Lipoma: what is it?
Lipoma is a benign tumor made up of fat. This is a fairly common pathology that affects men or women indifferently, more rarely children. It can occur at any age but remains more common after 40 years.
The diagnosis must be established by a general practitioner or a dermatologist who, alone, can determine whether the lump is a lipoma. He may order a biopsy to make sure it is not a malignant tumor.
What is a fat ball?
It has been said: the lipoma is a benign tumor made up of fat. There are different kinds of lipomas but the most common is the subcutaneous lipoma which forms a ball under the skin: this “fat ball” results from the multiplication (and proliferation) of adipose cells whose role is to store fat. fats in the body.
Lipomas – that is, “fat balls” – can be located anywhere on the body: scalp, back, breast, arms, neck and even on the face. We are talking about lipomatose when a person has more than one lipoma on the body.
Is a lipoma painful?
In the vast majority of cases, the lipoma is asymptomatic: there are no symptoms and it is not painful. However, experts estimate that this benign fatty tumor is painful in 25% of cases: it may in particular be a question of a lipoma located near a nerve, causing nerve pain.
Attention : more rarely, we can observe the development of a fibrolipome neural (also called fibrolipomatous hamartoma) which corresponds to the development of a lipoma in a nerve, causing pain and paresthesias – tingling … Even more rarely (in less than 1% of cases), the lipoma develops in a joint (especially in the knee) and the pain is then mechanical: it occurs during movement.
Is a lipoma cancer?
The lipoma is defined as a “non-cancerous tumor of the soft tissues”: there is therefore no question of being alarmed!
On the other hand, a consultation with a dermatologist is necessary if the lipoma becomes painful, if it changes in appearance (if it grows, if it changes color or if it is deformed, for example), if it becomes hard on the skin. touch, or if it becomes mobile (if it “rolls” under the fingers) or immobile (if it gives the impression of “sticking” to the tissues). The lipoma only becomes cancerous in very rare cases!
Surgical treatment of lipoma
It happens, without us knowing why, that the lipoma disappears on its own. Although the lipoma is most of the time not painful, the patient may wish to have it removed for cosmetic reasons, especially if it is several centimeters tall. There are three options for treating lipoma:
- practice a lipectomie, that is, removing the mass by a surgical operation. The lipoma is then sent to a laboratory for analysis.
- a lipoaspiration is also possible, but it is more likely to see the lipoma recur.
- a injection of corticosteroids directly into the lipoma, if surgery is not possible, to gradually reduce it.
Lipoma: natural treatments
The patient, after checking with a doctor that he has a lipoma, may consider other methods of treatment. It is recommended to carry out a detoxification of the liver in parallel with these treatments.
- l‘Atlas cedar essential oil : it is lypolitique, which means that it has the capacity to promote the destocking of fats. It is possible to associate it with the essential oil of Rosemary, the essential oil of Ravintsara and the essential oil of Italian Helichrysum in a 10% dilution with a vegetable oil. This preparation must then be applied directly to the lipoma with a cotton swab, repeating the operation two or three times a day for two weeks.
- a honey poultice : honey is known for its soothing but also anti-inflammatory properties. A mixture of honey and flour (in equal parts) must be applied directly to the lipoma, then the lipoma must be protected with a strip that will be left in place for 24 hours before repeating the operation until the mass has disappeared.
- a sage ointment : just mix a teaspoon of dried sage with three tablespoons of linseed oil. The preparation should then be applied directly to the lipoma. Be careful, however, of the possible interactions between linseed oil and certain treatments, in particular anticoagulants and against hypertension. It is important to seek medical advice before using it.
Source :femmeactuelle.fr
