How to Remove a Lipoma Yourself?

Medical treatment and surgical procedures like removing lipomas are not something you should try yourself as it is not safe.

People with multiple lipomas often end up trying removing the lumps at home and then end up with regrets. Though you can try exercising the fatty lump at home, one mistake can lead to numerous problems, especially in inexperienced hands. And even if you are successful in removing the lipoma, it will leave a big scar that may last for a lifetime.

Therefore, doctors advise against removing lipomas yourself. Today, we will shed some light on this matter so that you have a better understanding of why it is not safe to remove lipomas at home. We will also discuss the lipoma treatment options in detail here.

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Risks of Removing Lipomas at Home

If you consult a plastic surgeon, he/she will provide you an insight into why lipomas should not be removed without any supervision. There are many risks associated with such procedures, such as:

Unsterile Environment- Having a clean and sterile environment is very important to carry out a surgery. Normally, there are millions of microorganisms present around us that can contaminate the surgery site and lead to serious infections that are not good for overall health.
Pain & Discomfort- At home, you won’t be able to get access to anesthetic agents. Therefore, the removal is done without numbing the region. And it can be very dangerous to cut your skin and take out the fatty lump yourself.
Risk of Infection– Without a sterile environment, it is less likely that you won’t have any complications from the removal. In an open environment, the surgical site and the internal organs may get infected and lead to other complications as well.
Improper Removal– Being an unskilled person, you are more likely to make mistakes during the removal of lipomas. It means that there are chances that you may not be able to remove the lipoma completely or you may remove excess skin and damage the nerves and muscles in the surrounding region.
Excessive Bleeding– The bleeding can be controlled easily as doctors are experienced in minimally invasive surgeries and the anesthetic used constricts the blood flow in the vessels. But patients neither have this knowledge nor the skills to make a precise incision and carry out the procedure safely. Thus, when they cut the skin using a scalpel, it bleeds excessively due to which the patient may get admitted to the hospital.
Scarring- One of the worst things that could happen when a person tries to remove a lipoma himself/herself is scarring. As the incision is not made by expert hands, it will be irregular and the tissue damage will be more. Therefore, there will be higher chances of visible scars which won’t look good.

Many patients try to get rid of lipomas at home thinking that the process won’t be difficult. But that’s because they are unaware of the risks. If you consult an expert doctor, they will guide you properly and suggest the most appropriate treatment method which is safe for you.

When Lipoma Removal is Necessary?

As lipomas are fatty tumors that are not cancerous, many people think that they won’t need treatment. But you will be wrong to think like that. Though lipomas are usually harmless, they can be problematic in case:

It interferes with your normal body functions.
It causes cosmetic issues.
It is exhibiting pain and other symptoms.
It is growing quickly and becoming larger than usual.
It is cancerous liposarcoma.

Under all these circumstances, the doctor will suggest lipoma excision surgery. In some cases, it is possible that lipomas go undiagnosed and it turns out that the skin lump was a liposarcoma (cancerous lump). Therefore, the doctors will advise you to consider surgical removal of the lipoma.

Also Read: What is the Difference between Lipoma & Tumor?

What are the Different Methods to Remove a Lipoma?

It is a good thing that there are different methods available to remove the non-cancerous skin lumps that form under the skin. These methods include:

Steroid Injections- It is a non-surgical treatment method for lipomas. These injections are used to shrink down the tumor. In some cases, it completely shrinks the fat tissues and resolves the problem whereas in other cases, it may not be as effective. You may also need multiple injections to remove even a small lipoma that is less than 1” diameter.
Liposuction- This method is preferred to remove lipomas that are not causing any pain. Any of the modern liposuction techniques may be used to remove the lumps in a minimally invasive manner. As lipomas are fat tissues, they can be easily targeted through liposuction. The cannula is used to break down the lump and the tissues are extracted through a suction device safely.
Excision Surgery- The most effective treatment method for lipomas is excision surgery. It is done when the lump grows to a significant size. In other treatment methods, the cell wall of the lipoma is not removed properly. But in excision, the lump is removed along with the cell wall. Therefore, it is a permanent treatment method.

The doctors choose one or a combination of these methods to remove lipomas. Mostly, liposuction and excision surgery is combined to get effective results and perform surgery in a minimally invasive manner.

Consult The Best Plastic Surgeons for Lipoma Removal

In case you are thinking about removing lipoma yourself, stop and rethink. Your body is not a toy that you can play with. It will be better if you consult the best plastic surgeons in your city. Fortunately, Pristyn Care is associated with highly experienced and well-trained specialists who are skilled in performing minimally invasive lipoma removal surgery.

You can book an appointment with any of our doctors and undergo surgery at your convenience without any hassle.