Five Home Remedies for Boils

Boils are tender, pus-filled bumps that can form under your skin when bacteria infects one of your hair follicles, causing it to become inflamed. As this lump fills with pus, boils become larger and more painful until, after up to two weeks, they come to a head, burst and drain.

A cluster of boils is called a carbuncle. And boils and carbuncles can occur anywhere on your body, especially your buttocks, inner thighs, and under your arms. But they can also form on your face, neck, or back.

While painful, boils aren't usually a serious condition. In fact, with a few home remedies, you can treat them yourself.
Keep the area clean.

Use liquid antibacterial soap to keep boils, and the skin around them, clean. And applying antibacterial ointment to the area will help kill bacteria.

Apply a warm compress to boils.

Applying a wet, warm compress to boils at least four times a day will make them come to a head faster.

Wet a washcloth with very warm water. Ring the washcloth out, and apply it to the boils, leaving it in place for at least fifteen minutes. To make sure the washcloth remains warm enough, rewet it with more warm water every few minutes.

What to do when boils pop.

Once boils have popped, applying saltwater can dry out the pus, which will speed up the healing. In a sink, combine two cups of hot water and two teaspoons of table salt. Wet a washcloth in the water, ring it out, and apply to boils. When the washcloth cools, dip it in the saltwater again, ring it out, and reapply.

Never squeeze or lance boils.

You want boils to drain, but trying to force the issue by squeezing boils, picking them with a pin, or slicing them open with a razor isn't the way to go. When you do any of the above, you risk spreading the infection. Stick to using warm compresses, which will bring boils to a point where they'll drain all on their own.

When boils drain, the infection can spread.