The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Drawing Salve
Posted by L (USA) on 01/04/2008
Hi Ted- I've been reading on earth clinic about the boils and I took the survey. Here's the deal- about three weeks ago I took my board exam for nursing- i was really stressed and it rained the same day. About a week later I got 2 bumps on my forehead that took turns going up and down, but remained there. Then last week i got 3 more, 2 about an inch below my eyes on each side of my nose, one on my chin. I avoid sugar and anything white, I immediately started turmeric,mag and zinc. I went to my acupuncturist. She gave me herbs for my liver. The boils started growing and got soo painful and hideous. So i put the black drawing salve on them on the 31st. I kept them covered until last night. My head was pounding and i began to have flu-like symptoms-fever,bodyaches, extreme headache. I could feel it drawing up all the toxins. But now it looks like i have thes big craters on my face. Did it eat away alll of my skin. The skin doesnt feel raw, its covered with a brownish grayish crust. The instructions say to put rubbing alcohol on the spots till the crust comes out.. but then i got worried about scarring so i just applied some rosehip seed oil. but i notice the edges around the crater are a little pink so now im concerned with infection. should i cont with alcohol or tea tree or what? i am scared now. Thank you soo much Ted. sincerely L."
Gentian Violet
Posted by Ruth (NewCastle, California) on 09/15/2007
★★★★★
gentian violet works on my boils/sores. it takes awhile but it dries them up and then they fall off. no piking at sores, just takes longer to heal.
Tomato
Posted by Margarita (Madrid, Spain) on 06/13/2006
★★★★★
If you have a boil (abscessed pimple), which often comes up on thighs, bottom, bikini line, try this remedy. It is absolutely brilliant and worked wonders for me. Cut a tomato in half and heat it (microwave will do). Place it over the boil and leave it there. Hold it in place with a gauze, I used a gauze and band-aids, and kept it there until it cooled. I then placed the other half of the tomato and repeated the operation. Although it got my underwear tomatoey, the boil opened up by itself and all the pus oozed out on its own. The results are remarkable. I didn't believe my mother (it was her remedy) and suffered in silence for ages. The boils also seemed recurrent, and I have been boil free for over a year. Some feat for the humble tomato!
Tomato
Posted by DEBRA (OCALA, FLORIDA) on 09/20/2007
★★★★★
I went on your web site yesterday, i have had boils my whole life, like other people on this website, i was willing to try anything, i ran across using a tomatoe,the person who suggested it got them in the same area (thighs and around that area) i thought what the heck within 1 hour of completing the process with each half, i got a shower and it opened, i thought holy crap it really does work, so for 59 cents you can have relief, thanks again margarita form madrid spain.
Honey
Posted by Jen (Bedford, NH) on 11/13/2006
★★★★★
After several months dealing with a painful abscess on my bottom, I was desperate. I'd had it opened and drained by a surgeon, and had to have it packed every day for weeks. I took antibiotics, which gave me a massive allergic reaction. It was not healing. Finally the opening the surgeon had made became too small to insert the packing gauze, and I just set a gauze square on the outside. It flared up again almost immediately. While looking for any alternative to "modern" medicine, I first tried a sliced red beet. It did seem to draw out some pus, but it was still not healing. Then, I read a large study that had been posted on the internet dealing with the curative effects of honey vs. standard medical therapies. The results were so dramatic, I had to try it. within five days, the abscess has fully drained! No more pus is coming out, it has NOT swollen up again, and doesn't hurt anymore. I used organic honey on a gauze square, and will continue to do so until it is fully closed and healed. I am also going to start trying it internally for acid reflux (just diagnosed), as I cannot take the prescribed pills (excruciating abdominal/colon spasms!). Thanks for a wonderful website!
Honey
Posted by Tracie (Cincinnati, Ohio) on 10/23/2007
★★★★★
My son has suffered from boils in the past and in our efforts to offer temporary relief and avoid unnecessary medical treatment, we applied local raw honey topically. After applying the honey, we covered each boil with a bandaid overnight. The results took about three days of application, but they were astounding in that it stopped the outbreak and healed them so quickly. Next time I think I'll try it with a dash of turmeric.
Comfrey -- Important Remedy for Staph Infections!
Posted by Lisa Allen (Chandler, AZ) on 12/10/2007
★★★★★
Just thought you might like to hear about another amazing property of comfrey, one that I was surprised to see not mentioned among your cures and treatments for staph infections. Comfrey has been shown to be able to burst the cell walls of varius types of staph bacteria. It only takes about 10 minutes of exposure to a comfrey infusion, used as a compress to start killing staph by causing the cell walls to weaken and fail. I had read about this in an article some 15 years ago, and had the opportunity to pass this on not long afterwards to a friend who's husband was near to losing his leg to a staphlococcus infection. He had diabetes, which made the situation worse. My friend, a lady by the name of Colleen who worked at the local health food store started immediately bathing and wrapping her husband's leg in comfrey tea compresses. The next time I saw her, she told me his leg had healed up in a matter of two weeks, much to their doctor's surprise. With all the drug resistant varieties of staph going around, your readers might want to know about this godsend property of comfrey! Please pass it on!
Bacon and Onion
Posted by Sarah (Fort Worth, Texas) on 01/25/2008 5 posts
★★★★★
Bacon and onion. Cut a slice of onion and seer in a hot skillet till almost' transparent, one side. Remove and set aside. Cut a square piece off of a slice of bacon and put in the still warm pan for only a few seconds on both sides. Take the middle rings out of the onion large enough for the boil you are trying to cover, put the bacon closet to your skin with the seared side of the onion behind the bacon piece, wrap with gauze and leave on for as long as you can (hours). Repeat several times till the boil starts to drain or the plug comes out. Works very well.
Draining a Boil
Posted by Lewis (Thomasville, NC) on 02/09/2008
★★★★★
My wife had a large boil in her armpit. I really don't think you should do this unless you try some other treatments first. We tried some other treatments, but they didn't work. The boil had increased in size and become more painfull. I took alcohol and rubbed the area. I took a very, very sharp pointed knife and cut into the boil (had gloves on) and drained it. It was about the size of a quarter. There was lots of drainage. But in about a week it healed a lot. Another week and it was gone.
Ph Balancing and Clay Poultice for Boils
Posted by Liz (Scranton, PA) on 03/02/2008
★★★★★
I am definitely alkalizing as it makes perfect sense. Also using turmeric, Celtic sea salt, and greens. Internal health may take time to achieve, but Ted's lemon/ ACV and baking soda really works for so many problems--quick too. ' I have boils for the first time. I have been mixing several teaspoons of bentonite clay with water, placing a glob over the boil and spreading it thickly over the surrounding area, then covering it all with gauze or a clean cloth. Last, I wrap securely with plastic. Keeps the area moist and the clay off sheets and clothes. This has worked wonders in only a day. Boils are no longer sore or swollen and the whole area is healing and drying beautifully. Change the poultice every 8-12 hours. I will keep it up for a week to make sure the infection is gone. Also will continue internal alkalizing. You do not have to spend a fortune on bentonite clay. I got mine on ebay from a company that sells it for fish ponds. It does keeps my pond water clear--probably for the same reason it heals people. Once on ebay search with words "clay koi" and that will bring you to a great inexpensive product-- 20 lbs of it! Thank you Earth Clinic, contributors, and especially Ted! Great info! Really helped me and others with so many problems! Liz
External Application of Turmeric
Posted by Kraig (Omaha, Nebraska) on 05/17/2007
★★★★★
...equal parts yogurt and turmeric powder.. just enough to cover the boil. heat it up in the microwave till warm.. then use a piece of bread to soak it up and apply to boil for at least half an hour. boil should come to head. at night: leave on honey and turmeric over boil. wash off in morning.
External Application of Turmeric
Posted by Neil (Edinburgh, Scotland) on 01/08/2008
★★★★★
Having recently had my second Boil eruption in two weeks, after spending the first 46 years of my life being boil free, I knew that something wasn't quite right. I thankfully discovered this site and have used the powers of turmeric to successfully treat this second boil on my neck. The boil was red and angry when I started taking 1/2 tsp of turmeric 4 times a day. What I also did was make a paste that I applied topically. The paste was made with a Cetrimide ointment (branded as Savlon here in the UK) and turmeric powder. This paste was covered with a sticking plaster and changed twice a day. The results have been amazing. After three days the boil has completely drained and the skin has almost healed. What remains is what looks like the remnants of a love bite, but this is more due to some staining of the skin by the spice than any skin reaction. I don't know if it would have healed as well without the paste - but what I do know is that attacking the boil from within and from the outside has cleared the problem faster than I would ever have thought possible. Thank goodness for the internet!!
Turmeric Recipes
Posted by Anna (Union County, NJ) on 09/06/2007
Turmeric truly is the cure for boils. I have been struggling with boils for over 10 years! I have been to countless doctors and dermatologists for this embarrassing and painful ailment to no avail. I stumbled upon this website and tried it. When I saw a huge difference in 48 hours, I cried. Thank You.
Here is a turmeric tea recipe that is truly delicious, from Yogi Bhajan, founder of the Yogi Tea brand INGREDIENTS:
* 1 tsp turmeric powder
* 4 cups water
* 1 cup milk (soy or dairy)
* 2 tbsp almond oil
* liquid sweetener, to taste, optional (honey, agave, maple syrup)
PREPARATION:
Bring water to a boil and add turmeric. Allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring to make sure the turmeric is fully dissolved. Reduce heat, add milk and oil and stir well. Add sweetener if desired and enjoy!
This just shows how we should look to Mother Earth a little more often instead running to a physician.
Also, instead of using Neosporin on those nasty things, a little manuka honey and vitamin E salve goes a long way.
Turmeric Recipes
Posted by Roy (Sarasota, Florida) on 03/29/2007
Turmeric virtually tasteless in chocolate milk.
Turmeric Recipes
Posted by Ellie (USA) on 11/24/2006
I have been reading how all of you are putting turmeric in water and drinking it plain. Yikes! I have been adding Turmeric to every food and Thanksgiving leftovers are perfect!! It is wonderful on turkey, stuffing and used with plain yogurt as a vegetable dip. I drink lots of water too.