Because our skin is the most exposed part of our body, it's exposed to everything, good and bad, that the world has to offer. Pollution, dramatic weather, dust, and insects. It's not a surprise that our skin works hard to deal with so many irritants and invadors. Most of the time, the skin can deal with these irritants through it's natural defense system, except for the occasional rash or pimple. There are times however, when cuts or abrasions in the skin permit bacteria to enter. That, combined with other optimal conditions can give rise to blemishes or even worse, boils.

In the simplest form, boils are just bumps on your skin, ususally filled with infected material, that are formed when your skin's hair follicles become infected. The resulting boil is red, tender, and will grow and become increasingly painful until it bursts and then drains. It's common to mistake a boil for a pimple. The primary difference between the two is that a boil is much bigger, it is much deeper, and it is much more painful than a pimple is. I've heard people refer to a boil as "a pimple on steroids", which is really the perfect description.

As with pimples, boils can show up anywhere on the skin, though they are most often found on the face, neck, buttocks, or thighs. Boils are most likely to appear in areas where there is a lot of hair, where sweat tends to accumulate, or where there is friction. When these situations come together, a "carbuncle" can form...which is just a connection of boils that covers a larger area and contains one or more drainage points. At that point, the boil infection is contagious....so if a family member or roomate has a boil or carbuncle, there is a very real chance that other members of the household will have at least one boil as well.

The bacteria that boils result from is called staph (latin name: staphylococcus aureus). This bacteria is normall found in your skin, nasal, and throat passage ways. This bacteria is responsible for several serious diseases like pneumonia, meningitis and even urinary tract infections. If your skin gets scratched or cut, then staph bacteria has an open passageway way into it. The moment that happens, your body's immune system jumps into action...sending the bacteria-killing white blood cells over to kill the intruding infection. The result of this battle? The boil....it gets inflamed, and pus forms. The pus is just a mixture of bacteria, dead skin cells, and the white blood cells.

Because boils are considered common infections, your body can typically fight them off in a week or two without medication. There are several things you can do for home treatments of boils.

First, try a hot compress. The direct application of warm water will at the very least decrease the pain you feel, and it will draw the pus in the boil to the surface much faster. Once the boil breaks open, wash away the pus with an anti-bacterial soap or lotion. Treat it with a medicated ointment and a clean bandage. Contine this process two - three times a day until the boil heals.

Please note: it's not recommended that you "pop" the boil yourself. Forcing a boil to pop most often results in just spreading the boil to other points in your skin....above and below the skin level. Remember that boils are very contagious, so you want to keep it contained in one area as much as you can. Popping a boil can also damage the lowest layers of your skin, leading to unwanted scarring. Using tools to pop a boil, like needles, may bring additional complications if they are not sanitized correctly. It's really best to let the pus come out when it's ready.

If a boil doesn't go away after two weeks, or you have a carbuncle, you may consider the help of a doctor or dermatologist to help drain and heal the boil.

Another thing to keep an eye on is if boils tend to come back after treatment. It's not uncommon for boils to return, and this is a sign of a more serious problem.

There are also homepathic remedies for boils on the market that treat the boil infection from the inside. I provide a full review of the top homeopathic remedy available today. This solution provides a safe way to treat your painful boil with no side effects.