Lipoma - Cause, Symptoms, Prevention

What is a lipoma?

A lipoma is a growth of fat cells in a thin, fibrous capsule usually found just below the skin. Lipomas aren't cancer and don't turn into cancer. They are found most often on the torso, neck, upper thighs, upper arms, and armpits, but they can occur almost anywhere in the body. One or more lipomas may be present at the same time.

Lipomas are the most common noncancerous soft tissue growth.

What causes a lipoma?

The cause of lipomas is not completely understood, but the tendency to develop them is inherited. A minor injury may trigger the growth. Being overweight does not cause lipomas.

What are the symptoms of a lipoma?

Lipomas usually:

• Are small [0.4 in. (1 cm) to 1.2 in. (3 cm)] and felt just under the skin.
• Are movable and have a soft, rubbery consistency.
• Do not cause pain.
• Remain the same size over years or grow very slowly.
• Often the most bothersome symptom is the location or increased size that makes the lipoma noticeable by others.

Since they don’t commonly cause pain, lipomas are not usually treated. In the event that one becomes painful, infected or extremely bothersome, it can be removed by a health care professional. Lipomas appear across all age groups but most commonly in middle-aged men and women. The cause of lipomas is not completely understood, but the tendency to develop them is believed to be inherited. A minor injury may also trigger growth.

How are lipomas treated?

Lipomas usually are not treated, because most of them don't hurt or cause problems. Your doctor may order an imaging test, such as an ultrasound. Or your doctor might remove the lipoma if it is painful, gets infected, or bothers you.

Most lipomas can be removed in the doctor's office or outpatient surgery center. The doctor injects a local anesthetic around the lipoma, makes an incision in the skin, removes the growth, and closes the incision with stitches (sutures). If the lipoma is in an area of the body that cannot be easily reached through a simple incision in the skin, the lipoma may need to be removed in the operating room under general anesthesia.

Who is affected by lipomas?

Lipomas occur in all age groups but most often appear in middle age. Single lipomas occur with equal frequency in men and women. Multiple lipomas occur more frequently in men.

How is a lipoma diagnosed?
Your caregiver will examine you. He may feel the area around your lipoma. Tell your caregiver about any signs and symptoms you have. You may need any of the following:

• Ultrasound: An ultrasound uses sound waves to show pictures on a monitor. An ultrasound may be done to look at your lipoma and surrounding tissue.
• X-ray: An x-ray may be taken to check for lipomas in your muscles and other areas of your body.
• CT scan: This test is also called a CAT scan. An x-ray machine uses a computer to take pictures of your lipoma and nearby tissue. You may be given a dye before the pictures are taken to help caregivers see the pictures better. Tell the caregiver if you have ever had an allergic reaction to contrast dye.
• MRI: This scan uses powerful magnets and a computer to take pictures of your lipoma and nearby tissue. You may be given dye to help the pictures show up better. Tell the caregiver if you have ever had an allergic reaction to contrast dye. Do not enter the MRI room with anything metal. Metal can cause serious injury. Tell the caregiver if you have any metal in or on your body.
• Biopsy: During this procedure, a small amount of tissue is removed from your lipoma. The tissue sample will be sent to a lab for tests.

If you are living with lipomas and searching for a natural way to remove them, check out these home remedies that might just do the trick!
 Natural Oil and Herb Ointment

• Neem oil is an astringent that helps to protect your skin. It’s commonly used in ancient Indian medicine to treat lipomas.
• Flaxseed oil has levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which help to reduce inflammation.
• Cooled green tea is high in antioxidants to help regulate blood sugar and fatty tissue, so it works great as a base.
• Make an ointment using these three ingredients to help reduce the size and appearance of lipomas.

Honey and Flour

• Mix some raw honey with some flour and apply the mixture directly on the skin lump. The thickness of the application should be 1/2-1 cm in depth, so make sure the mix is fairly thick.
• Cover the lump with a paper towel or a bandage to keep the creamy mixture in place.
• Keep the mixture on for a day or up to 36 hours, then remove it and repeat.
• Repeat this method five times, and make the treatment last for about a week. This treatment will help fatty deposits under your skin to disappear.

 Turmeric and Chickweed Salve

• Take 6 tablespoons of organic extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of organic beeswax, 1 tablespoon of turmeric and 1 tablespoon of chickweed powder.
• Melt the beeswax in a pot over the stove then add in the olive oil.
• When the oil and wax is combined, turn the heat off and stir in the herbs.
• Pour the cooled mixture into a jar.
• Place some of the mix onto the affected area and cover it.

Treating Lipomas with Natural Oils and Herbs

Create an ointment using natural oils and herbs. Natural oils such as neem and flaxseed make excellent base for ointments. Experiment with different combinations of herbs and oils.

• Neem oil is an astringent that helps protect your skin. It is commonly used in Ayurvedic (ancient Indian) medicine to treat lipomas.
• Flaxseed oil has high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids help to reduce inflammation.Be sure to buy flaxseed oil certified to be free of heavy metals, such as lead and mercury.
• While not a natural oil, cooled green tea is a great alternative for your base. It is high in antioxidants that help regulate blood sugar and blood fats.

Mix chickweed with a natural oil or tea base.

• Blend 1 teaspoon of chickweed to 2-3 tablespoons of neem oil or flaxseed oil. Apply the salve to the lipoma.
  Chickweed is used to reduce fats.
• You can also use 1-2 tablespoons of cooled green tea instead of neem or flaxseed oil to make a paste.

Try creating an ointment with turmeric.

• Put 1 teaspoon of turmeric together with 2-3 tablespoons of neem oil or flaxseed oil. Smooth the ointment onto the lipoma. Your skin will turn a bit orange or yellow because of the turmeric. Cover the lipoma with a bandage to protect your clothes.
• Turmeric, like neem oil, is commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine.
• For a paste, add 1-2 tablespoons of cooled green tea instead of neem or flaxseed oil to the turmeric.

Switch to organic foods as much as possible.

• Switching to organic foods reduces the number of preservatives and additives you eat. Your liver will then be able to focus on removing the toxins stored in the lipoma’s fatty tissue.
• Limiting the amount of processed and pre-packaged food you eat will also limit the amount of additives and preservatives you eat.