You’re standing in front of the bathroom mirror, or maybe twisting your neck at a weird angle to see your shoulder, and you see it. A bump. Naturally, you grab your phone and start hunting for pictures of sebaceous cysts to see if your skin matches the screen. It's a universal reflex. We all do it. But honestly, looking at these photos can be more confusing than helpful because skin conditions have a frustrating habit of looking exactly like one another until you know the specific "tells" that doctors look for.
Most people call every smooth lump a sebaceous cyst. Even doctors sometimes use the term loosely in conversation, but technically, most of what we see in those online galleries are actually epidermoid cysts. True sebaceous cysts are rarer and involve the oil glands, while epidermoid cysts come from the hair follicle lining. Does the name matter when you're staring at a lump? Maybe not. But knowing what you’re looking at—and more importantly, what a "bad" version looks like—matters a lot.
What you are actually seeing in pictures of sebaceous cysts
When you scroll through medical databases or even Reddit threads like r/popping, you’ll notice a few recurring features. A classic cyst looks like a dome. It’s usually skin-colored, maybe a bit yellowish or white if the skin is thin. One of the most distinct features you'll see in high-resolution pictures of sebaceous cysts is the "punctum."
Think of the punctum as a tiny, dark porthole. It’s essentially a plugged-up opening to the surface. It looks like a blackhead that just won't quit. If you see a small black dot in the center of your bump, there is a very high chance you're looking at a cyst. This is keratin—the stuff your hair and nails are made of—that has oxidized and turned dark after hitting the air.
The texture is another thing photos can't quite capture, but you can see it in the way the light hits the skin. Cysts aren't usually "rock hard." They have a bit of give. If you were to (carefully) nudge it, it might move slightly under the skin. It feels like a small marble or a pea trapped in a pocket. This mobility is a huge diagnostic clue.
📖 Related: How to Perform Anal Intercourse: The Real Logistics Most People Skip
Why some cysts look angry and others don't
You’ve probably seen some photos where the cyst looks calm and others where it looks like a miniature volcano. This is the difference between a quiet cyst and one that has "ruptured" or become "inflamed."
It’s a common mistake to assume a red, painful cyst is infected. Often, it’s not. What happens is the internal sac—that little bag holding all the cheese-like keratin—breaks open under the skin. Your body sees that keratin as a foreign invader and goes into a full-blown "red alert" mode. This is called a sterile inflammatory response. It gets hot. It gets red. It hurts like crazy.
- A quiet cyst: Usually painless, slow-growing, and the same color as your skin.
- An inflamed cyst: Bright red, swollen, and feels like it’s throbbing.
- An infected cyst (abscess): This might look similar to inflammation but often includes pus, a fever, or red streaks. This is the "doctor now" territory.
Medical professionals like those at the Mayo Clinic emphasize that you shouldn't try to "pop" these based on what you see in a video. When you squeeze, you aren't just pushing the gunk out; you're often pushing it deeper into the dermis. This can turn a simple 10-minute surgical fix into a messy, scarred-up situation.
The "Imposter" bumps that look like cysts
Not everything that looks like a cyst in a grainy photo is actually a cyst. This is where self-diagnosis gets risky. Dermatologists spend years learning the subtle differences between a benign keratin growth and something more serious.
👉 See also: I'm Cranky I'm Tired: Why Your Brain Shuts Down When You're Exhausted
Take lipomas, for example. These are fatty tumors. In pictures of sebaceous cysts, the lump is usually right under the surface. A lipoma sits a bit deeper. It feels softer, almost doughy, and it doesn't have that central black dot (the punctum). Lipomas also don't usually get "angry" or inflamed the way cysts do.
Then there are dermatofibromas. These are small, hard bumps that often appear after a bug bite or a minor nick from shaving. If you pinch a dermatofibroma, it usually sinks inward (the "dimple sign"), whereas a cyst will stay rounded or move.
And then we have the scary stuff. Basal cell carcinoma or other skin cancers can sometimes mimic the appearance of a harmless bump. If a "cyst" starts bleeding, crusting over, or growing rapidly, stop looking at pictures and go see a professional. Real-world experts like Dr. Sandra Lee (widely known as Pimple Popper) often point out that even for experts, a biopsy is sometimes the only way to be 100% sure what’s happening under the hood.
The lifecycle of the keratin sac
If you look at enough pictures of sebaceous cysts over a timeline, you'll see they don't really go away on their own. They might shrink. They might "drain" and flatten out for a few months. But the sac is still there.
✨ Don't miss: Foods to Eat to Prevent Gas: What Actually Works and Why You’re Doing It Wrong
Inside that sac, your skin is still doing what skin does: shedding dead cells. Since the cells have nowhere to go, they pack into that tight space, creating a thick, pasty substance that honestly smells pretty terrible (it’s the sulfur). This is why people get frustrated. They think they "cleared" it, only for the bump to return in the exact same spot six months later. To actually "cure" a cyst, a doctor has to remove the entire lining of the sac, not just the contents.
When to put the phone down and call a doctor
Self-monitoring is great, but there’s a limit to what looking at pictures of sebaceous cysts can do for your health. There are specific "red flags" that mean the DIY phase is over.
If the bump is on your face, especially near your eyes, don't mess with it. The blood vessels in that "danger triangle" of the face connect back toward the brain, and an infection there is no joke. Similarly, if a cyst is located in an area where it's constantly being rubbed by clothing or a chair—like your beltline or your backside—it’s going to eventually rupture from the pressure. Getting it removed while it's "quiet" is a much easier process than trying to fix it once it's flared up and filled with fluid.
Dermatologists usually offer a few paths. They might inject it with a steroid (triamcinolone) to shrink the inflammation. They might perform an "incision and drainage" if it's painful and under pressure. Or, the gold standard: an excision. This is where they numb the area, make a small cut, and pull the entire sac out like a little pearl. It’s oddly satisfying to watch, but even more satisfying to have gone for good.
Actionable steps for managing a suspected cyst
If you’ve compared your bump to pictures of sebaceous cysts and are fairly sure that’s what you’re dealing with, here is the protocol you should actually follow:
- The Hands-Off Rule: This is the hardest one. Stop squeezing it. Every time you poke or prod it, you are risking a rupture of the internal sac, which leads to scarring and massive inflammation.
- Warm Compresses: If it’s feeling a bit tight or tender, apply a clean, warm washcloth for 10-15 minutes, several times a day. This can help soften the keratin and sometimes encourages very gentle, natural drainage without the trauma of squeezing.
- Document the Change: Take your own photo today. Take another one in two weeks. This is infinitely more helpful to a doctor than a "it's been growing for a while" description. Use a coin next to the bump for scale.
- Check for Red Flags: Monitor for "spreading" redness (cellulitis), extreme pain, or a foul odor. If you see red streaks radiating out from the bump, go to an urgent care clinic immediately.
- Schedule a "Quiet" Appointment: If the cyst isn't hurting right now, that is actually the best time to have it removed. Surgeons prefer working on non-inflamed tissue because the sac is tougher and easier to remove in one piece, which lowers the chance of it ever coming back.
The reality is that most cysts are harmless annoyances. They are "cosmetic" issues until they become "inflammatory" ones. Use those online photos as a general guide, but trust your physical symptoms—and a board-certified dermatologist—over a Google Image search every single time.