Boils on inner thigh? A boil can be described as a painful, pus-filled bump that can develop on the surface of your skin. Another name for boil is a furuncle. When you have larger boils they are usually referred to as abscesses.
Boils on Inner Thigh – Meaning
Boils are known to develop when an infection within a hair follicle or oil gland arises. They are usually caused by staph bacteria, which are naturally present on the skin. Boils can develop anywhere on your body, but are commonly found in places on the body where there is friction. They’re most likely to occur on your neck, breasts, face, armpits, buttocks, or thighs.
What are the symptoms of boils on inner thighs
Nearly all boils will begin as hard, red, painful lumps usually about half an inch in size. Over the next few days, the lump becomes softer, larger, and more painful. Thereafter, a pocket of pus forms on the top of the boil. These are the signs of a severe infection of boils on your thighs:
- The skin around the boil becomes infected. It turns red, painful, warm, and swollen.
- More boils may appear around the original one.
- A fever may develop.
- Lymph nodes may become swollen.
What Causes boils on inner Thigh?
As we have discussed above, most boils are caused by a staphylococcal bacteria. This germ enters the body through tiny nicks or cuts in the skin or can travel down the hair to the follicle to cause infection. The areas that are easily targeted are those which are mostly affected with friction on the skin. However, apart from causes of boils, there are health problems that make people more susceptible to skin infections.
The following are causes of boils on inner thigh:
- Inner thigh boils from STD
A boil that develop in between your thighs can be a symptom of sexual y transmitted diseases. Common STDs such as syphilis, gonorrhea/chlamydia all require genital or oral contact from a person who is infected to non- infected person. That basically implies that transmitting the bacteria that causes boils or carbuncles do not depend on genital contact or simply by touching the boil.
For boils, an inflammation of the skin (dermatitis) can be caused by fungal infection which occur in hairy parts of the body and tend to appear like yellowish dandruff. This is a common phenomenon in symptomatic HIV. Similarly, impetigo is another skin infection usually indicated by yellow, crusty red sores on the skin. HIV tends to affect the skin follicles which can become infected leading to boils.
- Boils on inner thigh due to Diabetes
Those people who have diabetes are likely to get boils more often than those with normal sugar level in their body. If you are diabetic, you are prone to skin problems as the first sign of diabetes. According to research finding, people with skin problems of all types including bacterial infections like boils are at risk of a worse type of diabetes.
Diabetes, type 2, tends to reduce blood flow to the skin and can as well damage the blood vessels and nerves. This has a way of changing the skin texture, appearance and the natural ability to heal. All these make people with this condition prone to serious bacterial infections of the skin which can lead to boils on inner thigh. High blood sugar levels can delay healing process of infection; you can get an abscess or boil on any location including your inner thighs.
- Stress
Stress as well can be a cause of your skin condition. Some people are more prone to boils than others, and this can be attributed to the general stress levels. Understanding how to deal with boils and stress basically involves knowing the relationship between stress and boils on inner thigh. Stress is not linked directly to boils but it can increase the chances of boils occurring. If you are stressed, the body immune system tends to be affected negatively, hence putting you at risk of getting skin boils including the inner thigh.
- Staph infection
As we have stated in the above discussion, a good number of the skin boils are caused by a germ called staphylococcus bacteria. This is a group of bacteria that can cause a multitude of diseases on the skin including boils. If you have staph infection, your body becomes prone to diseases such as: boils, impetigo, food poisoning, cellulitis and toxic shock syndrome.
Inner thighs are well known for their friction. The infection begins with a cut where the bacteria get into the skin and cause a boils on inner thighs. If the infection on the skin gets deeper, you end up with cellulitis. This can be treated by use of antibiotics.
- Weak immune system
A weak immune system can also make you susceptible to boils attack. The weak immunity means that your body can not withstand any infection hence any condition that come your way you become a victim. Your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to treat and drain the affected area on the skin. However, some of the staph infections no longer respond to the common antibiotics.
- Hidradenitis suppurativa
This is a long term skin condition whose cause has not been realized. If you have this skin disease, you may develop breakouts on your skin that resembles pimples or boils. The most affected areas include: underarms, groins, buttocks, upper inner thighs and breast in women. A few cases of this condition have been reported on the bellybutton, face, neck or back. After you develop the breakouts, you may be at risk of staph infection which can lead to boils on the inner thighs and around the buttocks.
- Ingrown pimple from shaving or waxing
Shaving or waxing your inner thigh can be another cause of boils that usually begin as an ingrown pimple. To add on that, if you try to remove hair in your thigh carelessly can cause cuts or minor injury to the skin putting you at risk of getting boils. Additionally if the hair follicles are infected, shaving can lead to infections causing boils around the groin and inner thighs. Minimize shaving to close to the skin to reduce the risk of bacterial infection.
- Overweight and excessive sweating
Generally, boils are caused by staph infection in the hair follicle. It is also possible that people who are overweight and excessive sweating can cause boils on inner thighs. Obesity can increase the risk of a number of skin infections and friction or constantly rubbing the thighs. Sweating can increase the risk of skin damage allowing staph to harbor on the cut skin putting you at risk of getting boils in between your legs.
How do I get rid of a Boil?
Boils are usually accompanied with inflammation and a lot of pain. Although they may not mean any serious health complication, they are harmful if left untreated. You can help the body to get rid of boils on your inner thighs and buttocks fast. We are going to share on some of the ways you can relieve yourself from this problem.
The best easy way you can treat your inner thigh boil is by use of onions. Simply cut the onion into slices and place them on the boils on inner thighs. Then wrap around the area with a piece of cloth or clean towel for some time making sure that you change the slices after every 2-3 hours. You can carry this practice several times in a day before you sleep. Onion is known to be the best antiseptic compared to other vegetables. It helps to speed up the healing process of boils.
What can you do to treat a Boil?
Treatment of boils in between your legs should be directed by your doctor. A boil on your inner thighs that require treatment may be that one which won’t go away or keeps recurring. Also, if you experience redness or red streaks spreading from the infected area, have an accompanying fever, if you are diabetic or are currently taking an antibiotic or cortisone medication you should see your health-care provider at the onset of symptoms.
Using a hot compress on the boil or sitting in a hot bath may help to alleviate the pain until the boil ruptures and drains on its own. When the boil ruptures, pain relief is forthcoming.
Medical Treatment for Boils on inner thighs
If there are concerns about the seriousness of the infection, additional blood tests will be performed. The doctor may prescribe antibiotics if the infection is severe. If the boil is drained, a culture may be done to determine the type of bacteria causing the infection and to assess if an appropriate antibiotic was given.
What is inside a Boil?
Referring from what we said above, a boil may be caused by the staph aureus bacteria that infiltrate the skin leading to pain, skin swelling, redness and cysts on the inner thigh. Inside a boil, it is usually filled with pus with some blood contents.by use of a warm compress, you make the boil to come on the head hence it is easy to remove it out.
A mature boil may have a lump of pus mixed with blood which usually comes out in a form of a ball. For large mature boils, it is important to make sure the “ball” is out so that it will not appear again. It is believed that if the lump doesn’t come out, the infection is still inside hence there will be another boil formation just around the site.
Boil on Inner Thigh no Head
There are times you may develop a boil on the ski that has no head. Such boils are usually irritating and very painful to touch. The area may be raised with a red color which is usually a sign of inflammation. In some cases, a boil that has no head means that it has not yet matured up, so if given some time the head may start showing up.
To bring your boil to the head you may require using a warm compress several times and it will eventually show up. For some boils under the skin, they just disappear with time. However, you should speak with the doctor if the boils are leading to increasing discomfort. You should also call the doctor if you’re concerned about any of the changes in the boil or in the overall condition of the skin.
Recurring Boils on Inner Thigh
When it is advanced, a boil can disappear on its own or increase in size. When they increase in size they become abscesses and are of significant concern, both medically and cosmetically. If it increases in size, it will eventually form a head, which means that underneath the top surface, the skin becomes filled with pus. However, some boils may not go away completely after healing. You may realize another boil emerging from the last site or just around the last site.
Recurring boils are usually so irritating and can cause you a lot of discomfort, since they leave you with multiple scars on the skin. If the boil is not treated very well, be sure that it will reoccur after some time.
If the boils keep recurring, it is important that you visit your medical provider who will be able to offer the best treatment to make sure that it will not appear again. Boils are diagnosed in most cases by their appearance. There are a few different ways to treat them. Once they are diagnosed by your doctor, you can have them lanced, which is when the doctor pokes a hole in the head, or pus-filled head, of the boil and drains the pus.
Big Boil on Inner Thigh very Painful
Usually, boils are not a walk in the park. They are always accompanied by a lot of pain and irritation. To some people, they may find it hard even to sleep at night. Boils in the inner thighs may force you to sleep with legs apart or in some cases make you to walk with legs apart, as if you are from circumcision room.
After some few days you may start to get relieve as the boil heals. Treatment is by washing of the affected area using soap and warm salt water so as to cleanse it before putting on an antibacterial cream on the area.
In some cases you may develop swollen lymph nodes due to the infection. Swollen lymph nodes are common and not very dangerous. Put a warm, moist cloth over the area so as to draw out fluid. See the doctor if a cyst becomes much painful or unsightly. These are easily gotten rid of under local anesthetic.
How to Get Rid of Boils on Inner Thigh
Most boils on skin and on your inner thigh can be treated at home effectively using simple but effective home remedies. Here are some of the home remedies to get rid of boils on inner thigh.
- Warm compress
This is one of the easiest ways to get rid of boils on your inner thigh. It involves a little application of heat. Warm compress applied on the skin helps to increase blood circulation on the affected area. It also speeds up the circulation of white blood cells to help fight off infections and relieve pain. Here is how to use warm compress.
Soak a clean piece of cloth in relatively warm water and squeeze out excess water. Press the warm cloth on the boil repeatedly at least twice or thrice per day until the hard boils reduce swelling and pus drains out.
- Tea tree oil for boils on inner thighs
This is one of the superb natural home remedy that can cure boils on skin and on the thighs. Tea tree oil has anti-microbial properties that can help cure boils naturally at home. Here‘s how to use tea tree oil for boils.
Just soak cotton swab or the tip of a piece of clean towel in the oil and dap it on the affected skin on your thighs. Do this at least thrice daily until the boils are healed. If you are allergic to tea tree oil, you can alternatively use diluted tea tree oil on the affected part of your skin on the thigh.
- Turmeric for boils on inner thigh
It is antiseptic and has anti- inflammatory properties that can help speed up the healing process of a boil on the inner thigh. Turmeric has curcumin that also soothe the pain from inflamed skin that has boils.
Add water to a turmeric powder to make a thick paste. Apply the paste on the boil and leave it for about 10 to 20 minutes and rinse the turmeric applied on the boil with clean water Repeat the procedure several times a day. This makes the boil head appear and burst in a few days.
- Epsom salt
You can use Epsom salt to bring the head of the boil up close to the skin to drain pus and bacteria out fast. This helps remove toxins and other impurities from the infected skin. Just add a teaspoon of Epsom salt in a cup of warm of water and dissolve. Dip cotton swab or washcloth in the solution and place it on the boil and leave it for about 10 minutes. Do this a few times daily until the boils start to drain
- Apple Cider Vinegar
Boils on inner thighs can be effectively treated at home using apple cider vinegar. It has a natural ability to act as an antiseptic and get rid of bacteria that invades the skin. Here is the best way to use apple cider vinegar to get rid of boils on your inner thigh. Simply add water to some apple cider vinegar to dilute and use cotton swab and apply the solution on the boil.
Apple cider vinegar can be mixed with honey and applied on the boil and the skin affected. Apply the mixture on the boils on inner thigh. Leave it for 20 minutes then rinse with warm water. For good results, repeat the procedure twice daily.
- Garlic
This is one of the best home remedies to cure skin infection owing to its natural antibacterial properties. Garlic juice will help to ripen and soften the boil fast. When garlic juice is applied on boils, it helps to open up and drain the pass out fast.
Remove cloves of garlic and crush to extract juice and Use a cotton pad, apply the juice from garlic on the boil. Leave it for some minutes before washing it off. Repeat twice daily
How to Pop a Boil on Inner Thigh
Popping a boil is a common method of dealing with boils. It provides relief to the infected skin once pus is drained out. Here’s how to remove a boil on the skin.
- Warm compress the infected area including the boil. You can use heat pack, it helps to increase the flow of blood around the boil. It makes pus to be formed soon, also making the skin around soft or “ripe” for popping.
- Repeat applying heat pack or warm compress more often to make the boil more soft and ready for popping.
- Squeeze to drain pus, apply a little pressure on the edges of the boils. Make sure to squeeze until you notice blood coming out the boil.
After popping, you need to protect the area from secondary infections. You can visit your local pharmacy for further direction.
More references
- everything you should know about boils on inner thighs: http://www.healthline.com/health/boils-on-inner-thigh#overview1
- what causes boils on the inner thigh: http://www.livestrong.com/article/354925-what-causes-boils-on-the-inner-thigh/
- treating boils, pimples and cysts on the inner thighs: http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/womens-health/skin-care/cysts-on-inner-thigh/
- boils: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/boils#1
- boils and carbuncles-treatment: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Boils/Pages/Treatment.aspx