Boil

Boils are red, swollen, painful bumps under the skin. They often look like an overgrown pimple. They are often caused by infected hair follicles. Bacteria from the infection form a pocket of pus. Boils can happen in an area where skin rubs. They may become large and cause severe pain.

Boils are red, swollen, painful bumps under the skin caused by an infected hair follicle. Bacteria from the infection forms a pocket of pus (abscess), which can become large and cause severe pain. Boils are often on the face, neck, breasts, buttocks, the groin area, and in the armpits.

Your doctor will give you a physical exam to see if you have a boil. They will also ask about your symptoms. Your doctor may do a test on the pus to look for a possible cause of the boil.

Your doctor may want to cut a small opening in the boil so that the pus can drain out. This is called lancing the boil. The doctor will numb the area first. Sometimes gauze is placed in the cut so that it stays open and keeps draining. You may be prescribed antibiotics.

You can sometimes care for a boil at home.

• Do not squeeze, scratch, drain, or open the boil. Squeezing can push the infection deeper into the skin.
• Gently wash the area with soap and water twice a day. Dry it well.
• Put warm, wet cloths on the boil for 20 to 30 minutes, 3 or 4 times a day. Do this as soon as you notice a boil. The heat and moisture can help the boil to open and drain, but it may take 5 to 7 days. A warm compress or waterproof heating pad placed over a damp towel may also help.
• Keep using heat for 3 days after the boil opens. Put a bandage on it so the drainage does not spread. Change the bandage every day.
• If the boil is draining on its own, let it drain. Keep cleaning it twice a day with soap and water.
• To help keep the infection from spreading, do not share towels and washcloths with other people.
• If your doctor prescribes antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because your boil heals. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.