Lipoma on the face

Lipomas are benign tumors of fatty tissue. There is no danger from them – only in the rarest cases does degeneration occur. They can grow in the most diverse parts of the body.

In the face, they occur more frequently in the forehead area. A lipoma in the face does not necessarily have to be removed. Often, however, the patient wishes to have it removed for cosmetic reasons.

In most cases, the patients have no symptoms. Due to its superficial location, the lipoma rarely presses on structures. In the transition from the forehead to the hair, however, there are also deeper lying lipomas, which lie below the muscle fascia.

These can be perceived by patients as disturbing, as they rub against other muscles or vision when the muscles in the face move. Deeper-lying lipomas can also cause pain if they happen to be located so that they press on nerves or vessels. In these cases, surgical removal should be considered in any case.

In addition, lipomas can be painful if they are located in places where they are squeezed. Patients usually describe an unpleasant feeling or pain when pressure is applied to the lipoma (e.g. by pressing it with a finger). The excision is very often performed on the face for cosmetic reasons.

The excision can easily be performed in an outpatient surgery and in most cases a local anesthesia is sufficient. Since lipomas are usually located very superficially, this is a relatively uncomplicated procedure. Unfortunately it is not always possible to avoid scars.Surgical excision is particularly suitable for lipomas with connective tissue parts, as these can be suctioned poorly or not at all.

Lipomas that are mainly fatty can also be suctioned. In this case, the scars are generally less conspicuous, since not as extensive an operative approach is required. In the long term, however, another operation may be necessary. You can find more information on this topic at Lipoma on the face or forehead