Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSteps to Surface a BoilSteps for a Boil With a HeadHealing and PreventionHow Not to Get Rid of a BoilWhen to See a ProviderMedical TreatmentSummary
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Steps to Surface a Boil
Steps for a Boil With a Head
Healing and Prevention
How Not to Get Rid of a Boil
When to See a Provider
Medical Treatment
Summary
A boil commonly causes a painful lump in the skin with pus in the center of the bump. The bump may be warm, and there may be a whitish, bloody fluid leaking from it.Boilsusually occur in areas that have hair and that sweat or rub, like thegroin/vagina, inner thigh/buttocks, face/neck, waist, or armpits.
This article will discuss how to bring a boil to the surface, how to safely pop a boil that has a head, if anything can get rid of a boil quickly, how not to get rid of a boil, when to see a healthcare provider, and medical treatments for boils.
The pus inside the boil needs to drain for healing to begin. Not every boil has a “head” (a bump that is visibly filled with pus). You may be able to helpencourage the pus to surfaceand drain on its own if the boil is small.
Never try squeezing the boil, opening it, or manipulating it to bring the pus to the surface. This could push the infection even deeper. Instead, try washing the area with soap and water twice daily, making sure to dry the area well.
Applying warm compresses as soon as younotice a boilmay also help:
It may take five to seven days for the pus to rise and the boil to open and drain using this method. If the boil opens, follow the instructions in the next section for caring for a draining boil.
Wash the area with soap and water and dry it ell twice a day.
Warm compresses can help a boil with a head open and drain. Their use is similar to ones used on boils without a head.
Once the boil begins to drain (on its own or after a healthcare provider drains it):
The infection inside the boil can easily spread to other areas of your body and to other people. To help prevent the spread of infection, take measures such as:
Does Anything Get Rid of a Boil Quickly?
Boils take time to heal, but applying gentle heat can speed up the healing process.
Steps you can take to help prevent boils before they develop include:
If you have a lot of boils or get them repeatedly, your healthcare provider may prescribe an ointment or cream to apply inside your nose. Bacteria that cause boils can live inside the nose and then spread to other areas, such as your skin. Your healthcare provider may also prescribe an extended use of antibiotics.
Never squeeze or try to “pop” your boil. This can make the infection worse, and could be very painful.
If the boil needs to be lanced, leave that to the healthcare professionals and don’t try this at home.
Unless your healthcare provider recommends it, you may want to skipantibiotic ointmentssuch as Polysporin, Neosporin,Bacitracin, or iodine. This medication can’tpenetrate the skinto reach the infection. One the boil opens, talk to your pharmacist or healthcare provider about whether these ointments might be beneficial to you.
Signs It’s Time to See a Healthcare Provider
Boils can also lead to complications such as:
Call a healthcare provider or seek care now if:
Call a healthcare provider within 24 hours if:
Contact your healthcare provider during office hours if:
Factors That Increase a Person’s Risk of BoilsAnyone can get boils, but some factors that can increase the risk include:Being a carrier forStaphylococcus aureus(about 10% to 20% of people carry it on their skin, in the nostrils, in the armpits, between the legs, and/or in the cleft between the buttocks)Immune deficiency/weakened immune systemAnemiaDiabetesIron deficiencySmokingSkin injuries (scrapes, insect bites, cuts, etc.)Other skin infectionsClose contact with someone who has a boil,carbuncle(cluster of boils), or skin abscessReceiving intravenous medicationHaving been improperly treated hot tub or spa water
Factors That Increase a Person’s Risk of Boils
Anyone can get boils, but some factors that can increase the risk include:Being a carrier forStaphylococcus aureus(about 10% to 20% of people carry it on their skin, in the nostrils, in the armpits, between the legs, and/or in the cleft between the buttocks)Immune deficiency/weakened immune systemAnemiaDiabetesIron deficiencySmokingSkin injuries (scrapes, insect bites, cuts, etc.)Other skin infectionsClose contact with someone who has a boil,carbuncle(cluster of boils), or skin abscessReceiving intravenous medicationHaving been improperly treated hot tub or spa water
Anyone can get boils, but some factors that can increase the risk include:
Medical Treatment for Boils
This is usually done as an outpatient procedure, and the area is numbed withlocal anestheticor cooling.
After the incision, the healthcare provider may:
Applying warm compresses several times a day can help bring the boil to the surface and encourage it to open and drain. It is important to keep the area clean, dry, and covered both before and after the boil drains.
Boils can spread to other areas and to other people. Use goodhand washingand hygiene practices, avoid sharing towels or other things that have had contact with the area, and dispose of or clean with hot water anything that touched the boil.
Medical treatment for boils typically involves a healthcare provider lancing, draining, cleaning, and dressing the boil.Antibioticsmay be prescribed in some cases.
Call your healthcare provider if the boil is on your face or spine, is large, is showing signs of infection such as fever or red streaks, is not healing at home, or if you have any other concerns.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cedars-Sinai.Folliculitis, boils, and carbuncles.Healthdirect.Boils.Boils and carbuncles: how are boils treated?Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2018.University of Michigan Health.Boils.nidirect.Boils and carbuncles.Mount Sinai.Boils.KidsHealth.Boils In children.MyHealth Alberta.Boils.Lin HS, Lin PT, Tsai YS, Wang SH, Chi CC.Interventions for bacterial folliculitis and boils (furuncles and carbuncles).Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;2018(8):CD013099. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD013099American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Boils.Seattle Children’s Hospital.Boil.DermNet.Boil.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cedars-Sinai.Folliculitis, boils, and carbuncles.Healthdirect.Boils.Boils and carbuncles: how are boils treated?Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2018.University of Michigan Health.Boils.nidirect.Boils and carbuncles.Mount Sinai.Boils.KidsHealth.Boils In children.MyHealth Alberta.Boils.Lin HS, Lin PT, Tsai YS, Wang SH, Chi CC.Interventions for bacterial folliculitis and boils (furuncles and carbuncles).Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;2018(8):CD013099. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD013099American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Boils.Seattle Children’s Hospital.Boil.DermNet.Boil.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Cedars-Sinai.Folliculitis, boils, and carbuncles.Healthdirect.Boils.Boils and carbuncles: how are boils treated?Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2018.University of Michigan Health.Boils.nidirect.Boils and carbuncles.Mount Sinai.Boils.KidsHealth.Boils In children.MyHealth Alberta.Boils.Lin HS, Lin PT, Tsai YS, Wang SH, Chi CC.Interventions for bacterial folliculitis and boils (furuncles and carbuncles).Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;2018(8):CD013099. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD013099American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Boils.Seattle Children’s Hospital.Boil.DermNet.Boil.
Cedars-Sinai.Folliculitis, boils, and carbuncles.
Healthdirect.Boils.
Boils and carbuncles: how are boils treated?Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2018.
University of Michigan Health.Boils.
nidirect.Boils and carbuncles.
Mount Sinai.Boils.
KidsHealth.Boils In children.
MyHealth Alberta.Boils.
Lin HS, Lin PT, Tsai YS, Wang SH, Chi CC.Interventions for bacterial folliculitis and boils (furuncles and carbuncles).Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;2018(8):CD013099. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD013099
American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Boils.
Seattle Children’s Hospital.Boil.
DermNet.Boil.
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