Lipoma removal on my forehead, horizontal cut VS vertical cut? Surgeon VS Dermatologist who deals with cancer? (photo)

Thank you for sharing your question and photograph. If your contour irregularity is definitely a lipoma there are many ways to approach removal.  My preferred method would be an incision behind your hairline so as to avoid any scar on your forehead.  If you do not mind a small scar, then I would definitely advise placement horizontally along one of the creases already present to make it as unnoticeable as possible.  

Lipomas are benign fatty tumors that occur under the skin and less commonly within the muscle. They are associated with mild discomfort and a lump underneath the skin. It is always best to talk to an expert plastic surgeon to determine whether the lipoma is possibly a cyst or a tumor or hernia. We would have to remove the lipoma to be sure that it is not something else and we usually do this by sending it to a pathologist for evaluation. If a lipoma is painful, then an exam is needed to make sure it is not compressing on a nerve or whether the diagnosis is different. Aftercare for a lipoma includes gentle compression and Plato’s Scar Serum twice daily on the wound.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

I would definitely use a horizontal incision to remove a lipoma on the forehead.  The reason for this is that the scar, when fully healed, should appear like a forehead wrinkle rather than a noticeable scar.  I normally would remove a forehead lipoma in the office with just local anesthesia, but each surgeon will have his or her own preference.  Your lipoma should be able to be removed without having to remove any skin, so it should not cause your eyebrow to be pulled or moved.  

A horizontal incision along the natural folds of your forehead is generally the most cosmetically favorable way to remove a forehead lipoma. It should be a small as possible. Lipomas occasionally develop below the muscle (although are generally located under the skin above the muscle), and can be teased out without major dissection of the scalp or skull. Good luck and take care.

Thank you for your post. I would use a horizontal incision to remove the mass. Be sure to see a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for your evaluation and surgery. Hope this helps.Sincerely,Dr. Benjamin J Cousins MDBoard Certified Plastic Surgeon

Certainly a horizontal incision over a preexisting fold of the forehead or at the hairline. As a surgeon, I would go to a plastic surgeon for my excision. A dermatologic surgeon is another option. Best H Karamanoukian MD FACS

Definitely a horizontal scar (ideally behind your hairline).  This scar would match your natural creases/relaxed skin tension lines.  There is a small possibility of some sensation loss due to nerves that travel from above your eye into your scalp (this is possible with either incision).  A vertical incision would have poor cosmesis.  I would definitely go with the surgeon.