A boil is an infected hair follicle, and an abscess is a pocket of pus under the skin. Small boils often drain on their own with warm compresses. Urgent Care Center of Westmont examines painful skin bumps, checks for spreading infection, and explains your treatment options and next steps.
Boils and skin abscesses are usually caused by staph bacteria, including MRSA.
Warm, moist compresses several times a day help a boil drain and heal.
Never squeeze a boil or try to cut it open at home. It can spread the infection.
MedlinePlus says boils usually open and drain on their own within about 2 weeks.
The CDC says to contact a provider if you have a fever or a skin infection does not improve within 48 hours.
How we evaluate abscesses and boils at our Westmont, IL clinic
Urgent Care Center of Westmont, also known as Immediate Care Center of Westmont, evaluates boils, abscesses and other painful skin bumps for children and adults seven days a week. Our team is led by board-certified physicians. Walk in to either Westmont, IL clinic or check in online.
Look and feelYour clinician checks the size, depth and location of the bump, how firm or soft it is, and whether redness is spreading.
Check the whole pictureYour clinician asks about fever, past boils, diabetes, and anyone at home with similar sores, and checks your vital signs.
Test when usefulIf there is drainage, your clinician may send a sample to the lab to see which germ is causing it, which can guide treatment.
Explain your optionsMany small boils heal with home care. Your clinician can recommend treatment, which may include prescription medicine when appropriate. Some abscesses need to be opened and drained by a clinician. Your clinician will explain whether yours does and where that care should happen.
MedlinePlus notes that deep or large boils may need surgical drainage, and that a provider may place packing material in a drained wound to help it heal. Read more in can urgent care treat an abscess.
Boil, carbuncle or abscess: what is the difference?
Common pus-filled skin infections (MedlinePlus)
Type
What it is
What it looks like
Boil (furuncle)
An infection of a hair follicle and the skin around it
A tender red bump that fills with pus, often pea-sized, sometimes as big as a golf ball
Carbuncle
Several boils close together that join
A larger, deeper patch with more than one opening
Skin abscess
A collection of pus in or under the skin
Swollen, hard, red, warm and tender. It can follow a cut, a boil or an infected hair follicle
A tooth abscess is different. It starts in a tooth or the gums and needs a dentist. See can a tooth abscess wait a week for help deciding how soon to go.
Abscess and boil symptoms
Read moreClose
MedlinePlus lists these common signs:
A tender, swollen, pinkish-red spot that turns into a pus-filled bump
A white or yellow center, sometimes called a head
Warm, hard or firm skin around the bump
Drainage of pus or fluid, or crusting
Tiredness, fever, chills or feeling generally unwell
The CDC says you cannot tell if a skin infection is MRSA just by looking at it. MRSA bumps are often mistaken for spider bites.
What causes boils, and are they contagious?
Read moreClose
Most boils and skin abscesses are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, or staph, a germ that often lives on the skin. When a hair follicle is damaged, or the skin is broken by a scrape or cut, the germ can get in and cause a pocket of infection.
The infection can spread. The CDC explains that MRSA, a type of staph that resists some antibiotics, spreads through contact with infected people, their wounds, or objects that touched infected skin. Some people carry MRSA without getting sick. Keep a draining boil covered, wash your hands often, and do not share towels, razors or sports gear.
Home care for a boil
Read moreClose
Apply a warm, moist compress several times a day to help the boil drain. Keep using compresses after it opens.
Let it drain on its own. Do not squeeze, poke, pop or cut it.
Once it drains, gently wash the area and cover it with a clean, dry bandage.
Change the dressing often and throw used dressings away in a sealed bag.
Wash your hands before and after touching the area.
Wash towels, washcloths and bedding that touched the boil in hot water.
These steps come from MedlinePlus and the CDC. Curious about home remedies? Read does salt draw out infection. MedlinePlus notes that antibacterial creams offer little help once a boil has formed.
When a boil or abscess needs a clinician
Read moreClose
MedlinePlus and the CDC advise getting care when:
The boil is on your face or spine
You have a fever, or redness is spreading
The pain is significant
It has not healed within 1 week, or a skin infection has not improved within 48 hours
Typical boil timeline with home care (general guide)
Stage
What usually happens
First few days
A tender red lump forms and grows. Warm compresses help it soften.
The next several days
The center fills with pus and comes to a head. Many boils open and drain.
Up to about 2 weeks
MedlinePlus says boils usually open and drain on their own within about 2 weeks.
After draining
Pain eases quickly. The area heals over several days with clean dressings.
If a boil has not healed within 1 week, or you have fever or spreading redness at any point, get it checked.
Boils in children, older adults and repeat infections
Read moreClose
Children: keep nails short, discourage picking, and cover any draining sore before school, sports or daycare. Bring your child in for a boil on the face, a fever, or if they seem sick. Our pediatric urgent care team sees kids of all ages.
Older adults and people with diabetes or a weak immune system: skin infections can be harder to fight, so get a painful or spreading bump checked early.
Repeat boils: MedlinePlus suggests antibacterial soaps, antiseptic washes and careful handwashing to limit spread, and washing items that touched the infected area in hot water. If boils keep returning, your clinician may suggest follow-up with a primary care clinician.
Cost and insurance for a boil or abscess visit
Read moreClose
We accept most major insurance plans, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, UnitedHealthcare and Medicare. Call (630) 324-6825 to confirm your plan, or see our cost and insurance page. Self-pay general visits start from $125. If you are paying on your own, ask about the cost of any procedure or lab test before it is done.
Apply a warm, moist compress several times a day. MedlinePlus says this speeds draining and healing. Keep using compresses after the boil opens, keep it clean and covered, and change the dressing often. Never squeeze it or try to cut it open at home.
What is the difference between a boil and an abscess?
A boil is an infection of a hair follicle and the skin around it. An abscess is a broader term for any collection of pus in or under the skin. A boil is a type of skin abscess. A cluster of joined boils is called a carbuncle.
Is a boil contagious?
The bacteria inside a boil, usually staph, can spread to other people or to other parts of your body through pus, hands and shared items. Keep it covered, wash your hands often, and do not share towels, razors or sports gear until it heals.
How do I know if a boil is MRSA?
You cannot tell by looking. The CDC says MRSA skin infections often look like a red, swollen, painful bump with pus, and are often mistaken for spider bites. A clinician may send a sample of the drainage to the lab to find out which germ is causing it.
Can urgent care drain an abscess?
Our clinicians evaluate abscesses and explain your options. Many small boils heal with home care. Some abscesses need to be opened and drained by a clinician, and whether that can happen during your visit depends on the size, depth and location. Your clinician will explain where that care should happen.
How long does a boil last?
MedlinePlus says boils usually open and drain on their own within about 2 weeks. Warm compresses several times a day can speed things up. Pain usually eases soon after a boil drains. Get it checked if it has not healed within 1 week, keeps getting bigger, or comes with a fever.
“My daughter has a fever and sore throat . They were efficient and professional great service they took care of her right away and now she feels a lot better thank you guys”
mohammed h. · November 2024 · Google★★★★★
“We were in and out really fast. They diagnosed my grand daughter fast and we were on our way to jewel Osco for meds. Very clean and friendly”
Lisa M. · June 2024 · Google★★★★★
“Great, efficient care from intake through visit with MD. Very clean and safe. Nice job.”
