How Do You Get Rid of a Boil At Home? - Verywell Health
A boil, also called a furuncle, is an infection of a hair follicle that goes into the deeper layers of skin, causing an abscess (a small pocket of pus). These infections are typically caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (staph) but can be caused by other kinds of bacteria.
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. Boils usually occur in areas that have hair and that sweat or rub, like the groin/vagina, inner thigh/buttocks, face/neck, waist, or armpits.
Mild boils may respond to warm compresses and go away on their own, but boils are usually drained by a healthcare provider.
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.
Illustration by Brianna Gilmartin, Verywell
Step-by-Step How to Safely Bring a Boil to the Surface
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 help encourage the pus to surface and 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 you notice a boil may also help:
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
- Wet a cloth with warm water.
- Make sure your warm compress is not too hot (test it on the skin of the back of your hand) to avoid causing a scald or burn.
- Apply to the boil for 5 minutes. You can reheat the compress and apply again for 5 minutes, repeating for a total of 20 to 30 minutes.
- Repeat three to four times a day.
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.
Your healthcare provider may suggest using a "drawing salve." This special ointment, typically containing the drug Ichthyol (ammonium bituminosulfonate), helps speed up the abscess development and pull pus out of the boil. This can help prepare it to drain on its own or be drained by a healthcare provider.
Step-by-Step How to Safely Pop a Boil With a Head
It may be tempting to "pop" a boil that has a head by lancing (cutting) or squeezing it, but this can make the problem worse. Instead, you can try to encourage the boil to open and drain on its own.
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.
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
- Wet a cloth with warm water (you can also try a waterproof heating pad over a damp towel on the area).
- Apply to the boil for 5 minutes (with reheating the compress each 5 minutes, can continue for 20 to 30 minutes).
- Repeat three or four times a day.
- Keep applying heat for three days after the boil opens.
Once the boil begins to drain (on its own or after a healthcare provider drains it):
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
- Wipe away any pus or blood with a clean cloth.
- Put a clean bandage on the boil and change it often (at least once a day).
- Let it drain on its own.
- Keep cleaning it with soap and water twice a day.
- Continue using warm compresses as it drains.
- Wash your hands with soap and water after handling the area.
- If your healthcare provider has prescribed antibiotics, take the full course of the treatment, even once the infection looks better.
- If your healthcare provider has prescribed or suggested topical antibiotic or topical antiseptic treatments, make sure to use them as directed.
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:
- Wash your hands well before and after caring for or touching your boil.
- Keep the boil covered with a bandage.
- Don't reuse or share towels, washcloths, or anything else that has had contact with the area.
- Using hot water, wash towels, washcloths, clothing, bedding, and any items that have had contact with the area.
- Seal used dressings in a bag and throw them out to keep the fluid from the boil from touching anything else.
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:
- Promptly clean any skin injuries and protect the wound.
- Keep your hands clean by washing them regularly and thoroughly.
- Keep your face and body clean, including bathing regularly.
- Keep your nails trimmed short.
- Avoid contact with others who have skin sores.
- Avoid or only use well-maintained hot tubs or spas.
- Avoid wearing tight clothing in areas that are prone to boils.
- Replace razors or clean electric trimmers periodically
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.
How Not to Get Rid of a Boil
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 skip antibiotic ointments such as Polysporin, Neosporin, Bacitracin, or iodine. This medication can't penetrate the skin to 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, particularly larger ones, often need to be treated by a healthcare provider as they won't heal on their own.
Boils can also lead to complications such as:
- Spread of infection to other areas of the body
- Infection recurrence
- Scarring
- Spread of infection to the blood (septicemia)
- Infection of deeper areas of the skin (cellulitis)
- Sepsis (a life-threatening emergency)
Call a healthcare provider or seek care now if:
- You have signs of infection such as fever, red streaks coming out from the sore, or a large build-up of fluid in the area
- You have a fever
- You have a widespread red rash
- You have a boil on your face or spine
- You have a weakened immune system (such as HIV, organ transplant, sickle cell anemia, cancer, or taking oral steroids)
- You have a child who looks or acts very sick
- You have a baby who is less than 1 month old and has a boil
- You think urgent attention is needed
Call a healthcare provider within 24 hours if:
- There are two or more boils
- The boil is larger than 2 inches (5 centimeters) across
- There is a spreading redness around the boil
- The boil is draining pus
- The center of the boil is soft or pus-colored
- You have a child who is less than 1 year old and has a boil
- Your symptoms are not improving or are getting worse
- You have new but not urgent symptoms
- You have a sore nodule with pus and it is getting bigger
- Your boil is very painful
- You think care is needed, but it is not urgent
Contact your healthcare provider during office hours if:
- You suspect you have a boil and want to confirm so
- You have a small red bump that hasn't improved in three days
- You are getting recurrent boils/your boil comes back after treatment
- Your boil has not healed within a week of home treatments
- You have questions or concerns
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 for Staphylococcus 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 system
- Anemia
- Diabetes
- Iron deficiency
- Smoking
- Skin injuries (scrapes, insect bites, cuts, etc.)
- Other skin infections
- Close contact with someone who has a boil, carbuncle (cluster of boils), or skin abscess
- Receiving intravenous medication
- Having been improperly treated hot tub or spa water
Medical Treatment for Boils
Boils may need to be drained by a healthcare provider. To do this the provider will make an incision into the boil to allow the fluid and pus inside to drain out.
This is usually done as an outpatient procedure, and the area is numbed with local anesthetic or cooling.
After the incision, the healthcare provider may:
- Clean the wound with a sterile saline solution
- Use an antiseptic solution
- Place strips of gauze or silicone in the open wound to remove any remaining pus, and help it gradually recover (these are replaced daily)
- Cover the wound with a dressing while it heals (the wound is usually left open to close on its own, not sewn shut)
- If necessary, prescribe antibiotics in tablet, liquid, or intravenous form
Summary
Boils often need to be treated by a healthcare provider, but some small boils may respond to home treatments.
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 good hand washing and 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. Antibiotics may 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.
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