[YEA]  11/14/2006: Karen from Peekskill, NY: "I have a question: recently I developed a little hair follicle cyst on my lower eyelid close to the tear duct. I would like to avoid surgery and wondered if there was a folk remedy you could recommend. Thank you for getting back to me!"

Ted from Bangkok, Thailand replies: "Dear Karen: A hair follicle cyst is probably caused by a clogged sebaceous glands or overproduction of it, which resulted in inflammation. Normally surgery would be required, however a possibility exists to clear them by taking some zinc acetate (or gluconate or citrate) supplements for about a week. This will at least reduce such cyst and if inflammation no longer exists, the cyst might just disappear by itself. Also taking some vitamin E should raise the anti-oxidation to clear the clogged glands. Of course the zinc should be taken for at least a week.

Alkalizing will increase capillary circulation thus removing the clogged problems indirectly. The daily use of eye wash can help clean and perhaps might help clean the tiny clogged particle which is causing the condition. Try the simple remedy for about a month. It is necessary to follow he instructions of the eye wash as per instructions on the product you buy.

I once had a similar condition, but more like a inflammation around the similar area and was greatly helped with just the taking of zinc supplements. Sometimes taking aspirin also helped the circulation and thus reduces the inflammation without the need for surgery.

It must be noted that drinking plenty of water also helps, but add 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt per one liter of water. The water you drink, whenever you add some sea salt will increase the antibiotic properties of water as salt, even a weak solution do help. "

[YEA]  04/09/2011: Bob from Chicago, Il replies: "I had a sebaceous cyst on my neck about an inch in diameter that was growing larger. I decided to lance it, but despite energetic squeezing some of the material was too hard to squeeze out. Fortunately, the sebum that came out did not smell badly so I assume it was not infected.

Then I tried the hot, moist washcloth method and added a heating pad to keep it hot (use a plastic bag between the washcloth and the heating pad to protect it from moisture). To my surprise the size of the cyst was reduced.

I kept up a 20 minute, twice daily application of moist heat and after two weeks the cyst has disappeared."

[YEA]  09/22/2009: Emarie from Indianola, Wa, Usa: "I had a large cyst on the back of my neck that had become painful when I turned my head. After three days of rubbing a drop or two of Tea Tree oil on it 3 or 4 times a day it became noticeably reduced in size. After two weeks it was completely gone. I have had subsequent sebaceous cysts on my scalp a few times that went away as well after using this oil."