Yellow lumps that mean your cholesterol’s high

Everything you should know about blemishes that pop up on your skin

SIX months ago, my eagle-eyed mum pointed at my eye and asked: ‘What’s that?’ She took my finger, asked me to close my left eye and made me gently trace my eyelid.

And there it was — a small painless nodule to one side of my eyelid. My GP gave me some muchneeded reassurance: the lump was a benign cyst called a chalazion. They are very common, I learned, and are caused by a blocked gland, which means fluid builds up under the eyelid.

I was told that if I wanted it gone, there was only one option — surgery to drain away the pus. Worse still, on reading up about it, I discovered that chalazions can recur.

If the chalazion i s painful or causing problems, it can be surgically removed.

Online forums show people are trying all sorts of DIY treatments to get rid of benign but irritating skin growths l i ke mine. But are alternative r e medi e s medically sound?

We ask the experts about six common, non- cancerous skin growths and the treatments that work.

GROWTH THAT HANGS OFF THE SKIN

COULD BE . . . A skin tag — a small flesh- coloured or darker brown growth that tends to grow where skin chafes on skin or clothing, such as the neck, armpits, around the groin or under the breasts.

They are particularly common in older people, those with diabetes and pregnant women.

Consultant dermatologist Dr John Lear, says: ‘You first need to make sure they are benign and not anything more serious.

‘If they start bleeding, itching, feel sore, change in shape, size or colour, or crust over, you must get them checked out.’

HOW TO TREAT IT: Doctors say most skin tags are harmless and so it is best to ignore them if you can. But if they start catching on your clothing, then they can become a nuisance.

Alternative remedies include applying tea tree oil or apple cider vinegar to the skin.

But Dr Lear says the most effective treatment i s to tie a piece of cotton (dental floss is ideal) around the tag to cut off circulation. Leave it there for a few days and the skin tag may then fall away.

SWELLING ON EYELID

COULD BE . . . A chalazion or meibomian cyst, caused when the meibomian gland, which secretes oils that lubricate the eyeball, becomes blocked.

Unlike a stye — which is also caused by a blocked gland — it’s not usually painful, though it can become sore if infected.

HOW TO TREAT IT: The most popular remedy advocated in online f orums i s apple cider vinegar, rubbed along the edge of the eyelid. But some sufferers swear by a charcoal compress or rolling a hot hard-boiled egg on the eyelid. Dermatologist Dr Dev Shah, says any hot compress — yes, even the hard-boiled egg massage — may increase blood flow and loosen the blockage. But easy does it.

‘Excessive treatments may lead to red, sore skin and simply push the blockage elsewhere,’ he says.

Private GP Dr Fiona McAndrew adds that hot compresses tend to work better when the chalazion is infected. ‘Often, this draws out the infection, so that the cyst bursts and releases all the pus.

‘But hot compresses are probably not going to do anything for a regular cyst,’ she says.

But you might have to accept that they will recur.

‘ If you’ve had a cyst before, you’re more likely to get them again even if you have surgery,’ says Dr Shah.

This is because some people simply have thicker meibomian gland secretions than others so have a greater risk of developing a chalazion. If you are prone to developing c hal az i a , but don’t want to opt for surgery, a steroid injection can help; and if it becomes infected, you may need an antibiotic called doxycycline.

MARBLE-SIZED LUMP UNDER SKIN

COULD BE . . . A lipoma — a benign tumour, usually found just under the skin on the back, neck, arms, chest and shoulders.

Around one in 100 people will get one, according to research. They are most common in the 40 to 60 age group.

Located right underneath the skin, they are firm but rubbery to the touch, usually small — like a pea or marble — but can grow bigger than a golf ball. They tend

to be painful only when they grow and press on nearby nerves.

HOW TO TREAT IT: A lipoma is rarely a severe medical problem. But any swelling or lump on the body should be checked by your GP. Lipomas are not removed unless there is a cosmetic concern, a compression of surrounding nerves or an uncertain diagnosis.

‘Most can be ignored,’ says GP Dr Philip Gaskell.

SMALL ROUND LUMP OF HARD SKIN

COULD BE . . . A wart. These are often found on the hands or on the soles of the feet (where they are known as verrucas).

There are many different types, but all are caused by the human papilloma virus.

They can be potentially passed from one person to another by s ki n- t o - s ki n contact or by contaminated surfaces such as a swimming pool. Warts are benign, but can be painful.

HOW TO TREAT IT: Cryotherapy — freezing the wart to destroy the tissue — is sometimes carried out at GP surgeries or at hospital skin clinics.

A cold spray (dimethyl ether propane) is al s o avail able from pharmacies, which you can apply yourself.

Dr Shah points out t hat pharmacy aerosols only go down to -30c, while the GP or hospital treatment uses liquid nitrogen, which is six times colder.

Half of warts spontaneously disappear within 18 months, but if you can’t let nature takes its course, Dr Shah recommends that you keep the warts flat by filing them down with an emery board and applying duct tape to hydrate the skin (American studies have shown this can be effective). Dr McAndrew says creams that use salicylic acid, extracted from the bark of willow trees, can help.

These dissolve keratin — the protein found in warts — though can’t be used in sensitive areas or by people with diabetes. ‘ Seborrhoeic ( brown) warts, which are seen in ol der people, are unsightly, but don’t require treatment,’ says Dr Gaskell. ‘Some GPs will treat t hese with cryotherapy.’

YELLOW BUMPS AROUND THE EYES

COULD BE . . . Xanthelasma. These tiny lumpy deposits of fat form on the upper or lower eyelids, and can stretch over several centimetres.

While harmless, these could be a wake-up call to change your lifestyle, because it tends to be a sign of a build-up of cholesterol.

HOW TO TREAT IT: Dr McAndrew says: ‘ Xanthelasma could be an indication of serious problems in the arteries, so I refer people t o an endocrinologist [a gland a nd hormone specialist].’ She recommends losing weight and cutting down on sugar, as the latest thinking is that it is sugar in the diet, not fat, that causes cholesterol build-up.

Dr Shah says lactic acid treatments, which work by hydrating the skin, can help, but should be administered only in hospital as any harsh treatment applied around the eyes can be very risky.

PEARLY-COLOURED SPOTS ON THE BODY

COULD BE . . . Molluscum, a viral skin infection passed via skin-to-skin contact, but also through sharing towels.

That makes it a hazard for anyone who uses a gym, especially as it thrives in warm humid conditions such as steam rooms.

It is also common in young children.

Though the little bumps are painless, when they burst, there is the risk of further-infection. Molluscum can linger for years.

HOW TO TREAT IT: ‘I advise parents to leave them alone, but I have seen all sorts of weird treatments being used to get rid of them,’ Dr McAndrew says.

‘ Tea tree oil or apple cider vi negar often crops up as a treatment, but there is no evidence that these work.’

Dr Shah adds: ‘ Any kind of antiseptic treatment should help dissolve some of the crust and allow the spot to discharge.

‘If you’re going to squeeze the papules, always do it in running water (such as in the shower) as any remnants left on the skin will cause molluscum to come back.’

The salicylic acid treatments used for warts may help bring things to a head.

The skin-to-skin transfer of the virus means this complaint can also be s pread by se x ual intercourse.