Prevention of Boils

Some steps can be taken to prevent boils and these include:

Clean skin: One should try and keep the skin clean. Whether to use a medicated soap is irrelevant. Just a bland soap is sufficient. No amount of scrubbing can remove bacteria from the skin. So one need not go over aboard and scrub hard and create skin trauma- which will then definitely cause a skin infection.

If boils occur in an area where you have ingrown hairs, regularly shave the area.

Diabetic: If you are diabetic, you must try and keep your blood sugar under control.

Chemotherapy drugs: For those who take immunosuppressive drugs, one should pay close attention to the skin and seek rapid medical attention if there are any skin lesions.

Oils: Oils on the skin do not cause bacterial infection. Oils are protective and thus one should not try and wash off these oils with the various soaps and cosmetic creams. The drier the skin is, the more the chance of an infection. Scrubbing out all the oils from the skin surface is unhealthy.

If you have boils in the arm pit or groins, the best treatment is to keep the area clean and the hair shaved off. This may not completely eliminate the condition, but will reduce the chances of more boils.

Pilonidal cysts can be prevented by avoiding continued direct pressure or irritation of the buttock area. When the area gets tender and infected, warm baths are an excellent method of soothing the pain and relieving the inflammation. Regular soap wash and warm water cleaning can be helpful.

Clothing: Boils are not contagious and thus one does not need to wear any masks, gloves or gowns at home. Simply washing the clothes and linen in normal detergent is sufficient.

Clean wounds: If you have a skin injury or wound, keep the area clean and dry and observe it carefully for infection.

Maintaining good personal hygiene is sufficient to prevent boils in most individuals.