Benign skin lumps
Lipomas and skin cysts are common, usually harmless lumps under the skin. A lipoma is a soft fatty lump; a skin cyst is a fluid or keratin filled sac. Read more about benign skin lumps →
If symptoms are sudden, severe or getting worse, contact your GP or NHS 111.
Where are you up to?
The NHS reports waiting times by specialty, not by individual condition, so this is the general surgery wait (not specific to benign skin lumps), updated August 2026. Enter a postcode to see the hospitals near you.
general surgery waiting times by hospital
| Trust | Location | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|
| Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust | Tameside | 3 weeks |
| The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust | Harlow | 4 weeks |
| Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust | Reading | 5 weeks |
| Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust | Kirklees | 6 weeks |
| The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust | Kensington and Chelsea | 6 weeks |
| Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | Milton Keynes | 6 weeks |
| County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust | Darlington | 6 weeks |
| Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | North Tyneside | 6 weeks |
About benign skin lumps
A lipoma is a soft, fatty lump that grows slowly under the skin, moves easily when pressed, and is usually painless. A skin cyst (often an epidermoid or so-called sebaceous cyst) is a smooth lump just under the skin containing a soft, cheesy material. Both are very common and are usually harmless (benign). They often need nothing done unless they bother you.
How it is treated
Harmless lumps that are not causing problems are usually best left alone. A skin cyst may settle on its own, and should not be squeezed. If a lump is painful, keeps getting inflamed or infected, is growing, or is in a spot where it catches or looks unsightly, it can be removed with a minor operation under local anaesthetic. An infected cyst may first need treatment for the infection.
After treatment
Minor removal usually leaves a small scar and heals within a couple of weeks. Cysts can come back if part of the sac is left behind, which is why complete removal is preferred. Most people are back to normal activity the same or next day.
Sources: NHS: Lipoma, NHS: Skin cyst. Last updated October 2026.
When the NHS will and will not treat it
Removing harmless skin lumps is on NHS England’s Evidence-Based Interventions list, so the NHS does not routinely fund removing a lipoma or cyst purely for appearance or if it is causing no problems.
The NHS will usually consider removal when a lump is painful, repeatedly inflamed or infected, growing or changing, affecting function, or where the diagnosis is uncertain and needs confirming. If a lump is harmless and not troubling you, the NHS position is that it is safe to leave.
If you want a harmless lump removed and it does not meet NHS criteria, private removal is available as a minor day-case procedure.
General information only, not medical advice. Wait or Pay is independent and is not the NHS. Your GP decides what care, if any, you need.