Should You Pop a Boil? Why Doctors Say No

The short answer: don’t

No. Dermatologists and major medical centers agree: never squeeze, prick or cut open a boil yourself.¹³ It can spread the infection to other parts of your skin.³

A boil is an infection of a hair follicle, usually caused by staph bacteria.³ Small boils can usually be cared for at home and allowed to drain naturally, while large ones can be drained safely by a doctor.² The goal is to help the boil along without forcing it.

Why squeezing backfires

Squeezing a boil can go wrong in several ways:

• It spreads the infection. Pressing on a boil can push bacteria into nearby skin and start new infections.¹³
• It brings in more germs. Fingers, pins and household tools aren’t sterile.
• It spreads staph around you. Pus on your hands, towels or clothing can carry the bacteria to other people, which is why careful handwashing and laundry matter.²

A carbuncle, a cluster of boils joined under the skin, is deeper and more serious. It is more likely to scar and can cause fever and chills.⁵ Carbuncles need a doctor, not home care alone.

In rare cases, bacteria from a boil can get into the bloodstream and cause serious infections elsewhere in the body.⁵ That’s one more reason to leave the draining to a professional.

What to do instead

For a small boil, these steps from dermatologists and major medical centers can ease pain and help it heal:¹²⁴

• Hold a warm, moist compress, such as a clean damp washcloth, on the boil for about 10 to 15 minutes, three or four times a day.
• Keep using warm compresses after the boil opens and starts to drain.
• Keep the area clean and try not to touch it.
• If it opens, cover it with a sterile bandage.
• Wash your hands well every time you touch the boil or its bandage.
• Wash towels, washcloths and clothing that touched the boil, and don’t share them.

For pain, the American Academy of Dermatology notes you can use an over-the-counter pain reliever, following the package directions.¹ Ask a pharmacist or doctor first if you take other medicines or have health conditions.

How long does a boil take to heal?

Most boils heal within one to three weeks.¹ A boil usually grows for a few days, then forms a yellow-white tip that breaks open and drains.⁵ Warm compresses can help relieve pain and pressure while you wait.³

If a boil isn’t getting better with home care, don’t keep waiting. MedlinePlus advises calling your provider if a boil doesn’t heal within about a week of home treatment.⁴

If a boil opens on its own

Sometimes a boil breaks open by itself. That’s part of how it heals, and it’s different from forcing it. If it happens:¹²⁴

• Gently clean the area and cover it with a sterile bandage.
• Keep using warm, wet compresses on the area.
• Change the bandage when it gets damp or dirty, and wash your hands before and after.
• Wash anything that touched the drainage, including towels and compresses.

Keep an eye on it. Redness that spreads, new swelling or a fever means it’s time to call a doctor.

What a doctor does instead of popping it

When a boil is large or not healing, a doctor may drain it by making a small cut, called incision and drainage.²³ This is done with sterile tools, and it lets the doctor clear the pus fully and safely.

The doctor may also send a sample of the pus to a lab. That shows which bacteria are involved and whether they resist certain antibiotics, such as MRSA.² For severe or repeat infections, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics.²³ Only a doctor should decide whether you need them. Not sure your bump is a boil? See boil, pimple or cyst.

When to see a doctor

Call a doctor if a boil:⁴⁵

• Is on your face or spine, or affects your vision
• Gets worse quickly or is extremely painful
• Comes with a fever
• Keeps growing despite home care, or isn’t healing
• Comes back, or you have several at once

If you have diabetes or a weakened immune system, see a doctor for any boil. Get urgent care or call 911 for fever with fast-spreading redness, confusion, trouble breathing or feeling very unwell. And if boils keep returning, read why boils keep coming back.