Boils and Staph Skin Infections
A painful, pus-filled lump around a hair follicle, usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus (“staph”). A carbuncle is a cluster joined under the skin. Most small boils drain and heal on their own.
Quick answer: Most small boils drain and heal on their own within 1–2 weeks with a warm, damp compress 3–4 times a day. Don’t squeeze them. A large boil may need draining by a doctor, and antibiotics are only sometimes needed. See a doctor the same day for a boil on the face, spreading redness or fever.
The boil ladder
Most boils need patience and a warm compress. Bigger ones need draining; antibiotics only sometimes.
- Step 1 · Self-careWarm compress, cover, hands offA warm, damp cloth for 10–15 minutes, 3–4 times a day. Keep it covered and wash your hands after touching it.
- Works
- Not tested in trials; many small boils come to a head, drain and heal within 1–2 weeks
- Cost
- Free
- How long
- Days to 2 weeks
- Watch for
- Spreading redness, fever, or a boil on the face: see a doctor
Squeezing isn’t a procedure. It’s a promotion for the infection.
- Step 2 · ProcedureDrainage by a doctorA small cut under local anaesthetic to let the pus out.
- Works
- About 7 in 10 cured by drainage alone in large trials. The main treatment for a large boil
- Cost
- GP visit: bulk-billed, or about $40–100 out of pocket
- How long
- Quick procedure; dressings for a few days
- Watch for
- Redness spreading afterwards: go back
Ten minutes in the GP’s chair beats ten days of DIY.
- Step 3 · PrescriptionAntibiotic tablets (usually flucloxacillin or cefalexin)For spreading redness, fever, a carbuncle, a boil on the face, or a weakened immune system.
- Works
- After drainage, about 8 in 10 cured vs 7 in 10 without. Needed for spreading infection
- Cost
- Under the $25 PBS co-payment, about $13–25
- How long
- About 5 days
- Watch for
- Nausea, diarrhoea, thrush. Flucloxacillin: take on an empty stomach; rarely affects the liver. Tell your doctor about penicillin allergy
Antibiotics can’t reach a sealed pocket of pus. That’s why draining comes first.
- Step 4 · PrescriptionDecolonisation for repeat boilsAntibiotic ointment inside the nose for 5 days plus a daily antiseptic body wash such as chlorhexidine.
- Works
- Whole household: about 5 in 10 had another boil within a year vs 7 in 10 treating one person
- Cost
- Nose ointment about $15–30; chlorhexidine wash about $10–20
- How long
- 5 days, repeated if needed
- Watch for
- Dry skin from the wash. Keep it out of eyes and ears
Staph loves a share house. Treat everyone, or it just moves rooms.
- Step 5 · Self-careDilute bleach baths12 mL of plain household bleach (4.2%) per 10 litres of bathwater. Soak 10 minutes, wetting head and face, and don’t rinse off.
- Works
- No clear benefit in the largest trial (17% vs 21% had a repeat infection in a year). Low risk
- Cost
- About $3 a bottle
- How long
- Daily for 5 days, then once or twice a week
- Watch for
- Never undiluted, never mixed with other cleaners. Keep it out of eyes
About as strong as a swimming pool. Not stronger. Measure it.
Save your money
Popular, heavily marketed or often asked about, but the evidence is weak or says no.
- Squeezing or poppingPushes infection deeper and spreads it.
- DIY lancing with a needle or bladeRisks deeper infection and scarring. Drainage is a job for a doctor with sterile kit.
- Drawing pastes and ointmentsPopular, but no good trials. A warm compress does the same job for nothing.
- Immune-boosting supplementsNo evidence they prevent boils. Treating skin problems and stopping shared towels does more.
What you can do
- Don’t share towels, razors or bedding. Wash linen hot and dry it in the sun or a dryer.
- For repeat boils: treat eczema or tinea, use clippers instead of razors, and cover cuts.
- Keep any boil covered until it heals.
See your GP if
- A boil hasn’t drained after a few days or healed in 2 weeks
- You keep getting boils, or others at home do
- You have diabetes or a weakened immune system
See a doctor the same day for a boil on the face, spreading redness, fever, severe pain or feeling unwell. Call 000 if very unwell.
Common questions
Should I pop or squeeze a boil?
No. Squeezing pushes infection deeper and spreads it. Use a warm, damp compress, and a doctor can drain a large boil with a small cut.
Do boils need antibiotics?
Often not. Draining is the main treatment for a large boil. Antibiotics are used if redness is spreading, you have a fever or a carbuncle, the boil is on your face, or your immune system is weak.
Why do I keep getting boils?
Repeat boils are often due to staph bacteria carried on the skin or in the nose. A course of nasal antibiotic ointment plus an antiseptic body wash, done by the whole household at once, can help.
When does a boil need a doctor the same day?
For a boil on the face, spreading redness, fever, severe pain or feeling unwell. Call 000 if very unwell.
Helpful resources
- Better Health Channel: BoilsVictorian Government guide to self-care, when to see a doctor and what to do about boils that keep coming back. Free.
- HSE: Boils and carbunclesIrish health service page with photos of boils on different skin tones and clear red flags for seeing a GP. Free.
Evidence and more information
- Healthdirect: Boils
- NSW Health: Boils and skin infections
- Royal Children’s Hospital: Bleach baths
- PBS: Flucloxacillin
- NEJM: Antibiotics after drainage of small abscesses (2017)
- CID: Household decolonisation for repeat staph infections (2012)
- CID: Bleach baths for repeat skin infections (2014)
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