Lipoma vs Epidermoid Cyst

How to tell the difference — key features compared side by side.

Feature
Lipoma
Epidermoid Cyst
Category
Benign
Benign
Key feature
Soft, rubbery fatty lump under the skin. The most common soft tissue tumor - almost always harmless.
Slow-growing, round, skin-colored lump filled with keratin. Benign but can become painfully infected.
Risk factors
Age 40-60 (most common age at presentation); Genetic predisposition (can run in families); Obesity does not cause lipomas despite both involving fat
Young to middle-aged adults (most common age group); Male sex (slightly more common); Acne history
Action needed
A lump that is hard, firm, or fixed rather than soft and mobile
A cyst that becomes red, painful, swollen, or warm (infection)

Lipoma

A lipoma is a slow-growing, soft, rubbery, movable lump located just beneath the skin, composed of mature fat cells enclosed in a thin fibrous capsule. Lipomas are the most common soft tissue tumor, affecting approximately 1 in 1,000 people.

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Epidermoid Cyst

Epidermoid cysts are the most common type of skin cyst. They are slow-growing, round, firm, mobile nodules located in the dermis or subcutaneous tissue, filled with keratin (not sebum, despite the common misnomer "sebaceous cyst").

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Does yours look more like lipoma?

Quick self-check

Does this look like lipoma? Answer 2 questions.

Is the lump soft, rubbery, and moves easily when pushed?

Has it been growing slowly or stayed the same size?

Still not sure?

Our full ABCDE checker evaluates 5 clinical criteria dermatologists use.

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