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.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by S (L, A) on 11/23/2011
★★★★★
My uncle soaks his feet in an ACV/water bath. The first time he tried it, his mrsa boils began to drain within the hour. He had them everwhere--shoulders, neck, around his waistline; he couldn't go to work, they were so bad. Temperature doesn't matter. I don't know how much ACV he adds to the water. I think he just glugged some in and soaked his feet while he watched television. A five year old would probably rather soak than swallow!
Activated Charcoal
Posted by Melissa (Houston, Texas) on 04/04/2010
★★★★★
My two year old son has had recurring boils in his buttcrack ( sorry, but that's where they are :) ) - anyways, previously we have used the heated bottle method with good results. However, this time it only released a little bit of fluid with that method...it just kept getting bigger and bigger even with turmeric applied to it. He couldn't sit down and his little butt cheek was all purple. Doc's office was closed for the weekend, so I hurried to the health food store, desperate for some help and the lady suggested Activated Charcoal - it was sold in capsules.
I wet piece of gauze, opened the capsule and sprinkled a decent amount across the bandage (it needs to be damp to work, so make sure the gauze is significantly damp so it won't dry out quickly). That usually takes about 1/2 the capsule.
Then I dump the rest of the capsule into a little bowl of yogurt so he can eat it.
I have him eating the yogurt/charcoal mix 2x a day (morning and night) and changing the charcoal bandage about 3x a day (the health food store lady advised every 2 hours, but bandage changes were a little traumatic for my guy, so 3x a day it was) I think the main idea is you want a consistently damp bandage, so a fresh one ensures that.
Anyways, after 24 hours, his huge boil (biggest one he's experienced) burst - I mean, really, hours later, the stuff won't stop coming out...I will ALWAYS keep this stuff on hand now. Also said to work for bug bites, rashes, etc - pulls the poisons right out of the skin. It's not completely eradicated right now, as it just burst this evening, but I just applied more charcoal before he went to bed, so I'm certain it will be completely gone within a few days. It is amazing the improvement in just 24 hours.
side note: charcoal has no flavor, so is REALLY easy to get a toddler to eat - especially mixed in a creamy something - like pudding or yogurt. However it is BLACK and stains REALLY bad, so I literally just spoon feed it too him myself - he thinks it's cool to watch the yogurt turn black...lol...although chocolate pudding would make it easy too. Do all your bandage preparation over a papertowel or plate, or you'll have black countertops!
Activated Charcoal
Posted by Charity (Faithville, Usa) on 10/08/2016
My daughter went camping and came back with over 50 itchy mosquito bites red and raw and I put charcoal and a bandage over each one and they all healed. No black marks. 13 yrs ago.
Boil Treatment Warnings
Posted by Nickie (Ruislip, Middlesex Uk) on 07/06/2010
If a boil comes to a head it can be lanced with a sterile needle. Don't squeeze. Dress the open wound with Boracic Ointment on gauze. This will draw out the infected matter; it's also good for splinters you can't reach with tweezers but the skin must be broken.
EC: From our internet research, boracic ointment was used to treat wounds in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Here's a recipe we found:
http://chestofbooks.com/food/household/Work-Management/The-Toilet-Continued.html
Boracic Ointment
I ounce vaseline or lard (if not for facial use), 2 dessertspoonsful of finely powdered borax or boracic acid. If lard is used it should be freed from salt, but if this is the basis the ointment will not keep good for long, as lard quickly becomes rancid. Mix the powder and the fat until the borax is thoroughly incorporated. Place in a jar, using a knife dipped into boiling water to render the surface smooth and even.
Boil Treatment Warnings
Posted by Elizabeth (Nashville, Tn) on 07/12/2010
Boric Acid and Borax are two different things. Boric Acid is the acidic part of boron and Borax is the alkaline. Boric Acid can be very toxic if not handled with care. Borax is way more gentle, you can even wash clothes in it. Never ingest Boric Acid.
Boil Treatment Warnings
Posted by Om (Hope, Bc Canada) on 12/10/2014
Beth0210 --- yes, according to Ayurveda statements, they both work. But they work in different ways. Here in the West, the dry form is mostly easier to procure. If you juice the root, your juicer could be orange forever. In India, people even hang the root from the neck for protection. Turmeric has special subtle powers which I have experienced myself. So it is not superstition.
After an illness, spray your body with a solution of water and turmeric to cleanse the subtle body of residues of unhealthy energies. This is widely used in India for that purpose. That is when I had an experience indicating it does work on subtle levels.
Namaste, Om
Boil Tips: Prick the Boil
Posted by Mcneillmama3 (Asheboro, NC) on 06/06/2009
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
I would be cautious about picking or pricking any boil. Most instruments that you would use in your home are not sterile, no matter how much cleaning or heating you do to the instruments. Furthermore, sticking a pin in a boil will just drive the bacteria further down in to the hair follicle and cause a wide spread systemic infection that could be worse than the boil itself.
The best thing to do for a boil is to use topical heat, topical broad spectrum antibiotic ointments, the turmeric paste works well, and mixing Epsom Salts in warm water and soaking a gauze pad that you apply to the boil several times a day. Keep the boil covered with a band aid, and eventually it will resolve itself with minimal scarring. These pesky little things take about 10-14 days to run their course and completely heal.
I am a nurse and I caught the bacteria that causes boils probably in a nursing home that I worked in and I think I picked it up from the telephone at the nurses desk that never gets sanitized (also the most used piece of equipment) I break out on my face with them, so I wouldn't recommend picking or pricking a pimple or a boil
I was also reading a Western Civilization text book and it mentioned King Hezekiah of ancient Judah. So I incientally got my Bible out to verify the account in the history book, and as I was reading the Bible, there was an account of King Hezekiah having a painful boil, he was sick almost "unto death" and the priests applied a "fig" to the boil and the Bible says that Hezekiah was cured. So I am, today, looking up the fig/boil connection. Has anyone else heard anything regarding this natural remedy for boils?
Copper Penny Water
Posted by Elna (Cape Town, RSA) on 02/11/2009
★★★★★
As a child I had recurring boils. My mom got the advice to take an old copper penny, heat in to red hot on a stove plate, and then drop it into a glass of water. Then I had to drink the water. No more boils, ever. You have to use a copper penny that hasn't been heated before.
Aspirin
Posted by Elle (Austin, TX) on 06/12/2008
★★★★★
I find that taking an ASPIRIN at the first hint of a boil works for me. It must be aspirin and not tylenol or advil and such. Regarding diet, noticed outbreak after eating chocolate pudding (the cheap, unrefrigerated brand). Immediately took an aspirin before bed, awoke to less tenderness and less swelling. I took 1/2 tsp of Tumeric in three ounces of water as well. But, I get great relief from the aspirin. Blessings!
Colloidal Silver
Posted by Jane (Portland, Or, Usa) on 10/12/2011
★★★★★
I got an itchy, raised, red area on my inner leg, very close to Labia. I have some Colloidal Silver and knowing it smothers Viruses I sprayed it. Through the night I noticed that the swelling was down but there were 5 or so elongated raised bumps. I had NEVER had that happen and it made me interested in what it was. I kept spraying silver and one by one they broke and slightly oozed but I didn't touch it. I keep spraying and I am seeing each one scab over and shrink. 30 years ago I developed Staph in my ceasarian section and was quarantined, I will bet there is left over staph in my body. In the past I would develop the raised itchy near my "area" but it would never come to anything. Just go away, but was quite itchy. The Silver brought out the bugger. I am amazed that #1, I could be harboring Staph in my system from that time period and #2 Colloidal silver is clearing it externally, very quickly. It has been 4 days. I am going to go great guns with Colloidal silver internally. Wow maybe I won't be such a sickly little thing anymore...... Hope springs eternal!
Lining of an Egg Shell
Posted by Sandy (Round Lake, IL) on 03/20/2008
★★★★★
I recently had a boil (ailment) and was experiencing difficulty getting it to come to a head. My daughter-in-law researched your site and was able to give me some suggestions to assist in my plight. She gave me several remedies. I chose to use the skin of an egg and lined it with a tumeric paste ((few drops of water & tumeric)(remedy). I applied it to the boil and covered it with a bandaid overnight. In the morning it had come to a head and I was able to extract the core. I then covered the area with an antibiotic ointment and a bandaid. It worked fine!!! Thanks so much for your information.
Campho-Phenique
Posted by Keith (Montgomery, AL) on 12/27/2006
★★★★★
I had read about this and it works. I had a boil in my groin area that was painful and hard. I applied some campho phenique to the bandage part of a large Band-Aid and slept with it applied to the boil all night. You might want to apply sterile gauze over this due to drainage. The next morning pus had began to flow freely. Gentle squeezes from the base of boil will cause more to be released. Continue this treatment until the boil gets small or is gone. I used Tylenol for the pain I was experiencing. Sometimes low iron deficiencies cause boils so I will begin eating a handful of raisins a day which is suppose to prevent them.
Castor Oil
Posted by Fredrina (Philadelphia, PA) on 10/30/2006
★★★★★
Castor oil on a cotton ball cured my boil.
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!
Bacon
Posted by Linda (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) on 04/18/2006
★★★★★
A slice of bacon (pork) put directly on boil. Cured the boil on my rear end.
Baking Soda
Posted by Terry Chism (Santa Paula, Ca) on 02/10/2011
Do you drink enough water because you may have mrsa boils caused from your body being to acidic from not drinking enough tap water. I used to only drink bottled water. Bad choice its acidic if you dont believe me just get some water tests strips like I did and you will see the link. Mrsa cant live in an alkaline enviroment. Get your body alkaline no more boils! Study this. Very interesting.
Lemons
Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 05/09/2021
★★★★★
Lemon Peel (Pith) to Cure Armpit Boil
Remove the peel of a lemon, rub the inside of the peel on the boil. Repeat daily.
I was reading about a guy that uses lemon peel (the inside pith) to remove warts. So I tried it on an armpit boil I had developed. It worked in 2 days!
Here is what he said: "I attended a seminar put on by a master herbalist and someone in the audience asked what to do about seed warts. She said to take the inside of a lemon rind and rub them each night and in less than a week they'd be gone. I tried it on my left hand first and to my amazement, they started to fade with the first application. After five nights they were gone and skin was as normal as if I'd never hand them. Then, because I've read that sometimes they go away on their own, I tried the right hand, one finger at a time and the same thing happened. One by one, the warts went away as I did each finger, and they've never returned. And I lived with those ugly things for 30 years and lemon rind got rid of them in no time. I don't know if it works on any other type of wart."
Source: https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/warts20.html#lemon
Avoid Gold Jewelry
Posted by Valiegirl (Fl) on 03/06/2021
★★★★★
I had constant boils for 15 years in all the usual places - armpit, groin, bra line, etc. Got tested for allergic contact dermatitis because of another malady and found out I was allergic to gold. Took off my gold jewelry and never had another boil unless I accidently come into contact with gold again. I can't even touch gold paint. This includes white gold and rose gold also because it is a salt in the gold that I am allergic to. After some thought, I realized I never had a boil before I was gifted with diamond studs and pendant set in yellow gold from my husband, before that I was a sterling silver girl. And now I am again.
Tomato
Posted by Michelle (NY) on 09/04/2019
★★★★★
Omg Tomatoe paste saved me from my pain. I came on here to find what works as this is the first (and hopefully only) boil I ever had. I saw the tomatoe paste posts and decided to give it a try. I slathered it on, covered it with gauze and then put a heating pad on top. Two hours later it started to drain. I've had it for 4 days now and it was showing no signs of coming to a head and was only getting worse.
This remedy works!
Colloidal Silver
Posted by Myway (Usa) on 12/31/2015
Katzie, just as a side note, if you are susceptible to boils, a therapeutic way to prevent them is sudzing a wash cloth with an organic soap, spray two squirts of magnesium oil on the suds and wash away. Rinse. This method works extremely well for the elderly who sit a lot and are prone to many skin problems in the folds of their skin and their bottoms.
Good Luck!
MyWay, :D
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Joe (Michigan) on 11/15/2015
★★★★★
Boils:
Try combining the apple cider vinegar cotton swap with a HOT compress.
I just brought a boil on my wrist to a head in about 45 minutes, which is amazing because it was NOWHERE near this before I started.
1. Clean area with alcohol
2. Dip cotton ball in Apple Cider Vinegar
3. Apply ACV cotton ball to boil
4. Hold in place with bandage
5. Apply a fairly tight wrap to secure everything and prevent ACV from staining clothes / compress
6. Microwave a compress for about 5 minutes. Apply it directly on top of the part of the wrap that is covering the boil
7. Watch TV for about 45 minutes to 1 hour
This worked for me in 1 treatment. I was completely blown away.
Rubbing Alcohol
Posted by Michelle (New York, NY) on 07/16/2013
★★★★★
As soon as you feel a boil developing, it helps to swab the area with rubbing alcohol. Once it is already basically formed, soak a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and tape it to the boil using a bandaid. Do this until the boil is dried out. Also make sure to change the cotton ball at least twice a day. This has helped me several times. Good luck!
Raisins
Posted by M (Victoria, Bc, Canada) on 11/04/2012
★★★★★
FWIW, I had recurrent boils for much of my life, rarely being entirely free of them. When I was in my forties, someone told me about raisins. I tried them (eating perhaps a couple of tablespoons full in muesli/granola, since I dislike the taste of raisins by themselves), and that prevented further boils almost entirely.
After my hysterectomy, the boils pretty much went away on their own, so there is apparently a hormonal component too. That is supported also by the fact that the boils were usually worse around the time of my period.
