Lipoma

A lipoma is a soft, fatty lump that grows under the skin. It is harmless and can usually be left alone. You can usually tell if a bump is a lipoma by pressing it.

When to see your doctor

Getting a lipoma removed



Lipomas can occur on any area of skin where there are fat cells, but are usually seen on the shoulders, neck, chest, arms and back. They range from the size of a pea to a few centimetres across and grow very slowly.

About one in 100 people develop a lipoma, so they are fairly common. It is unusual to develop more than one or two lipomas, unless you have a rare inherited condition called familial multiple lipomatosis, which causes lipomas to develop all over the body.

## When to see your doctor

You can usually tell if a bump is a lipoma by pressing it. It should feel smooth and soft, like rubber or dough, and may move about under the skin.

If you are unsure whether it is a lipoma or you are worried it could be more serious, see your doctor. They can usually confirm whether the lump is a lipoma just by examining it. If there is any doubt about the diagnosis, the lipoma may be removed.

A lipoma is just a collection of fat cells and there is no evidence it will turn into skin cancer.

Also see your doctor if your lump:

-   changes in any way
-   grows back after it has been removed
-   feels hard
-   is painful

In this case, your doctor will want to rule out either angiolipoma, a benign lipoma caused by an increase in small blood vessels, or liposarcoma, a very rare type of soft tissue cancer (see the Cancer Research UK website for more information).


::: body-ad-desktop
zones:: 232632,232575,232640
types:: 163
disclaimer:: AD
typeFilter:: native_ad
adCount:: 1

:::


::: body-ad-mobile
zones:: 232632,232575,232642
types:: 5,163
disclaimer:: ADVERTISEMENT
typeFilter:: display/native_ad
adCount:: 1

:::

## Getting a lipoma removed

You may want your lipoma removed if it's large or in an obvious place and is affecting your self-esteem.

However, you will need to pay for this procedure privately. This is because the removal of a lipoma is regarded as [cosmetic surgery](/health-library/treatments/cosmetic-surgery).

A lipoma may also need to be removed if it is causing discomfort. For example, it may be pressing on a nerve and causing pain.

Some privately practicing doctors will be able to remove lipomas. Otherwise, you will need to have this procedure done in hospital as a day patient (you do not need to stay overnight).

You will be given an injection of [local anaesthetic](/health-library/treatments/anaesthetic-local), which will numb the area, before the doctor cuts the skin over the bump and removes the lipoma. The wound will be closed with stitches and you will be left with a fine scar.


error

 There was an error when submitting your feedback – have a screen break then try again in a few minutes.

Oh no, something’s gone wrong

ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS?

initial

This isn’t helpful

This isn’t relevant

Something is wrong

This isn’t accurate

Please select one.

loading

success

We're listening – we use your feedback to improve your experience, and make our content more helpful.

Thank you for your feedback

References

Healthily's medical team

Article information

All of Healthily's articles undergo medical safety checks to verify that the information is medically safe. View more details in our <a href="/safety" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">safety page</a>, or read our <a href="/legal/editorial-policy-principles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">editorial policy</a>.

A lipoma is a soft, fatty lump that grows under the skin.