It's amazing what our bodies can do to keep us alive and well without us even knowing – but some of the inner workings are pretty gross.
From pimples full of pus to strange smells, our bodies have some interesting ways of letting us know something isn't quite right, or methods of trying to keep out the bad stuff.
One of these defence mechanisms our bodies have appears in the form of a type of cyst known specifically as a pilonidal cyst – but do you know what they actually are? Some people are only just finding out the less-than-pleasant truth, and it's left them with "new fears" they never knew were possible to have.
In a video posted to the @curiosity9991 account on TikTok, it was explained that pilonidal cysts form when our own hairs poke at the skin and try to re-enter the body – which the body rejects and attempts to push out. This specific type of cyst specifically grows under the skin on your lower back, near the crease of your buttocks.
The video explained: "If you cut a pilonidal cyst in half, you'd probably find a clump of hair inside. These hairs typically fall from your head and down the back of your shirt, and as you ruffle around throughout the day, they move down to this area [your lower back] and eventually embed into your skin.
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"Your body perceives them as a foreign object and the area becomes inflamed. This can eventually cause a cyst to form that entraps more and more hairs as they fall."
According to the NHS – which refers to the condition as pilonidal sinus – the cause is "not clear", however the health body's website does state that "a skin problem, pressure or friction may cause hair between the buttocks to be pushed inwards" which can cause the problem to begin.
The NHS continues: "This may either be hair growing around the buttock area, or loose hair shed from the buttocks or elsewhere that gather around the buttock cleft and enters the pilonidal sinus."
Thankfully, the condition usually clears up by itself, and treatment is only needed if the cyst becomes infected. In this instance, you may need the cyst cut and drained, and you may be prescribed antibiotics.
Despite the condition not always needing treatment, people on the TikTok video were still horrified to learn that it even exists. Some stated the video had even unlocked a "new fear" for them.
One person said: "New fear unlocked," while someone else added: "Thank you, now I feel itchy in the places I can't itch."
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