Can a herbal spray treat lipoma?

Hyderabad: An advertisement for a herbal spray that claims to treat lipoma is doing the rounds on social media. The spray called South Moon Lipoma Removal Spray claims it can cure lipoma completely.

What is Lipoma?

Healthline defines lipoma as a common, noncancerous, fatty tissue growth under the skin. They rarely require treatment, as they are benign and not harmful.

FACT CHECK

NewsMeter found the claim to be false.

According to Healthline, “Lipomas are noncancerous fatty growths that typically pose little immediate health risk. Medical professionals can remove these growths through surgery, although this will typically be for cosmetic benefit.”

Mayo Clinic also said that lipoma did not require any treatment. “However, if the lipoma bothers you, is painful or is growing, your doctor might recommend that it be removed,” it added. It further suggested the following treatments:

· Surgical removal: The lipomas are surgically removed by cutting them out. Recurrences after removal are uncommon. Possible side effects are scarring and bruising. A technique known as minimal excision extraction may result in less scarring.

· Liposuction: This treatment uses a needle and a large syringe to remove the fatty lump.

Medical News Today listed some risk factors for developing a lipoma. They are:

· Obesity

· High cholesterol

· Diabetes

· Liver disease

· Glucose intolerance

Can lipoma be cancerous?

It’s rare but not negligible. We found no clinical evidence to prove that herbal sprays can be useful in getting rid of lipoma. Moreover, on the flip side, it would be risky to postpone getting treatment while using OTC medication.

Mayo Clinic writes, “There’s a very small chance that a lump resembling a lipoma may actually be a form of cancer called liposarcoma. Liposarcomas — cancerous tumors in fatty tissues — grow rapidly, don’t move under the skin and are usually painful. A biopsy or an MRI or CT scan is typically done if your doctor suspects liposarcoma.”

Although lipoma is not a life-threatening condition, it should not be treated with care at home. If the pain or size increases, rush to your nearby doctor and seek medical advice. Any kind of spray or ointment or heat compress is useless in treating lipoma as it is a collection of fat cells and not a normal bump.