Boils are usually the result of an infection of a blocked oil gland or a hair follicle, just below the skin. Starting out as a tender red bump on the skin, a boil ‘matures' in a couple of days with a pointed head that is often creamy white in color as it gets filled with pus. This is due to the response of the body's immune system in fighting the infection. Eventually, the boil ripens and bursts on its own, oozing pus. The period from the onset of the infection to the bursting of the boil can be quite painful, and if the boil appears on the face or eyes, it can be quite embarrassing too. Once the boil bursts, there is an enormous relief from the pain.
Treating a boil with home remedies for a boil is the easiest option for those who want to know how to treat a boil naturally, particularly if it is an embarrassing one, like a boil on the buttocks. A popular home remedy is tea tree oil, which is known for its antibacterial and antiseptic properties. It is applied on the boil to reduce the inflammation and prevent the spread of the infection to the skin surrounding the boil. Boils on the buttocks, called pilonidal cysts, appear on the cleft of the buttocks often after prolonged sitting during a car or bus journey because the pressure causes an already infected hair follicle to swell. Turmeric has been recommended as a cure for those who wish to know how to get rid of a boil on the face or any other part of the body. Drinking turmeric powder with tea or broth or just plain water helps to clear the boil by reducing the inflammation and cleansing the blood. Applying a paste of turmeric on the boil helps to stop the spread of the bacteria that cause the infection. Knowing how to treat a boil on the face is important, and if you want to know how to get rid of a boil overnight you should also know how not to burst a boil or else you would be looking later to get rid of a boil scar. Bursting a boil by squeezing it or pinching it can be both painful and dangerous. The pus that oozes out from a boil can cause boils in the surrounding skin and this could result in a cluster of boils called a carbuncle. If a boil is small and firm, it is best to treat it with a hot compress by placing a wash cloth dipped in hot water on the site. Repeating the process several times in the day increases blood flow to the site and reduces the infection and the inflammation. Other ways to burst a boil include soaking a brown paper in vinegar and pasting the paper over the boil overnight to allow the boil to come to a head or burst.
Ice cubes are known to heal a boil when applied on painful boils as they reduce the pain and inflammation. Warm oatmeal applied overnight on the boil is also an effective treatment for a boil. Similarly, a warm cooked paste of starch, vinegar, and flour can be applied on the boil and allowed to cool. A warm compress with a hot wash cloth may be wrapped around the area with the paste to keep it warm and allow the boil to come to a head. As long as a person has boils, his or her personal items like towels, razors and soap should be washed and kept isolated so that the infection does not spread to other members of the family. This is particularly important in case of staph infections and boils. Boil bursting is made safer by placing a clean beer bottle in hot boiling water until the bottle gets quite hot. Holding the opening of a hot bottle tightly over the boil creates a suction effect which pulls out the head of a boil. This operation needs to be done carefully as otherwise you could end up with a painful scald or a burn and a boil. An unusual ointment made with a powdered asprin, shavings from soap, and a few drops of water to mix the two is applied overnight on the boil and covered with gauze to make the boil ripen and burst. Natural remedies to burst boils include placing a banana peel or slices of potatoes or tomatoes or scooped out onions on the boil overnight and bandaging the spot to the hold the peel or the vegetable in place. Whenever a boil bursts, it is important to clean the boil with an antiseptic solution and apply a healing cream or ointment to prevent the pus from infecting the surrounding skin and causing more boils. Boils normally come to a head within a week and burst on their own. If it is a boil that is painful or if it does not burst on its own even after a week, it is better to consult a doctor. The doctor will make a small incision to drain off the puss and clean the area with antiseptic to prevent further infection.
answered by M W