Cysts: Smooth, slow-growing, fluid- or keratin-filled sacs that form beneath the skin from blocked pores or glands.
Lipomas: Soft, doughy, movable fatty lumps that sit just under the skin and are typically painless.
Abscesses and Boils: Painful, red, warm, pus-filled lumps caused by bacterial skin infections.
Swollen Lymph Nodes: Tender lumps that appear in the neck, armpits, or groin when your body fights off an infection.
Benign Growths: Common formations like dermatofibromas or seborrheic keratoses that have a firm, scaly, or “stuck-on” texture.
Warning Signs of Concerning Lumps
Rapid Growth: A lump that increases in size quickly over weeks or days.
Firm or Rock-Hard Feel: Masses that feel rigid, irregular, or fixed deeply to underlying tissue instead of moving smoothly.
Size: Any lump larger than 2 inches (about the size of a golf ball).
Skin Changes: Accompanying redness, warmth, bleeding, spontaneous ulceration, or dimpling of the overlaying skin.
Systemic Symptoms: Unexplained weight loss, recurring fevers, drenching night sweats, or persistent fatigue.
When to See a Doctor
A new or existing lump does not go away after two to three weeks.
The lump becomes increasingly painful, hot, swollen, or starts draining pus.
A previously stable growth changes in color, texture, or shape.
