Lipomas

Lipomas are round or oval lumps of fat that grow under your skin.

• They're not cancer

• They don't cause any problems, but you might not like how they look

• Women are more likely to get them than men

• They can be anywhere on your body

Lipomas are most likely to be on your:

• Forearms

• Chest

• Stomach

• Neck

Lipoma

Image

© Springer Science+Business Media

Lipomas are smooth bumps under your skin. They can feel soft or firm, but not hard.

• They're usually less than 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) wide

• Normal skin covers the bump

• You usually have only one lipoma, but some people have many

• Lipomas usually don't cause any symptoms, but rarely they hurt a little bit

Lipomas usually don't need treatment.

If there are changes to a lipoma, your doctor may take out a piece of it to look at under a microscope (biopsy).

If your lipomas bother you, doctors can remove them using:

• Surgery

• Liposuction (sucking out body fat with a machine)