Why Do I Keep Getting Boils? What Recurring Boils Can Mean

The short answer

Most boils are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, a germ that commonly lives on the skin and inside the nose.¹ If you keep getting them, it usually means one of a few things: you carry staph, someone close to you does, something about your skin or health makes infections easier, or the lumps aren’t boils at all.

Repeat boils are frustrating, and they have causes a doctor can look into. Mayo Clinic lists boils that come back as a reason to see a doctor.¹ Here’s what might be going on, and what to ask about.

The staph you carry, and the people around you

About 30% of people carry staph in their nose, most of the time with no harm.³ When your skin gets a small break, like a shaving nick, an insect bite or a scrape, that same germ can slip in and start a boil.¹ For people who carry staph, that can happen again and again. Our guide to staph in your nose explains what being a carrier means.

Close contact with someone who has a staph infection also raises your risk.¹ In a household, staph can pass back and forth between people and through shared towels, razors and clothing. That’s why one family member’s boils sometimes turn into everyone’s boils.

Your skin and your health

Some conditions make it harder for your body to keep staph in check. Mayo Clinic points to these risk factors for boils:¹

• Diabetes, which can make it harder to fight infection
• Skin conditions such as acne and eczema, which damage the skin’s protective barrier
• A weakened immune system

If you keep getting boils and haven’t had a checkup in a while, mention it to your doctor. Repeat skin infections are useful information for them. In adults whose boils started early in life and keep recurring, doctors may also check how well the immune system is working.⁶

When it isn’t really a boil

Sometimes a lump that keeps returning is a different condition that looks like a boil. The most common one is hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). The American Academy of Dermatology notes that boil-like lumps that keep appearing in the armpits, groin, buttocks or under the breasts may be HS.⁴

HS is not caused by an infection or by being unclean, and it can’t be spread to other people.⁵ It usually starts after puberty and before age 40.⁵ HS lumps can break open and drain, and over time they may form tunnels under the skin.⁵ It is treatable, and a dermatologist is the right person to diagnose and manage it.⁴

A lump that keeps coming back in the same spot can also point to a local cause, such as a pilonidal cyst near the tailbone or something trapped under the skin. Infectious disease guidelines advise doctors to look for these causes.⁶

What a doctor can do

A doctor can do much more than you can at home. Depending on what they find, they may:

• Drain a large boil in a clean, controlled way and send a sample to a lab to see which germ is involved and which medicines will work²⁶
• Prescribe treatment for a severe or recurring infection²
• Suggest a short decolonization plan, which aims to lower the amount of staph on your skin and in your nose, sometimes along with washing your towels, sheets and clothes⁶
• Refer you to a dermatologist if HS or another skin condition seems likely

Decolonization is something your doctor decides on and directs. Don’t try to piece one together from the internet.

Everyday habits that help

These steps won’t fix an underlying cause, but they can help stop staph from passing around:¹²

• Wash your hands often, and always after touching a boil or its dressing.
• Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a sterile bandage until they heal.
• Don’t share towels, razors, sheets or clothing.
• Wash clothing, towels and washcloths that have touched a boil, especially if boils keep returning.
• Never squeeze or lance a boil yourself, which can spread the infection.

When to see a doctor

See a doctor if a boil:¹

• Keeps coming back, or you have several at once
• Is on your face or affects your vision
• Gets worse fast, is extremely painful, or keeps growing
• Comes with a fever
• Hasn’t healed after two weeks

If you have diabetes or a weakened immune system, call sooner rather than later. Get urgent care or call 911 for fever with spreading redness, confusion, trouble breathing or feeling very unwell.