Is there something growing beneath your skin? The painless lump under the skin can be a lipoma, a condition marked by the accumulation of fatty tissue. Is it cancerous or poses other health threats?
Lipoma is a lump under the skin. It is the growth of fatty tissues that are generally non-cancerous and usually harmless. It is a slow-growing build-up between the skin and the top muscle layer. Lipoma generally causes no health problems but it feels doughy and is not tender to touch. When pressed slightly, it quickly changes its position. There can be multiple lipomas in the body. While lipoma typically requires no treatment, if its sight or touch feels unpleasant, you can seek lipoma treatment.
Lipoma Causes
The exact reason that causes the lipoma to grow is not known. But a series of factors make you more likely to develop it. The most common lipoma causes include:
1. Genetics – The risk of developing lipomas runs in the family.
2. Middle age – People in their 40s-60s are more likely to develop lipomas.
3. Obesity – Overweight and obese people have a higher proportion of fatty tissue.
4. Medical History – People who have high cholesterol, diabetes, are glucose intolerant or suffer from liver disease.
5. Other Underlying Medical Conditions – People suffering from rare disorders are more likely to have lipomas. These include:
- Dercum’s disease
- Gardner syndrome
- Hereditary multiple lipomatosis
- Madelung’s disease
- Adiposis dolorosa
- Cowden syndrome
- Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome
Lipoma Symptoms
Lipomas are generally painless unless they grow against a nerve or develop near a joint. While most people will not experience any lipoma symptoms at all. However, the most common ones include:
- Lumps that form just under the skin
- Small in size. Typically less than 2 inches in diameter
- Soft and doughy to the touch
- Movable when slight pressure is applied with a finger
Types of Lipomas
Lipomas are made up of fat. But depending upon the type of fat they contain, they are grouped into various types. These are:
- Angiolipoma – These types of lipomas contain fatty tissue and blood vessels. They are also painful types. It usually develops in young adults between the ages of 20-30 years.
- Conventional – Conventional lipomas are made up of white fat cells that store energy. These are the most commonly found lipomas.
- Fibrolipoma – This type of lipoma is made up of fat and fibrous tissue. These lipomas can be soft or firm to the touch depending upon the quantity and distribution of fibrous tissue.
- Hibernoma – Hibernoma is made up of brown fat cells which are responsible for generating heat and regulating body temperature. These lipomas often stem from inherited conditions.
- Myelolipoma – These lipomas are made up of fat and bone marrow elements, tissues that produce blood cells. They typically grow in the adrenal gland and are small and asymptomatic.
- Spindle cell Lipoma–These lipomas are made up of spindle-shaped fat cells. It is one of the rare forms of lipoma.
- Pleomorphic Lipoma– These lipomas have fat cells of different shapes and sizes and shapes. It is one of the rare forms of lipoma.
- Atypical Lipoma – These growths contain deeper fat with a large number of cells. They are widely prevalent and mostly asymptomatic. Lipoma treatment for atypical lipoma focuses on complete tumour removal.
Characteristic Features of Lipoma
Lipoma is a benign tumour and has unwanted growth of cells. But it is different from regular tumours. Lipoma’s marked characteristic features are:
- It is non-cancerous and does not spread to the surrounding tissues.
- Lipomas are generally painless tumours unless they press against a nerve.
- They are very slow-growing.
- They are usually symmetrical, either round or oval-shaped.
- They are made up of fatty lumps of rubbery tissue and are therefore doughy to touch.
- They typically appear on the arms, legs, back, neck, shoulders, chest, torso or forehead.
How is It Diagnosed?
A lipoma is typically diagnosed after performing a physical examination. Subsequently, a biopsy is done to rule out a cancerous tumour. In rare cases, a lipoma can mimic a liposarcoma, a cancerous growth. In such cases, further testing is done using MRI and CT scans.
Treatment and Removal
Since lipomas are benign and harmless, they are often left untreated and untouched unless they turn problematic. Under normal circumstances, most lipomas will never require any treatment. But if the lipoma grows bigger or turns painful, lipoma treatment can be considered. Lipoma treatment options include:
1. Medications
The use of steroid drugs or injecting a steroid shot at the site of lipoma is typical for lipoma treatment. The medicines help shrink the size of the tumour. Thus, the tumour becomes less noticeable and obvious.
2. Surgical Removal
If the size of the lipoma grows big or the lipoma turns painful, the doctor may consider surgical removal to get rid of the unwanted growth. An incision is made in the skin after the administration of local anaesthesia. Once the excision procedure is done, the area is sewed up again.
3. Liposuction
This method involves drawing out the fatty tissue from the lipoma with the help of a needle and syringe. But this method is not as effective as it cannot reach the parts of the lipoma that are under the muscles. Also, liposuction cannot prevent lipomas from coming back.
Are Lipomas Preventable?
The cause of lipomas and conditions that fuel the growth of lipomas are often inherited. Thus, there is not much that can be done to prevent them from growing.
Home Remedies
There is no clinical evidence, but a few home treatments for lipoma can help reduce the size of the lump. These include:
- Thuja occidentalis or the white cedar tree is a tested remedy to treat warts. Scientists claim that these natural healing properties can prove effective against lipomas too.
- Boswellia serrata or the Indian frankincense has high anti-inflammatory properties. This makes it a potential cure for inhibiting cancer growth. Practitioners of natural healing claim it to be effective against lipoma too.
- Flaxseed oil and neem have high anti-inflammatory properties. They can be applied topically on the lipoma to reduce its size.
- Black pepper is believed to be an effective natural therapy for lipoma. Mix one tsp of black pepper with a tsp of neem oil or flaxseed oil and apply topically. Alternatively, add black pepper to chilled tea to form a thick paste. Apply directly on the lipoma lump.
- Mix turmeric with neem oil or flaxseed oil. Turmeric has high anti-inflammatory qualities and great medicinal value. Prepare a thick paste and apply it on the lump.
- Mix half tsp of dried sage with 2-3 tsp of neem and flaxseed oil and apply topically over the lump.
Dietary Adjustments
A few dietary changes can go a long way in making the lipoma lump shrink overtime. These include:
- Reduce the intake of oily and processed foods
- Eat fresh fruits and vegetables
- Eat bright coloured fruits and vegetables as they have high antioxidant content.
- Eat high-quality omega-3 fatty acids
- Limit your intake of red meat
- Limit your intake of alcohol
Living with Lipomas
Lipomas do not affect the quality of life in any way. Most people with lipomas may not even notice them. Thus, treatment for lipomas is not mandatory. However, if the size and location of the lipoma are undesirable, one can seek medical help and get it removed. Once removed, lipomas rarely grow again. However, they may appear at a different location.
When to See a Doctor?
If you notice a knot or lump under the skin, it is important to seek medical advice immediately. This will help rule out any serious condition like liposarcoma, a type of cancer. Once a lipoma is diagnosed, it may not require any treatment unless it turns problematic.
You will need to visit the doctor again if:
- There is rapid growth in the size of the lipoma
- You notice changes in its appearance
- It turns painful
- It feels hard
- It no longer moves easily upon touch
Conclusion
Lipomas are very common. One in every 1000 people is diagnosed with a lump under the skin. But thankfully, lipomas do not pose any health threat. A lipoma is a non-cancerous tumour, which is typically an accumulation of fat tissue. It grows under the skin and above the top muscle layer. As they are slow-growing and do not spread to other locations, they are not problematic. But they can be unsightly and therefore a concern due to cosmetic reasons. Lipoma treatment includes steroid shots, liposuction or surgical removal. Talk to your doctor about the most appropriate lipoma treatment plan.
