I took a pharmacy class on skin problems, and IIRC, a cyst just a term for any sac of fluid. Unlike zits, cysts are completely surrounded by a membrane, which is why they usually don’t open and drain on their own. The body is trying to control the infection by isolating it.
Enola, does your workplace insurance cover acne treatment? If he’s covered, maybe you could suggest he go to a dermatologist. I’ve worshipped at Our Lady of Accutane and it cleared my skin right up. Wish I’d done it sooner, instead of futzing with antibiotics and retin a for so long.
My sister’s best friend in high school was always getting boils and such. Are some people more prone to them? Can you do anything to avoid them?
Do you remember in the movie Uncle Buck when the mean lady principal mesmerized Uncle Buck with an ungodly ugly chin mole? A cow-orker of mine had one just like that in the area where your nostril turns into the bridge of your nose. It was nearly impossible to keep eye contact with her and everybody wondered why she didn’t have it removed, it was pushing her nostril out of shape fer cryin’ out loud. Two years ago she came to work the first day of orientation and it was gone, phew! There was more relief over that mole being removed than when the graphic design teacher finally got rid of that dead squirrel he mistook for a toupee.
Well, I’m out. I don’t know how you could have a thing like that and not pick at it, though. I’d probably be picking at it in my sleep even.
Inigo, have you got a couple of shots of bourbon down your gut, or do you just have a thing against 'o’s? 
Alas I’ve had far too few 'o’s in my days, I’m So full of ‘go’ you just wouldn’t believe it. But I really don’t see why you’d think this an appropriate forum to bring that up!
From muffin’s link:
Ha!
Also from Muffin’s link:
OoOOOooo!!!
I’ve learned a Cool New Word: “comedo”!!!
Com-e-do!!
LOVE IT!!!
I LIKE learning new words…
Like this lot (all from Muffin’s link):
Tricky to work into everyday conversation though.
I challenge you to get them all in to everyday conversation in one day.
He came into work last night with four inches of stitches on his neck.
The wound was still weeping fluid.
mmmmmmmmmmm.
Are you kidding me?
Did he have a story? Did it burst? Did he have surgery before that happened? Oh, yuck!
I recently saw a terrible video of this being done on a 3-inch cyst on someone’s back. One of the few things that I have ever seen that actually made me a little sick. A vast ribbon of material came rushing out, and then the cyst walls were pulled out with a GODAWFUL noise.
I’ll post it if anyone’s interested.
You know we are!
Yes!! Please do!!
What’s taking so long?
I just had a second cyst lanced and it was not pretty. About 15 years ago, I had one on my inner upper thigh. It was painful and had it lanced at the doctors office and took antibiotics to clear it up. This spring it came back and wanted revenge. This was far more painful and tender. When I had seen a doctor the first time, she indicated that it could be treated with antibiotics alone if started early enough. Well, I didn’t realize it early enough and the antibiotics that I took for it did not help particularly. The doctor said that there was nothing they could do with it since it was still solid under the skin. When the boil has some fluid in it, then they could drain it so I had to wait.
By the time it was ready to be lanced, the whole area was sore and inflamed. The doctor wanted me to go to Emergency to have it seen to since he didn’t have the right packing material. The other patients got quite the show.
[graphic mode on]
The area had the sensation of a second degree burn on the surface and fresh bruise the size of my hand although the area was just red and swollen with no sign of a head. The Dr. applied a local anesthetic to the area and sliced into the boil. The release of fluid was immediate and startling, followed by the stench. You know how you can stomach your own bad smells while you find others smells repulsive like bad breath, gas, belches, B.O. or feet? Well, I was not amused by the foul fluid my body decided to create. The Dr. went through the process of attempting to express all the fluid while I gave a play-by-play of the uncomfortable sensations I was feeling. Fortunately he was a good sport about it and we joked back and forth between grimaces, both his and mine.
Next came the packing material. It was a cotton ribbon that was to be inserted into the hole created by the elimination of the rank goo that was removed. Did I say that the area was inflamed and very tender? Using tweezers to insert the ribbon by half a centimeter at a time was whole other level of fun. It felt like I had that second degree burn and someone was pulling on a hair in the middle of it, but not yanking it out. So, after fifty or so of these, he says that it looks good and bandages it up.
Dr. “Go back to your family doctor to have it repacked every 2 days until there is no more weeping.”
Me: “From the sore, or from me?”
[/graphic mode]
I apologized to the other patients by suggesting that I should have ordered food for them and could have had dinner and a show. They seemed to be understanding and were glad it wasn’t them…but I guess they had their own problems.
I had great joy with my Dr. for the next week as the area was still tender until the fourth time I saw him and he said it should be okay without the packing.
I still have a lump where it happened, but figured it was scar tissue from the incision. Thanks, Anne Neville, I guess I should think about getting it removed so I don’t have to do that again…
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Here. Don’t blame me.
That was beautiful. And horrible. But mostly beautiful.
Mr. Mitey has a nice cyst/abscess thingy on his arm. He’s going to the clinic for it though - he knows better than to let me near it!
Wha?..I…I…I…I…wheeze… THUD!!!
(lightly edited for brevity) Well, I guess now I don’t have to tell the exact same story. Only, for four days the next week I went camping, so on the second day, with only a 24 pack of ice cold pain killers, a mirror, and some tweezers, I repacked the ‘wicking material’ myself sitting at a picnic table. My wife was with me, but she refused to help. My son was too young, and my dog lacked thumbs.
I now go to the dermotologist and get cysts removed as soon as they show up. It is so much nicer and comparatively painless.