Carolanne (Maryland) on 09/22/2016

I am so surprised that the section on CYSTS did not list Iodine as a remedy! Iodine tincture (commonly a 2% liquid in an alcohol/water solution, found at smaller pharmacies) has a emulsifying effect on the waxy, oily substance inside common dermal cysts. Much like a warm compress would, iodine emulsifies the substance inside the cyst, making it thinner and less viscous so that it can be reabsorbed by the body.
I've had several sebaceous cysts on my scalp and, although dousing them with rubbing alcohol helps a bit, I found that iodine painted on with a Q-Tip works very quickly to shrink the cyst without having to squeeze it and break the skin (which opens you up to infection).
Iodine tincture comes in a tiny dark-colored bottle ad it found at smaller pharmacies; the big box stores are more likely to have a larger bottle (3-4 oz) of povidone iodine solution, which is more dilute but should be effective as well. The added bonus is, these solutions are powerful antibacterials (even against the dreaded MRSA) and are used in hospitals.