Boils are inflammations of the hair follicle. They can appear anywhere on the body where there is hair, but they mainly occur on the face or buttocks. In men, boils are more common in the buttocks area than in women, because they have more hair there than in women.
Boils on the buttocks are not as dangerous as boils on the face, but should still be treated, as they can be extremely painful and usually heal poorly if treated by yourself. In the worst case, blood poisoning can be triggered. If you develop a fever during the appearance of a boil on the buttocks without an explainable cause, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Boils on the buttocks can of course also occur in women. Usually, the boils heal within a few weeks when treated with ointments or by cutting out the infection, but healing in the buttocks area can sometimes be difficult, since bacteria are always present there even with good hygiene. Therefore a doctor should always be consulted to treat boils in the anal area.
If the inflamed area heals, healing with scarring usually occurs. It is strongly discouraged to express the boils themselves, because the inflammation usually only gets worse. Also, the boils can melt together to form carbuncles and in the worst case can cause blood poisoning.
The boils are caused by the penetration of bacteria, usually the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, into the skin and multiply along the hair. A local inflammation is triggered at the hair follicle and pus is produced by the body’s own immune system. If there is also an inflammation of the area around the hair follicle, it is called a boil.
Why some people are more prone to boils and carbuncles is not exactly clear. However, there are some risk factors for the development of the inflammation. Among them are:
- Smoking: Patients who smoke have a 10 times higher risk of getting boils
- Congenital immune disease also have an increased risk of developing boils
- Diabetes mellitus
- Skin diseases such as impetigo or sycosis also favour the development
- Lack of disinfection, especially after shaving, can make it easier for bacteria to penetrate the skin due to the damage caused by shaving
A boil on the buttocks is diagnosed by the dermatologist by eye.
It is easily recognizable by the typical reddening of the skin around a knot of pus, which feels rough. Typical areas for boils other than the buttocks are the To clarify which pathogen it is, a smear is usually taken. If the boils occur frequently and heal poorly, one should try to clarify the cause by testing the various risk factors such as diabetes mellitus and treating them if necessary.
- Facial area (see: Boils in the face)
- Armpits (see: Boils in the armpit)
- Nose area
- Chest area
The symptoms of a furuncle are
- Redness in the skin in the anal area,
- Rough, palpable lump (subcutaneous, i.e. visible under the skin or as a pus plug)
- Pain and feeling of pressure in the corresponding skin region
There are various ointments for the treatment of a boil on the buttocks, the most common being pulling ointment (see also boil ointment). Also antibiotics can be administered to fight the infection. If the boil on the buttocks is very large, it can also be cut open and rinsed out with disinfectants.
This should always be done by a doctor and never at home with unsterile material such as needles. Sitting baths with antiseptic substances often help with a boil on the buttocks. They are available at the pharmacy.
Depending on the location and severity of the infection, the treatment of a boil can vary considerably. In the case of an uncomplicated boil on the buttocks, local treatment is usually sufficient to ensure complete healing. The most important measure in the local treatment of a boil on the buttocks is the observance of proper hygiene.
Before starting the actual therapy, the skin surface on the affected area must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Affected patients should also make sure that a boil on the buttocks should never be touched with the fingers. Otherwise, germs can be spread.
For this reason, it is recommended that protective gloves are always worn when treating a boil on the buttocks locally. Slightly pronounced infections can usually be treated with warm compresses.Affected patients should apply a warm compress to the boil after cleaning and disinfecting the skin surface. This simple measure can already help to provoke the spontaneous emptying of the furuncle on the buttocks.
As soon as the boil has completely emptied, the healing phase can begin without any problems. Another well suited method in the treatment of a boil on the buttocks is the regular application of a special pulling ointment. The ingredients contained in the pulling ointment ensure that the maturation of the furuncle on the bottom is accelerated.
Hygiene is also very important when applying the pulling ointment. Furthermore, disinfectant ointments and creams with the active ingredient polyvidon iodine can be used. This measure can positively influence the healing process after spontaneous opening of the furuncle on the buttocks.
However, in cases of pronounced infections, these simple treatment methods may not be sufficient. In addition, particularly severe pain can mean that a lengthy non-surgical therapy strategy cannot be implemented. In such cases, a boil on the buttocks can be surgically opened.
As a rule, the treating physician will first apply an anaesthetic ointment to the affected area. Then the skin surface can be opened carefully with the help of a scalpel. Often, the symptoms perceived by the affected patient decrease significantly immediately after the purulent secretion has been emptied.
After the surgical opening of the furuncle on the buttocks, the natural healing process can be supported by various ointments and creams. In the case of particularly pronounced infections, it may be necessary to give the affected patient antibiotic coverage for a period of five to seven days following the surgical treatment. Taking an antibiotic makes sense above all if a patient repeatedly suffers from a boil on the buttocks (boilosis).
In general, a boil, regardless of its exact location, is associated with the risk of the bacterial pathogens entering the bloodstream. For this reason, affected patients should never independently push around a boil on the buttocks. In addition, the buttocks region should be spared if possible.
When treating a boil on the buttocks, many patients resort to local therapy with ointments. Especially popular are pull-in ointments such as Ichtholan®, which can be purchased over the counter from pharmacies. Pull ointments have an anti-inflammatory and decongestant effect on our skin and can thus contribute to faster healing of a furuncle.
However, they may only be applied to the boil if no opening is visible in it – the ointment may only be applied to the outer skin. If, for example, pus emerges from the boil or a crack is visible in the skin, pulling ointments should be avoided! If this is not the case, the pulling ointment can be applied to the boil several times a day and covered with a bandage, for example.
In addition to the freely available pulling ointment, there are other local applications that can help with a boil on the buttocks. Antiseptic disinfectants are important for cleaning the skin. Local antibiotic ointments can also be used, which act directly against the bacteria in the boil.
A competent doctor should decide which therapy is necessary. Most boils on the buttocks heal on their own with the help of good hygiene and local therapy. In some cases, however, surgical splitting and removal of the abscess is necessary.
However, this is not the treatment of first choice! An abscess splitting is performed if conservative measures and home remedies could not lead to healing over a longer period of time. Even if the boil is very large and causes severe pain and discomfort, a splitting can be performed for quick relief.
It is absolutely necessary to cut open a boil if it causes serious complications such as blood poisoning (sepsis). Without surgical removal of the furuncle, no sufficient cure for sepsis can be expected. The decision whether to cut a boil or not should be made by a competent, experienced physician, since even the smallest surgical intervention involves risks such as tissue injuries and infections.
In contrast to boils on the face, boils on the buttocks can in some cases be treated with simple home remedies.Since the body’s own defenses have to perform enormous feats in the presence of a furuncle on the buttocks, strengthening the immune system can help to positively influence the healing process. In this context the right nutrition plays a decisive role. People who suffer from a boil on the buttocks can support the medical treatment by eating lots of fresh fruit, vegetables and wholesome food.
In addition, regular consumption of lapachotee can help to stimulate the immune system and counteract the inflammatory processes. Furthermore, curd cheese is considered an ideal household remedy in the treatment of furuncles on the buttocks. Especially in cases where the furuncle has not yet formed a pus-filled area and redness and swelling are still in the foreground, a quark wrap can provide pain relief.
For this purpose some curd should be applied to a thin cloth and placed on the surface of the skin. The curd used should cool the surface of the skin and thus inhibit the inflammatory processes inside the furuncle. The so-called “propolis tincture” is also one of the most popular home remedies in the treatment of furuncles on the buttocks.
Two to three drops of this tincture, which are applied to the affected area at regular intervals, can help to alleviate the discomfort caused by the boil. Furthermore, white cabbage is one of the most popular home remedies in the treatment of boils on the bottom. Before this household remedy can be applied, the large rib of a white cabbage leaf should be removed and crushed.
The resulting juice can be discarded. Afterwards, the remains of the white cabbage leaf should be slightly warmed and placed on the furuncle. Regular use of this household remedy usually results in a significant decrease in symptoms.
A boil on the buttocks is an inflammatory and highly infectious disease. For this reason, antiseptic thyme can also help to positively influence the healing process. Just a few drops of high quality essential thyme oil drizzled into warm water are enough to shorten the time until the furuncle is completely healed.
Tea tree oil can also be used as an alternative to thyme oil. In addition, medical healing earth is said to have a positive effect in connection with the treatment of furuncles on the buttocks. This effect is based on the fact that healing earth is able to bind toxins in the body and then transport them to the outside.
To treat boils on the buttocks, the healing clay should be stirred into slightly boiled tap water to form a paste. This porridge can then be wrapped in a small cloth or compress and placed on the affected area. To achieve the best possible effect, this method should be used several times a day.
The success of the healing earth method can also be increased by adding one or two drops of tea tree oil to the porridge. Other household remedies that can be used in the treatment of a furuncle on the buttocks are fenugreek seeds, apple vinegar and oatmeal. In addition, chopped onions and garlic wrapped in a clean cloth or sterile gauze compress can help to inhibit the inflammatory processes in the area of the furuncle. Although this method is somewhat odoriferous, it is considered one of the best alternative strategies in the treatment of a furuncle on the buttocks.
