Hi, welcome to healthcare magic The lump can be a number of things such as: (1) as a result of infection of a hair follicle which can result in folliculitis, if the infection spreads to deeper under the skin and to surrounding tissues . Folliculitis can be associated with pain, swelling and redness. It is treated with hot moist compresses to encourage drainage and the use of topical antibiotics which you can get over the counter (2) enlarged lymph node- lymph nodes are present in different parts of the body and generally respond to infections according to where it is located. In some cases the lymph node itself may become infected. If infected it will also cause pain, swelling,redness and fever (3) lipomas (collection of fat cells though usually not painful), fibromas (scar tissue can also cause pain) (4) Abscess it a collection of pus,it may occur as a result of the folliculits or due to another cause- definative treatment is drainage of the abscess. They usually present with this painful, red mass, which may be fluctuant (can be compressed slightly) If it appears to be follicultitis you can attempt home treatment first however is this fails or the lesion worsens you may need to see a doctor. You may also want to try using some antiinflammatory drugs for the pain, these can often be obtained over the counter. If the pain worsens or the mass continues to enlarge or you develop other concerning symptoms then you need to see your doctor as soon as possible I hope this helps you and I hope you feel better