- How a minor facial blemish resulted in surgery
- Warning for women not to pop pimples
A woman who thought she had a small spot on her cheek was shocked to discover something sinister was going on that required her to have surgery.
Steph Warkotsch, a 30-year-old woman from Melbourne, first noticed a small spot on her face in October and thought it was a pimple, but she became concerned when it wouldn't go away after a week.
As the swelling grew, she tried popping the suspected pimple with a face mask and cold compress, but it only made matters worse.
“Although I'm not a pimple prone person, I thought it was a blemish,” Ms. Warkotsch said.
'But when I tried to pull the gland out, and it just got bigger, I started to worry.
'The pain was unbearable and I couldn't sleep properly because I couldn't lie on the left side of my face at all.'
The 30-year-old went to her doctor who gave her antibiotics, but the mark on her face continued to grow, doubling in size as the weeks passed.
After a month it was the size of a 10 cent piece and had left her with a 'constant throbbing pain' in her face.
Steph Warkotsch didn't think about a small spot on her face before it quickly doubled in size
Steph Warkotsch was left with thirty stitches in her face after a cyst was removed
Her doctor didn't want to attempt an extraction, so she was sent for an ultrasound, which revealed a deep-seated sebaceous cyst in her bones and sinuses.
Although sebaceous cysts are generally harmless, they are filled with keratin and cell debris, so surgery was Ms. Warkotsch's only option.
It was fortunate that she didn't try to pop the cyst, as that would have likely caused an infection and certainly grown back.
Surgery was the only solution and 30 minutes and $450 later the cyst was removed at a private clinic.
The wound required as many as 30 stitches to follow the wrinkle and smile line on her face, meaning her scar will heal more smoothly.
Despite the precise suturing strategy, Ms. Warkotsch still cried when she saw herself in the mirror after the operation.
“I thought they were going to take it out and not remove it,” Ms. Warkotsch said.
'The procedure was uncomfortable and it was a shock to see my face completely stitched up for the first time.
'This will be on my face forever and dealing with it has been difficult, but I am doing better and the scar is disappearing.'
Ms. Warkotsch said her experience should be a lesson to those who tend to pop suspected pimples on their faces without hesitation.
“I wanted to warn others that a spot may not be a spot,” she said.
“You should always seek professional help, especially when it comes to your face.”
