It is said that this is a rare skin condition, but we have seen at least three cases of this coming into our clinic. Before we knew what it was, we tried treating it with our usual acne protocols but it just didn’t budge. Nor did it extract like acne. We might get something out of the lesion, but it was not like acne – it was more like a gelatinous fluid coming out. When the client came back in, the lesions would be all filled up again. One of my clients alerted me to the fact that he had been diagnosed years ago with this condition, so we started doing some research on it.
Steatocystoma multiplex is an uncommon disorder of the pilosebaceous unit characterized by the development of numerous sebum-containing dermal cysts. The relationship of steatocystoma multiplex to the development of sebaceous glands and common presentation at puberty suggest a hormonal trigger for lesion growth.
As far as we know, there is no easy answer for this condition. Lancing them and trying to remove the sebaceous sac or using laser has proven costly and not that effective with risks of scarring . There was a study years ago in Korea where the doctors took five patients and did a minimal invasive surgery that was said to be tested for getting rid of the cysts. The article said that it was successful, fast, and there was no sign of scarring on the test subjects. It is a new procedure and not much could be found on it. It is called Steatocystoma Multiplex vein hook surgery where they use a hook-like tool to remove the sebaceous sac, and it seemed to be successful. There have been no new updates to this study as far as I know. If anyone has any information on this study, we would LOVE to know.
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