09/18/2012: Selvi from Bangalore, Karnataka: "Herbs used to treat cysts include burdock, mullein, yarrow, vitex, dandelion, black cohosh, St. John's wort, red raspberry, nettles and Siberian ginseng. Chinese herbs include astragalus, ginger, dong quai , cinnamon, rehmannia root, and scrophularia root"

[YEA]  08/21/2008: Carolyn from Abilene, Tx: "3% Hydrogen Peroxide cured a sebaceous cyst that I usually have to go to a dermatologist to have surgically removed once every 10 years as it reoccurs. I used 3% H202 on a q-tip daily rubbing it for several minutes prior to bedtime. The cyst became sore, then developed a pustule on top of it. Eventually that broke and started oozing. I felt a piece of skin protruding from the edge of the cyst and started pulling at it after I did the treatment each day. Eventually a piece of weird feeling skin came out of the cyst as I was pulling. I continued the treatment and as the cyst shrunk more, another piece of skin stuck out and when I pulled, the remainder of the sac came out, which had been the protruding skin! The cyst is gone with no hair loss or incisions and a cost of less than $1! The hair around the cyst area did turn a lighter shade of color due to the peroxides bleaching properties, but that was no problem. It feels great to be able to comb my hair or go to my hairdresser without this cyst being in the way. I don't know if it will return, it usually takes 6 years to start forming again, but I'll start the treatment as soon as it starts next time."

[YEA]  03/21/2010: Jan from Downers Grove, Il replies: "I had a similar experience to Carolyn of Abilene. I suffer from cysts on my scalp, but having the dr. cut them out only causes another to grow, within a couple of days, so I quit going. Finally, it grew very large, and one day I noticed it was draining a tad, so I began squeezing on it, over several days. It would only drain tiny bits, then it became so tender, I knew it was infected, so I started applying regular Hydrogen Peroxide with a cotton ball. It was much better by the next day, and over time, it would drain, eventually I would feel something sticking out and tug on it. This took several days, till finally a white sac would pop out when I pulled. Days later, a smaller sac emerged, then days later, an even tinier one! That was 9 months ago, and it has not grown back, which is amazing to me, but I never realized that it was the hydrogen peroxide that was the key, till I came across Carolyn's post on this site. I am so very grateful, because I know this will be a problem again one day, as my dad and brother suffer from this ailment as well. I cannot wait to share this with them! My dad gets several cut off of his scalp at least once a year! I am so very grateful for this site!"

05/02/2012: Dkong from Provo, Ut replies: "How long does it take for the hydrogen peroxide treatment to work for getting rid of the cyst?"

[YEA]  05/05/2012: Alex from Houston, Texas replies: "I've been using hydrogen peroxide 3% on my sebaceous cyst, which started at an inch diameter for about a month now. It's working very well, and I've been getting pretty much the behavior described where weird white skin is getting slowly removed over time. At some point, my hair follicle got unclogged, and even though I'm not supposed to, I squeezed a whole lot of fibrous white stringy material that looked and smelled like ricotta cheese. It was quite a bit more than I was expecting! It's completely flat now, although I know the sac is just beneath the surface. I'm just continuing to apply the hydrogen peroxide solution daily and letting it continue to work its magic."

[YEA]  07/29/2009: Sumita from Akron, Ohio: "Dear Earth Clinic people,

Thank you for this gr8 site.. I just wanted to tell you, I have been doing Pranayams (Kapalbhati and Anulom Vilom) for a couple of months now. I am doing it to cure melasma.. Though I do not see much of skin changes (Until now, i am still very hopeful), I noticed that there were a three lumps near my ankle which are gone... Please post it to a place where it will be helpful... I have just started it a feww months back and since my melasma is old problem i am sure it will take time... but the lumps dissolving showed me that these are helpful.. Please post this whereever it might be helpful to someone...

Thank you for this gr8 site and my good wishes to Earth Clinic Community.. Wishing everyone here a gr8 health..."

10/09/2010: Lotte from Cebu, Cebu, Philippines: "To wanda philippines. I want to ask where you can buy beet, molasses and aloe vera. I seen only beetroot juice, aloe vera juice and no molasses, only in SM supermarket, there no raw is these alright its a juice already? I have 8cm ovarian cyst pls help."

07/04/2011: Mocca from Baguio City, Philippines replies: "Hello! Raw beets are available in the public market here in Baguio City. Fresh, potted aloe vera plants are also abundant here. I often see bottled molasses being sold in numerous grocery stores here..."

EC: Thank you, Jack! Cross-posted to cyst and tooth abcess remedies pages.

01/20/2008: Robert from Naples, Florida replies: "Robert's Fungus Saga – Vicks Update

Part One: Feet

Q. Do the ingredients (camphor, eucalyptus, thymol, menthol) work?

A. I've applied the solution on my nails as well as to my entire foot to get rid of all the fungus that might eventually cause a reoccurrence. The results were obvious after 4-5 days: first, the athlete's foot symptoms between my toes rapidly got better and were healed in about a week. Then, at the seven-day point lots of skin started sloughing off all over my feet where the fungus was obviously in hiding -- including the heal callus. I was surprised to see so much sloughing of the skin around the base, sides and top of the toe nails -- this area apparently had been deeply affected by the fungus, but just looked like tough skin that I had become accustomed to expect. Within 2-3 weeks the unaffected new toe nails could be seen at the cuticle. Now, several months later, there is a clear line of demarcation between the old fungal nail, and the new clear nail. I expect that it will be 3-4 more months before all the old nail has grown out and gone.

Q. Is the formulation the right one?

A. After much research and playing kitchen chemist, I learned that coconut oil is a good anti-fungal as well as a great emollient. DMSO doesn't need to be at 25% concentration. 10-15% is sufficient. Oregano Oil is composed of Thymol and University of Western Australia research proved tea tree oil's anti-fungal capability, so I added it as well. The essential oil amounts are at least or a little more than what bio-chemists call the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). The formulation I like and use now is:

Revised Formula
1 part Menthol oil
1 part Thymol oil or Oregano oil
1 part Camphor oil
1 part Lemon Eucalyptus oil
2 parts Tea Tree Oil
2 parts DMSO
12 parts Virgin Coconut Oil

There is probably a synergistic (i.e. harmonious working together) effect of anti-fungal herbs, which has been demonstrated in several studies. In one test of ten plant species whose oils were anti-fungal, researchers noted that "combinations of the anti-fungal essential oils increased their activity remarkably." In a similar study, researchers stated that "in all the oil combinations, the anti-fungal potency was found to increase over individual oils."

Part Two: Adult "Acne"

This is where the "saga" starts to get interesting. After my adolescent acne should have cleared up 35 years ago, it got slowly worse. All over the bearded part of my face, what appeared to be sacs of hardened oil under the surface of the skin had been forming nodules. These didn't get infected,'each just grew larger. Over the years I've seen dermatologists who said, because of my otherwise great health, "you're just a middle aged adolescent," blaming it on high testosterone, etc. The apparent acne problem continued and worsened.

I've seen doctors, dermatologists, pharmacists, herbalists, laser specialists, and spiritual healers. I've bought every acne ointment known to man. I took pills, vitamins, and herbs. I changed diet. I get plenty of exercise. Nothing worked. I had extensive surgery to correct the problem three years ago, and within 18 months it looked just as bad as before. As a public speaker and author in my profession, the skin condition was emotionally upsetting and stressful.
Having conquered toe nails, I started researching down the path that maybe the acne was caused by a fungus (although the symptoms didn't look like my feet). Was I surprised when I found:

" Tinea barbae is a superficial dermatophyte infection that is limited to the bearded areas of the face and neck and occurs almost exclusively in older adolescent and adult males. Symptoms include inflammatory, deep, kerion-like plaques and noninflammatory superficial patches and lumps resembling bacterial folliculitis. The hair breaks off below the skin surface. It is caused by several dermatophytes. Trichophyton species are most common. Infection of bearded skin may be the result of autoinoculation from tinea pedis or onychomycosis."

In other words, the mess on my face that had caused me so much grief and been misdiagnosed for decades was caused by the same fungus that gave my feet a problem. Apparently the dermatophytes enter the hair follicle (nails and hair are similar biological structures), then attack the sebaceous gland, feeding off the body oil; then the body's immune system reacts with scaring and hardening the facial oil, leaving an oil nodule. The dermatophytes then migrate to the next follicle, and eventually dozens of affected follicles link as a nodule the size of a pea.

Now it became obvious what had happened: The athlete's foot I got as a teenager went to my toe nails, and, because I was ignorant of the relationship of using a towel on my face that might have been used on my feet or crotch, the fungus got transferred.

Not a single dermatologist who examined my face ever bothered to ask the question: "Do you have toe nail fungus or athlete's foot!"

Using the same solution on my facial outbreaks as on my toe nails (the revised formula with coconut oil), the facial condition is clearing up. Just like with my feet, skin is sloughing off and the nodules are beginning to eject. This is the best result I've seen in years. I expect it will take a few months for the problem to be cured, as the fungus is down below the level of the base of the hair follicle in the sebaceous gland.

Part Three: Chronic Sinusitis

For the last 15 years I've had chronic sinusitis, post nasal drip, clogged nose, etc. I was constantly clearing my throat, and sometimes coughing. I snored a lot, which my wife didn't appreciate, and the snoring actually would wake me up in the middle of the night, leaving me tired in the morning. I seemed to catch colds more easily than before, but I attributed this to my very frequent plane travel.

Doctors prescribed antibiotics, but I they did not fully cure the problem and when I stopped the treatment, every symptom returned. (And I just don't like unnatural treatments.) Others said it was allergies.

I wondered: Could my sinusitis be a fungal problem? More exploring on the internet found the answer:

In 1999 Mayo Clinic researchers found the cause of most chronic sinus infections to be an immune system response to fungus, and that this may kick off a secondary bacteriological infection. It is not an allergic reaction, but an immune reaction.
Again, I felt betrayed by the medical profession. Why hadn't anyone told me this?

I went to the health and vitamin store to look for an anti-fungal nasal spray, and nothing met my requirements or budget ($10-15 for a one ounce bottle of ingredients seemed way out of line.) Here's the formula I "invented:"

1. Rinse out a 1 ounce nasal spray bottle
2. Add one eye-dropper (approximately 1 ML) of Oregano Juice (NOT Oregano Oil –it's too strong and will not dissolve in water)
3. Add a pinch of salt (approximately ½ ML) (Iodized salt is OK – iodine is a good anti-fungal)
4. Fill the rest of the sprayer with distilled water, and shake well until the salt is dissolved.

Spray as frequently as once an hour until symptoms subside. For me, this solution began working within an hour; most symptoms were gone in three days. And the price of the ingredients per bottle is just a few pennies.

If the oregano/saline solution is too strong for you, dilute in half with water. If you want, you can add a drop of eucalyptus oil with ½ ML of glycerin, (which will bond the oil to water). I now spray once or twice a day, just to prevent any recurrence.

A very dear friend, who is 75, has had awful sinusitis for years. He heavily cleared his throat every minute or two. I told him of this simple formula, and two days later he called me to say it was working. He then said with amazement: "I don't believe it, we've been talking for over 15 minutes and I haven't had to clear my throat once!"

There are articles and books that claim that some cancers are caused by fungus. If this is true, taking action on fungus early may be very beneficial in the long run. It's time we gave fungus a deeper analysis."

[BETTER BUT NOT CURED]  05/19/2013: William from Chandler, Az: "20 years ago I had a cyst on my back when one day it started to hurt so I went to a Dr and he said to put a warm wash cloth and see another Doc. The wash cloth made the thing hurt like hell, and when I saw the next guy he cut and squeezed for a solid minute or 2 that hurt alot. This cyst is back to the size of a golf ball, My friend gave me oregano oil 3 weeks ago and the cyst is half the size and I believe it may be gone in a month. I apply it 3 to 4 times a day and it makes the cyst burn and feel infected for 30 minutes but then the pain and redness goes away."

04/24/2012: Sheila from Rockford, Illinois: "For anyone suffering with cysts, especially near the vagina or anus: I went to doctors for a thick mass halfway between my rectum and vagina. They told me I may have to have it surgically removed. I didn't want that so I searched the net for anything. What I found was quite surprising. OXALATES! Because I had exposure to mold and swallowed fiberglass in the air, my stomach and intestines were damaged. I developed celiacs, terrible sores on my legs, arms buttocks, sores in my mouth. Fevers, swollen lymph nodes. If I had continued to follow DRs non-advice, I KNOW I would be dead now. I was sinking fast. I stopped the gluten but still had terrible muscle aches and the cyst was getting larger and more painful. I found out about the oxalates by reading online for hours. It is in the foods that are most healthy. Spinach, nuts, green foods, sweet potatoes. I went on the low oxalate diet, took calcium citrate and magnesium citrate with my meals and b-6 200 mg a day. Low and behold the cyst began to shrink and the muscle pains started to go away. It HAS to be only the citrate of calcium and magnesium.

Now I wonder if I had this, how many other people have the same thing and don't know it. It causes eye problems, brain fog and lots of pain all over. If this is you try it, it may help you. Or you can go to a doctor and have him take years to diagnose you. I'm a nurse and it is so disappointing to see how long it takes them to figure out what is wrong with you after you spend all of the money. Good luck all! Bless you all and keep trying to find your answers! "

02/19/2013: David Blake from Tallahassee, Fl: "My question is as follows, I have a pilar cyst in my scalp and I am looking for solutions to natural remove the cyst. It seems as though hair grows on top of the cyst and it seems pretty solid in nature. Any information would be helpful."

06/11/2012: Natrum from Flemington, New Jersey /usa: "I had a gum infection and used plantain, just chewed up a bit to get the juices out, then held the plant wad (1-2 leaves) between the cheek and gum overnight. Used it for a few nights. It drew out the infection, and was quite a relief for me. The plantain is a common "weed" you can likely find in your yard. Best to wash it off a bit first, and not source it from too close to a road."

[YEA]  02/05/2009: Madiha from Birmingham, U.K: "Suggestion about lid cysts: I lived in Pakistan for a year when I was a child. I would often get cysts, particularly in the eye area. They were quickly cured by some type of pressure plasters. These were sticky plasters and would come in a large size with many small holes pierced inside. We were given a piece cut to size, peel off the back and place on the problem area. A couple of hours later, from the painfree pressure of the plasters, the cysts would burst and that was that. I live in England now and have had a lid cyst for over two years at least and have not come across an effective cure."

02/11/2013: Mary from Yorks: "Hi my question is for Bill or Ted or any other expert. My friend has a cyst on both testicles. He gave up smoking which helped to a certain degree however he still has a lot of pain with them. The specialist said that if they still continued to bother him he would have to have an operation that would leave him almost certainly 95% infertile. Unfortunately they have got worse and his GP has referred him to the hospital where he says his operation will be in about one month time. I am wondering if it is possible to reduce/eliminate the cysts through diet etc I have seems some remedies on the site but none specific to testicular cysts and to be honest he doesn't really have time for trial and error remedies as he is expecting to be called next month. Any advice would be helpful."

02/14/2013: Joe from Bethel Park, Pa replies: "I would use DMSO mixed 50 / 50 with Lugol's 5% solution.

Apply it locally twice a day. Easy at first.

Be careful, DMSO should not be applied stronger than 70%"

11/18/2012: Tania from Vancouver, BC: "Thx for all the help advise. The biggest hardship I have is applying the ointments and having them stay on with wraps? Any advise on this would be greatly appreciated!"