My Lumps

For as long as I can remember, I've had little bumps on my scalp. Harmless, painless lumps. Every picture of me with shorter hair showcases two of them pretty prominently, while the other two are on the top of my head and the back of my head, respectively. They're called pilar cysts, and it's essentially old skin cells and keratin trapped beneath the skin. Totally benign (non-cancerous), rare, but they can definitely be a shock to look at.

I've had them for so long that I honestly can't remember not having them. I asked two friends who had known me for over a decade, and they think I've had them all along. I've had a boss ask me if I was healthy, if the bumps were painful or a problem. My niece started calling me Uncle Bumpy, neither one bothered me much (my mom handles the self-consciousness department just fine on her own), but the nickname sticking was what finally tipped me toward doing something about them.

I had started getting annual dermatology appointments to keep an eye out for any suspicious moles or growths. I've had some bad sunburns before, and had at least one "I don't remember this mole..." conversation with them along the way. Eventually they referred me to a plastic surgeon, who would be the most qualified for cyst removal, especially since the cysts themselves are a few centimeters large.

I finally scheduled a surgery appointment for tomorrow where I'll be getting them removed. Should be a pretty straightforward procedure, and hopefully a quick recovery. Honestly, I'm looking forward to it. Less about how I look and more about not having to think about them anymore, quality of life and all that.

We'll see how it goes!