Getting rid of a boil
April 12, 2017 7:30 AM Subscribe
In January I developed what I think is a boil; a gross pus-filled thing appeared on my chest and burst a few days later. However, it left a red sore behind, and it’s still there unchanged. How do I get rid of it?
For the first month or so I had it, I put honey on it (which is usually how I effectively treat zits). Then I tried covering it with triple antibiotic gel and a Band-Aid. My doctor sorta shrugged and said it would probably go away on its own. But if you have any suggestions for expediting this I’d appreciate it; it’s dark enough so that it really stands out against my pale skin, and as the weather warms up it’s getting ever-harder to find clothes that cover it up.
For the first month or so I had it, I put honey on it (which is usually how I effectively treat zits). Then I tried covering it with triple antibiotic gel and a Band-Aid. My doctor sorta shrugged and said it would probably go away on its own. But if you have any suggestions for expediting this I’d appreciate it; it’s dark enough so that it really stands out against my pale skin, and as the weather warms up it’s getting ever-harder to find clothes that cover it up.
A dermatologist will have various ways to lighten this up, laser, dermabrasion or Retinol based topical. Will likely be pricey, but it's there if you want to go that way. IANAD, but have experience with dermatologists.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 7:51 AM on April 12, 2017
posted by jeff-o-matic at 7:51 AM on April 12, 2017
Hot compresses? Maybe there's still some pus in there.
posted by ODiV at 8:07 AM on April 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by ODiV at 8:07 AM on April 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
It's better for when the boil is fresh, but you might still try using a dab of Drawing Salve for an hour a day every few days and see if you get any progress. If your local drugstore has it, it'll be near the Boil-Eez, usually to one side of the neosporin etc. My Walgreen's and CVS seem to come and go, Rite Aid almost always has one tube on the shelf.
It smells like gasoline and it's black and will stain fabric, so I usually put a good dab on a band-aid and the band-aid over the spot. For really dramatic boils, it'll stop the pain almost instantly and usually get it to come to a head (or more likely just soften and drain out). For older ones like you have, you might see something come out or it may just dry up.
But if you're just trying to reduce hyperpigmentation, you can use any product for acne hyperpigmentation. They're all mostly chemical exfoliants, usually a strong AHA/AHB or Vitamin C or similar. There's no proof that these things work, which is why your derm isn't offering much in the way of solutions, but people seem anecdotally to get some results from them.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:23 AM on April 12, 2017 [4 favorites]
It smells like gasoline and it's black and will stain fabric, so I usually put a good dab on a band-aid and the band-aid over the spot. For really dramatic boils, it'll stop the pain almost instantly and usually get it to come to a head (or more likely just soften and drain out). For older ones like you have, you might see something come out or it may just dry up.
But if you're just trying to reduce hyperpigmentation, you can use any product for acne hyperpigmentation. They're all mostly chemical exfoliants, usually a strong AHA/AHB or Vitamin C or similar. There's no proof that these things work, which is why your derm isn't offering much in the way of solutions, but people seem anecdotally to get some results from them.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:23 AM on April 12, 2017 [4 favorites]
As mentioned above, my guess is that there is still some residual pus in there. Combined with all the components of scar healing, it will probably stay dark for a while and possibly leave a faint scar.
I have never tried drawing salves or even your honey method, but I have had good results with hot compresses/heating pads to release both the initial and lingering pus. So I would put lots of heat on it until you feel like it might be starting to soften up. The initial "hole" it popped through has probably healed over, so you might have to create a new one with extreme pressure, picking off the scab (if there is one), or poking it with a sterilized needle. If you don't want to do all this, I bet that the thing will probably resolve itself over time, but not necessarily in your time frame.
In terms of the pigmentation changes, you could try some of the OTC treatments for that but I do not have any experience with most of them. My husband recently had a returning boil on his thigh and while he did not care about the appearance, he did want it to evacuate and heal. Once he got the pus out, he made a mixture of melted coconut oil and turmeric and applied that (with a bandage over it because turmeric stains ridiculously, so again, this might not be the perfect solution for you but maybe something to think about if you don't want to go back to the doctor...)
Good luck!
posted by danabanana at 8:53 AM on April 12, 2017
I have never tried drawing salves or even your honey method, but I have had good results with hot compresses/heating pads to release both the initial and lingering pus. So I would put lots of heat on it until you feel like it might be starting to soften up. The initial "hole" it popped through has probably healed over, so you might have to create a new one with extreme pressure, picking off the scab (if there is one), or poking it with a sterilized needle. If you don't want to do all this, I bet that the thing will probably resolve itself over time, but not necessarily in your time frame.
In terms of the pigmentation changes, you could try some of the OTC treatments for that but I do not have any experience with most of them. My husband recently had a returning boil on his thigh and while he did not care about the appearance, he did want it to evacuate and heal. Once he got the pus out, he made a mixture of melted coconut oil and turmeric and applied that (with a bandage over it because turmeric stains ridiculously, so again, this might not be the perfect solution for you but maybe something to think about if you don't want to go back to the doctor...)
Good luck!
posted by danabanana at 8:53 AM on April 12, 2017
Consider asking your doctor for something like muciprocin, which can be used for things like MRSA.
posted by answergrape at 8:57 AM on April 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by answergrape at 8:57 AM on April 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
I had a similar issue with one on my back, and a week or so of applying vitamin E oil to it did the trick (turned out some pus did remain, and it brought it to a head, after which it began to heal).
I used this, from CVS.
posted by ryanshepard at 9:35 AM on April 12, 2017
I used this, from CVS.
posted by ryanshepard at 9:35 AM on April 12, 2017
If it's really healed, but you're just trying to treat the leftover mark, I've had success with fade cream, which can be found with "ethnic" skin care items. It also carries a label warning that it may be carcinogenic, so you may not be so inclined. However, it does work.
posted by emumimic at 9:47 AM on April 12, 2017
posted by emumimic at 9:47 AM on April 12, 2017
Seconding Boil Eze. If you can't find it CVS has their own version.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 9:57 AM on April 12, 2017
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 9:57 AM on April 12, 2017
When you say 'sore', do you mean a scab is still there, or that the skin is healed up fine, but there is a red mark left behind?
If the former, you should go back to your doctor to have them look at it again to investigate further why it is not healing (data point, a friend had a non-healing boil and it turned out he was diabetic and the boil not healing was part of a larger systemic issue).
If it is the latter, a red spot left over from the healing process, I would recommend getting a really good concealer, like dermablend, and just covering it up while it fades. I have pale skin and am a big believer in concealer for, like, everything.
posted by nanook at 11:00 AM on April 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
If the former, you should go back to your doctor to have them look at it again to investigate further why it is not healing (data point, a friend had a non-healing boil and it turned out he was diabetic and the boil not healing was part of a larger systemic issue).
If it is the latter, a red spot left over from the healing process, I would recommend getting a really good concealer, like dermablend, and just covering it up while it fades. I have pale skin and am a big believer in concealer for, like, everything.
posted by nanook at 11:00 AM on April 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
If it is, in fact, fully healed, I would suggest a spot laser treatment at a place that specializes in those type of things. I just had a similar red spot treated (it was on my nose, ugh) after using numerous vitamin C serums and fade creams for a month to no effect.
The laser cost me $200, which is probably on the way high end as I went to a clinic in San Francisco. You can probably get it done elsewhere for much less. The treatment lightened it immediately, it blistered a little, and when that healed in a week or so it was gone. Totally worth it. I wish I had just done that to begin with rather than using all those topical things that did very little.
posted by ananci at 6:28 PM on April 12, 2017
The laser cost me $200, which is probably on the way high end as I went to a clinic in San Francisco. You can probably get it done elsewhere for much less. The treatment lightened it immediately, it blistered a little, and when that healed in a week or so it was gone. Totally worth it. I wish I had just done that to begin with rather than using all those topical things that did very little.
posted by ananci at 6:28 PM on April 12, 2017
Vitamin C, like this stuff from The Ordinary, might help fade your scar, as might this niacinamide solution, though it'll take a long time. If this mark is on a part of your chest that's exposed to sunlight you'll want to make sure to put sunscreen over it so it doesn't get darker with sun exposure.
posted by Miss T.Horn at 10:29 AM on April 13, 2017
posted by Miss T.Horn at 10:29 AM on April 13, 2017
I vote for asking a dermatologist to take a look at it.
I would also recommend against going to a doctor specifically to ask for mupirocin/treatment for MRSA - there is no reason to treat something as MRSA unless you have good reason to believe that it is MRSA. Also, telling your doctor that a stranger on the internet who hasn't seen what the red mark on your chest even looks like told you to get treated for MRSA is probably not a good kickoff to the conversation.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 9:42 PM on April 13, 2017
I would also recommend against going to a doctor specifically to ask for mupirocin/treatment for MRSA - there is no reason to treat something as MRSA unless you have good reason to believe that it is MRSA. Also, telling your doctor that a stranger on the internet who hasn't seen what the red mark on your chest even looks like told you to get treated for MRSA is probably not a good kickoff to the conversation.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 9:42 PM on April 13, 2017
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posted by Julnyes at 7:35 AM on April 12, 2017