Well, it’s not really TMI, because it’s not a particularly bad zit story.
I had been noticing this bb-shaped lump under my skin for a few weeks now. I kind of thought it was a mole or something and never actually took the time to check it out in the mirror. Well I did so today, and I realized it wasn’t a mole, but more like a cyst. I have had a history of getting cystic pimples as a kid and I’ll have one occasionally, but that’s neither here nor there. It wasn’t inflamed either, just clogged I guess. No pain when i touched it, just a lump. So I had plans of calling my dad (a doctor) and what not.
Then I decided, what if I tried to mash it? Now that I think of it, it reminds me a lot of these things I’d get in my earlobes. Basically they were little lumps (smaller there, though) and I’d mash them, and some stuff would come out. But it wasn’t puss though, it is less liquid and smells a bit different. Think waxy. Well I squeezed it, and without any kind of pain or whatever, the same kind of waxy-type stuff came out. But the weird thing is that it didn’t break the skin and bleed like a pimple. It got smaller but is still a bit of a lump there.
But I’m left with this scary feeling. What if I squirted some of that stuff…inside me?! It was in there pretty deep. Did it get injected into my spinal cord and will subsequently leave me paralyzed for life?
Am I going to die?
Seriously I don’t think it’s that bad, but it did leave me wondering. I am pretty sure there’s no infection to speak of as it was painless, but I gotta wonder. Oh yeah, the thing is located at the point where my neck meets my shoulder. More on the neck though.
Sounds like a sebaceous cyst. If so, bearing in mind that I am not a doctor and my medical opinion is worth absolutely zilch, I don’t think you’ve got a significant health hazard there. If it becomes inflamed and sore, you would probably want to have it treated.
Ditto. Mr. S had one of these for a year or so. It was kind of black and eventually got bigger, so he got it checked. Sebaceous cyst, the doctor said; not a problem. A few weeks later it seemed to have a head on it, so he popped it and extruded a little curl of waxy stuff. After that it gradually just faded away.
IANAD, but I’m almost certain by your description that it’s a sebaceous cyst. My dad has them all the time and your description is perfect.
If you want some fun and have a wife or maybe a really close GF, then do the following. First, wait until one gets real real big, then squeeze it until it pops. My mom did this to my dad once, and the cream burst 8 feet to the ceiling :eek:
Oh come on! I’m not going to see a doctor unless it becomes inflamed. I realize that people here are cautious with medical advice, but I was flipping out for comedic effect. If you’re wondering about the progress, it’s not inflamed, but it’s lost all of it’s definition and is a slightly tender kind of bump now. Not like a ball anymore. I don’t plan on seeing a doctor for a bit of bacne.
The usual risk of death associated with zit-mashing is in the area of your face bounded by your nose, the outer corner of your mouth, and the outer corner of the eye. It’s called “cavernous sinus thrombosis” IIRC. So if you popped an infected zit in that area, yes, you’re going to die, my condolences.