3 Alternative Remedies for Fatty Cysts

You may have come across a mushy marble sized lump under your skin. Often found on the back of an arm, leg, or on your torso these are usually a fatty cyst aka a lipoma. There are several types of lipomas but most are painless and harmless however a lump should always be checked by a doctor, especially if on the breast or neck. If it is diagnosed as a lipoma, conventional medicine offers several ways to treat it but there may be alternative remedies as well. 

Consider these 3 alternative remedies for fatty cysts which just might help. They are natural approaches you can take to minimize or prevent the development of lipomas that could be unsightly and/or annoying.

Lipoma Facts

Before treating a lipoma it is important to know what it is and how it got there. 

A fatty cyst is a formation of about a two inch or less in diameter round or oval shaped lump of tissue. Found under the skin, a lipoma is not cancerous and forms in about one out of every thousand people, particularly women. A lipoma usually appears between the age of 40-60 but could present at anytime, even in babies. Most are encapsulated which means they remain in a type of sack which can be moved around in place but do not leave the area. The only time a lipoma is painful is if it is pressing on a nerve or forms near a joint. In this case it can be surgically removed however, the scar left from lipoma removal could be considerable. 

There are a variety of theories as to why lipomas form. Some researchers theorize that trauma to the skin, such as a hard impact, could possibly start the process. Over time, a lipoma may form in the same area. However, it is often the lineage of genes as the cause and most will attribute family member health history as presenting with lipomas. 

Curcumin (Turmeric)

The active compound in turmeric known as curcumin may help reduce the size of lipomas and, when taken as a supplement, could help prevent further lipoma formation. 

It is recommended to mix about one teaspoon of turmeric with olive or coconut oil to form a good paste. Apply to the lipoma and cover with a bandage. If there are results, you may see them in about three to four weeks. In addition, taking a high potency turmeric supplement daily could reduce systemic inflammation which could lead to lipoma formation. 

According to a study of turmeric by Italian researchers and published on the journal Nutrients,

“A growing amount of evidence confirms that curcumin might modulate those phenomena involved in inflammatory, proliferative, and infectious disorders of the skin.”

Thuja Occidentalis

Although not considered by conventional medicine to be a valid science, homeopathy has shown great success for many who subscribe to it. 

Thuja occidentalis is a homeopathic remedy that may help reduce lipoma size and possibly prevent further formations. Homeopathic remedies are usually taken as tiny pellets under the tongue (which come in special packaging so as not to be touched by hands which could decrease potency) or diluted in water. 

A study published in the Indian Journal of Nephrology cites the success of Thuja Occidentalis for treating cancerous cells associated with skin lesions which in comparison may be applied to lipoma treatment. The study stated that,

“In summary, we report a case of verruca vulgaris leading to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in a young renal allograft recipient, where treatment with T. occidentalis helped to eradicate the remaining lesions without compromising graft function.”

Sage Oil

The herbal properties of sage may also be helpful in treating lipomas. 

Researchers from the Department of Biology, American University of Beirut, Lebanon studied the effects of sage on skin tumors in mice which may be considered for lipomas as well. This is mainly due to the fact that sage has specific compounds that attract and bind to fat eliminating it from the body. The study reported that,

“Our results suggest that the oil extract of the sage plant has potent suppressive activities against tumor promotion in mouse skin and thus could be an effective chemo-preventive agent against skin cancer.”

Consider these 3 alternative remedies for fatty cysts. It could be worth a try before using conventional approaches which may include injecting medicine, aspirating (drawing fluid from) the cyst, or surgically removing it which could all have side-effects and/or scarring.  

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770633/#__ffn_sectitle

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3764712/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10839216/