The term skin lumps may be vague but refers to any areas of abnormally raised skin. The lumps may be hard and rigid, or soft and movable. By decoding how it looks and feels, you can gain some clarity about what is going on. Skin lumps can be broadly divided into three categories:

  • Benign: Noncancerous and may not require treatment.
  • Inflammatory or infectious: It requires treatment but is not life-threatening.
  • Malignant: Cancerous and require immediate attention and treatment.

What Are The Types Of Skin Lumps?

Skin tag is a skin-coloured growth under the skin's surface. It often occurs in areas where skin rubs together, like the neck or armpit, and they are benign.

Cyst is a common skin lump that often appears on the face or back. You can identify a cyst with its central pore, and it is inflammatory and needs proper treatment. Also called as cystic acne, a cyst is one of the most common types of acne in teenagers.

Wart: A wart is a skin growth caused by the papillomavirus and is also benign. Although it is not malignant, it can lead to anxiety in teenagers. You can get a wart prefessionally removed from a dermatologist.

Lipoma is a benign skin lump of fat that grows in the skin’s fat layer. It can appear anywhere in the body. A lipoma is soft and mushy, and the edge will not be well defined.

Enlarged Lymph Node: Lymph nodes are a part of our body’s immune system and are located in certain areas of the body like the armpit, groin, or below your chin. Cancerous lymph nodes may become firm or hard and fixed.

Skin Lump Diagnosis And Treatment

Skin lump causes and signs

Skin lumps can occur due to different causes that can impact how they look or feel. Here is what a skin lump may feel like:

  • Soft and squishy
  • Mobile
  • Fixed
  • Hard
  • Painful
  • Red and inflamed
  • Has a central pore
  • Looks well defined under the skin
  • Has an irregular contour
  • Growing

Depending on the skin lump causes, you can experience other symptoms besides the skin lump.

For example, one sign of cancer of the lymphatic system is enlarged lymph nodes in your armpits, neck or groin, along with night sweats and fever.

How to diagnose skin lumps?

If you see a skin lump that is bothering you along with other symptoms like fever or weight loss or even a lump that is growing in size, do not ignore it. Visit your dermatologist (skin specialist) or a physician who will perform a physical exam to diagnose your skin lump.