Skin abscess is a tender mass filled with pus and debris of pink to deep red color. The painful area of abscess will feel warm, if you touch it.
Though skin abscess can occur in any part of skin on your body, it generally on tooth, armpits (axillae), spine base (pilonidal abscess) and groin (Bartholin gland abscess).
Inflammation of hair follicles, or minor breaks and punctures of the skin can cause blockage and obstruction of oil (sebaceous) glands leading to skin abscess. When germs get under the skin into these glands, your body's defense mechanism causes inflammatory response. This explains warmness and bumps.
In order to treat an abscess it must be open and the pus must be drained. A skin abscess usually takes 2 weeks to reach a stage when a professional medicare person can open and drain it. You can reduce the time span of the skin abscess with home remedies.
If you immune system is weak, then you have higher probabilities of developing abscess. Many diseases such as diabetes, cancer, sickle cell anemia, AIDS and many other disorders can make your immunity low. In addition certain medication such as chemotherapy and chronic steroid therapy will also reduce your immunity.
Poor hygiene and poor blood circulation are some of the other factors that influence forming of an abscess on your skin.
5 Home Remedies for Skin Abscess to Heal Fast
You may be tempted to puncture the skin abscess to get rid of it fast. Please do not do so as the infection can reach the deeper tissues.
If your abscess is smaller than a 1 centimeter boil then it will heal faster than a bigger size lump.If your sore is near groin or rectal area boil than you must be even more careful as you do not want to spread the infection in your vital organs.
You can reach out to a doctor if the pain is unbearable or temperature is above 102 degrees F, otherwise following home care will help in healing your abscess fast.
1. Warm Compress
The very first step in healing the skin abscess is to reduce the pain. Warm compress is the easiest and perhaps one of the best methods to relieve pain.
Since the blood circulation improves due to warm compress a feel good factor overtakes the underlying pain. It also expedites the healing process.
- Use a commercially available hot bottle for warm compress but keep a wet cloth between the bottle and your skin, or
- Dip a clean washcloth in hot water and place it over the abscess
- Do it for 10-15 minutes several times a day.
2. Neem
Neem (Indian Lilac) is a very good antibacterial and antiseptic agent. You can wash a handful of neem leaves and crush them to make a paste. Apply the paste on the abscess.
You can do it several times a day.
3. Onions
Raw onions are very effective in fast healing of skin abscess.
- Make thin slices of onions
- Keep a slice or two on the skin affected by abscess
- Wrap the onion pieces with a cotton cloth on the abscess
- remove it after 3 hours
Do it 2 times a day for several days, until the abscess is ready to open.
4. Potato
Potatoes can also be used in the same way as the onions. Make thick slices and keep one slice over the abscess and wrap it. keep it there for an hour or so and remove it. Do it 3-4 times a day.
5. Tree Tea Oil
Tree tea oil may not be available all the time at home, but it is a good habit to keep one bottle in the fridge as tea tree oil is very versatile oil to treat many conditions. it is antifungal, antibacterial and antiseptic.
Apply it on the affected area of skin abscess by dipping a cotton ball or swab in the oil and dabbing it on the boil/abscess 3-4 times a day for fast results.
In addition to all the above, turmeric - very powerful anti-inflammatory agent can be used alone or in combination of other above mentioned ingredients can be used to heal your abscess fast.