened skin.
“It is caused by the human papilloma virus,” explains Dr Darren Simpson.
“It is more common in children and young adults and can spread by skin-to-skin contact.
"On the hands, it has the classic wart-looking appearance but on the feet it grows inwards causing a painful verruca.”
How is it treated? “A wart will usually disappear within six months to two years without scarring,” says Dr Simpson.
However, he adds: “There are several treatment options available from pharmacies.
"All are designed to trigger the body’s immune system to fight the virus. They range from wart paints to freezing sprays containing liquid nitrogen.
"Warts are not usually surgically removed because this causes a scar, and at least 20% tend to grow straight back.”
..On your wrist
Likely to be: A ganglion.
What is it? A fluid-filled cyst, which feels like a smooth lump under the skin on the back of the wrist.
Dr Mike Burdon, GP in Plymouth as well as a sports and exercise medicine physician, explains: “It is usually attached to a joint or tendon, and it is often painless, unless it’s next to a nerve.
"It varies in size from one to five centimetres. Ganglions may also be found on the fingers and feet.”
How is it treated? An old-fashioned treatment was to hit the ganglion with a heavy book to burst it! But they can be left alone as they will disappear over time. “If they cause discomfort, the cyst can be drained with a needle or even surgically removed under local anaesthetic,” says Dr Burdon.
..Near your armpit
Likely to be: A skin tag.
What is it? A small, harmless dangly extra growth of skin.
Dr Darren Simpson says: “Skin tags are more common as you get older, and if you are overweight or have type 2 diabetes.
"They tend to appear in skin folds, such as round the neck or in the armpits.”
How is it treated? “It is best left alone and can no longer be removed on the NHS for cosmetic reasons,” says Dr Simpson.
“However, if it is tender or irritated by a collar or bra strap, it can usually be snipped off without anaesthetic – the anaesthetic stings just as much as having it removed.”
..On your thigh
Likely to be: A lipoma.
What is it? “This is a benign, soft, smooth, dome-shaped rubbery lump under the skin affecting one in 100 adults,” explains Dr Mike Burdon.
"It can occur pretty much anywhere where fat cells exist but other common sites include the shoulders, back, neck, arms and chest.
"It can start small and grow much larger over time – sometimes to several centimetres in diameter.
How is it treated? “It isn’t usually removed unless your GP isn’t sure what it is or if it causes discomfort,” says Dr Burdon.
“However, you should still continue to check it on a regular basis and see your GP if it changes in size, shape, form or colour.”
..In your breast
Likely to be: A fibroadenoma.
What is it? A non-cancerous lump, ranging from one to three centimetres that grows in breast tissue.
Dr Mike Burdon says: “It is more common in teenage girls and young women but may occur in women and men at any age.
“It may feel like a marble and, because it can be moved quite freely underneath the skin, is also known as a ‘breast mouse’.
"It isn’t usually painful although some women do find that they can be uncomfortable before a period is due.”
How is it treated? “All breast lumps should be checked out,” says Dr Burdon.
“Your GP will usually refer you to a breast clinic where an ultrasound or mammogram, and possibly also a biopsy, may be done to confirm that it is a fibroadenoma.”
Most are usually left alone and monitored. But, if it is large, or there is any doubt, then it can be removed surgically.
..In your scrotum
Likely to be: An epididymal cyst.
What is it? This small, usually painless, pea-size cyst is common in middle-aged men and is caused by a small block in the epididymis – the coiled tube at the back of the testicle.
However, if the ‘lump’ feels like a warm tangle of worms and causes a slight ache, it’s probably a varicocele (swollen veins) and affects around one in seven men. Both lumps are harmless and can be felt separately from the testicle.
How is it treated? Epididymal cysts and varicoceles do not usually require any treatment, unless they cause troublesome symptoms.
All lumps must be assessed by a doctor because a lump in the testicle and/or a feeling of tenderness or a dull ache in the scrotum could signal testicular cancer.