Boils vs in-grown hairs.

[NurseELB]

Don't squeeze until it comes to a head!!! Otherwise it just spreads under the skin. Whether it's called a boil or an in-grown hair, it's still a staph infection. Keep it clean, hot compresses 3 times a day, don't touch it without washing your hands before and after. After it 'pops', clean it really well and then use bacitracin for a few days. If it looks to start spreading AT ALL, see a doctor, you'll need antibiotics. Some people get away without them, just depends on what kind of staph it is.

Good Luck, hope it heals easy!

Oh, and of course I want a pic when you can, I'm just gross like that...

 

[chicken_china_mom]

Do you have skin problems otherwise? I ask because I have cystic acne. I wasn't diagnosed until I was in my mid twenties (and thought I was done and OVER with acne!) and I have dealt with it now for over a decade. See, my cystic acne will pop up out of nowhere sometimes, and it can affect my face, neck, chest, and upper back. It's never more than one at a time, thank God, but I've had them hurt so bad that I was in tears. Me, I HAVE to lance them and drain them, otherwise the pressure builds to unbearable heights. I've heard of them rupturing, and I know that can lead to much more severe problems, so I take care of it early on. Since you are already to the point where it's red and painful, my pre treatment wouldn't work on you. Normally I would say clean your face, neck and upper chest with an acne cleaner that has salicylic acid, but I think it's too late for that. The way I lance is to heat up a needle, and then dip it to the hilt in peroxide, hold it there for a few seconds, and then lance. Then I squeeze it til either clear fluid or blood comes out, and then I continue to squeeze until nothing is coming out. Then I apply peroxide and betadyne immediately, and for several days after until I'm sure I got it all out and nothing will come back. They are painful and they can make you downright miserable. I don't have insurance so I can't head in to the doctor every time I get a cyst, so I work hard at home to prevent them and then treat them when I have to. So far, thank the good Lord, I've never had one get infected. I also use a dose of Neosporin. That helps too. I'd be careful and watch your skin because where you get one, you can get more. I had an ingrown hair once, and it was, um, in a VERY uncomfortable place, and had me in tears til I took care of it, and I did the same thing, same way, and got it take care of. That one, however, refilled at least two more times, but not to the same degree, so I had to lance several times. I attribute that to it's location. But it didn't get red around it, and no infection other than the ingrown hair. I have a freaky thing with my leg hair too, if I don't shave my legs regularly, my hairs will actually grow out, and then curve and grow back INTO my skin! I've never seen that on anyone else! Needless to say, I shave! Clean your neck really good before you try to take care of it. I'd probably give yourself a nice coat of betadyne if you have it on hand. I'm never without the stuff, not with kids around! Don't lance til it dries and forms a barrier. First though, use hot compresses to see if you can get it to go down. As hot as you can tolerate. I do that too with my cysts. If that was confusing, cause I know I said it all out of order (It's late, I'm tired, lol), here it is in order for you:

1.) Apply warm compresses. I'd say continue to apply them overnight into tomorrow and see if that helps bring down some of the inflammation.

2.) If inflammation is same, or worse, then apply a coat of betadyne (iodine) to the infected area and surrounding tissue

3.) Heat up a clean needle til it turns red

4.) Dip needle in peroxide til it's fully submerged

5.) Quickly lance in the center

6.) And now, the gross part. SQUEEZE!!! Squeeze that sucker til nothing comes out.

7.) Clean area with peroxide

8.) Apply Betadyne and allow to dry

9.) Apply Neosporin A.) for it's antibiotic properties, and B.) So it helps numb the now bruised feeling area.

I know it may seem like overkill, but with so many dangerous bacterias around, it's better to do too much rather than too little. Oh, and before you, or your son if he helps you, try to pop that thing, wash your hands, and wash them well! This method is how I manage to avoid infections and don't end up with a face full of scars. And if your skin has changed over the last few years like mine has, then it might be wise to consult a pharmacist to ask what kind of products they recommend to reduce the chances of something like this coming back again. Me, I use a $20 acne kit from Walmart that is a knock off of ProActiv, and it works fine. I just ran out after a year, so I'll have to get some more. I'd wash my face with that stuff the very moment I felt that a pimple was turning into a cyst, and it would knock it right out, every time. I hope you feel better soon. I know how uncomfortable that thing is. Let us know if it goes away for you.

 

[Telamon]

what is a boil?

 

[WyandotteTX]

Well put Nurse. You are correct all boils are staph.

MY problem was I had MSRA. Not fun at all, because I had outbreaks of it probably a half dozen times. Luckily they finally got it under control and I havent had a problem with since my outbreak 5 years ago.
I most likely got it from the massive amount of laundry I do at work. Washing 5-6 loads of laundry every day, no matter how many times you wash your hands you get exposed to all sorts of stuff.

 

[turney31]

If it gets bigger than a quarter go to Dr. Mine turned out to be MRSA and the antibiotics cost $886.00.

 

[lockedhearts]

Let's see, what did you tell me on the leg........ Lance it and take pics???? You can buy drawing salve (aka iccthamol) I keep a jar in the barn but they sell it in small tubes in the drug store. Put a dab of that on there and cover with a bandage, this will bring it to a head, it may take a couple of days but it should bring it up so it can drain. Iccthamol is nasty and smells like tar ( but a small bit won't be a problem) .

 

[chickabator]

get you some stuff called Ichthmammol you can get it at any pharmacy. cost about 4 bucks stinks like burnt tar . Apply it cover with a bandage leave on over night the next morning it will have come to a head and should have busted. If it is a boil, and trust me I know boils from experiance, long time experiance, it will have a soft spot form on it that is where it will bust at . I had to go to the dr. 2 months ago and have a huge and i mean huge one lanced in the bend of my leg that was the size of half a soft ball, infection went all the way down to my hip joint! oh and DO NOT SQUEEZE IT pull it apart Squeezing just makes the infection go to the deeper tissues. Good luck and if all else fails go to the dr. I was on antibiotics for about a month and no it was not staff just a huge abcess. I have diabeties and get boils on regular basis my dr said it is because of kidney disease not filtering my blood good, i don't know.

 

[Slinkytoys]

Vetericyn is a wonderful product that kills MRSA. It sprays on, is painless and really works. It has another name for the people product, I just use the animal form.
Slinky

 

[debilorrah]

Well I worried the hell out of it last night and tonight it is much smaller and has a scab - clear scab. I hae been pulling hairs around it because it is right at the hair line.... Time will tell.

 

[Tala]

Another vote for ichthamol!!!! I put it on DH all the time coz he has bad skin. I even kinda like the smell, lol

I have a "magic" concaution that includes olive oil and lavender esential oil and it seems to cure anything on my skin, (it was sold as a lip balm or something....) but DH requires the "big guns"