A boil, also known as a furuncle, is a swollen, pus-filled growth on the skin that occurs when bacteria—even those normally found on your body—infect a group of hair follicles. Boils commonly develop on the buttocks, where they can cause significant discomfort and pain. Some boils may require medical attention from a general practitioner or dermatologist.
Boils look like a pink or reddish, tender, swollen area of skin. As the boil fills with fluid, skin cells, and white blood cells, it becomes harder and more painful to the touch. It may resemble a large pimple, with a white or yellow center. The surrounding skin may also look reddened.
Over time, it may form an abscess. Boils develop quickly, taking several hours to several days to grow fully.
Other features and symptoms of a buttocks boil may include:
- Warmth
- Fluid-filled or cyst-like appearance
- Size ranging from a pea to a golf ball
- Itchiness before the boil itself appears
- Pain
- Oozing, draining, and crusting
Once they drain, they’re less painful and they eventually heal, though a boil may sometimes cause scarring. Boils may also cause other symptoms of infection, including:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Malaise—a generally unwell feeling
When a boil forms on the butt, it’s due to folliculitis, an infection or inflammation of the hair follicle at the root of the hair. Boils are typically complications of this condition. They occur as an infection spreads to surrounding follicles and deeper layers of skin, which can happen due to bacterial, fungal, or viral infections and physical injury.
The most common cause of boils is infection with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), or staph bacteria, which may be a healthy part of your skin biome before it gets under the skin and causes infection. Conditions that affect the skin barrier, such as acne and eczema, can make it easier for S. aureus or other bacteria to infect your hair follicles, leading to boils.
Cuts, scrapes, chafing, or bug bites can all break the skin barrier, allowing S. aureus or other bacteria to infect hair follicles. For this reason, you’re more likely to experience boils in areas of injured or irritated skin. This means that wearing tight underwear or shaving can be the reason you have boil on your butt.
While many cases of boils resolve on their own, they cause pain and discomfort as they fill with fluid. You may need medical treatment to safely treat the boil. Signs to call your healthcare provider include:
- Fever
- Boils on your face or spine
- Excessive fluid buildup in the boil
- Red streaks running from the boil
- Swelling, heat, and redness in the area
- Symptoms that last longer than one week
- Recurring boils
Treatments may include home management techniques, medications, and medical procedures.
Home Remedies
Many boils resolve on their own, but home management techniques can help ease discomfort until the boil opens and drains on its own. Remedies may include:
- Keep the boil bandaged, regularly changing the dressing.
- Apply warm, moist compresses several times a day.
- Avoid squeezing or attempting to cut open the boil on your own.
- Wash the boil daily with antibacterial soap.
- Clean your towels or washcloths after they come into contact with the boil.
- Applying topical antiseptics (germ killers), such as PanOxyl (benzoyl peroxide) twice a day.
Topical Antibiotics
Available over the counter or by prescription, antibiotic gels or creams can help manage the infection and prevent its spread. Common types include:
- Fucidin (fusidic acid 2%): A doctor may recommend that you apply this prescription cream twice daily as long as you have the boil.
- Clindacin (clindamycin 2%): Also used for vaginal infections, this gel is typically applied to the boil twice a day.
- Bactroban (mupirocin 2%): A doctor may suggest that you apply this antibiotic ointment to the boil two to three times a day.
Oral Antibiotics
If there are signs that the infection is spreading to other parts of your body, your healthcare provider may prescribe antibiotics to combat the infection.
Surgery
If the boil is persistent and uncomfortable, your healthcare provider may recommend a procedure to drain it. In a simple, outpatient procedure, they may make a small cut, or incision, into the boil. After soaking up the fluid with gauze, they clean and disinfect the area before applying a bandage.
Preventing a boil involves supporting your overall health and protecting your skin. Steps you can take include:
- Wash your hands and body regularly.
- Use antibacterial soap when you shower.
- Avoid close contact with people with skin infections or boils.
- Use clean razors and don’t share them with others.
- Avoid sharing wash cloths or towels, athletic equipment, or clothing.
- Wear comfortably fitting underwear that prevents chafing.
- Regularly change your underwear and sleeping garments.
- Promptly clean any cuts or injuries in the area.
Complications of boils are rare, most commonly occurring in people who have weakened immunity or chronic disease. Some may experience permanent scarring after healing. In addition, bacterial infections can spread to other parts of the body, leading to several complications such as:
- Abscess: A severe boil can turn into an abscess, a fluid-filled pocket that forms inside the tissues of the body.
- Bone infection: Bacteria from the skin infecting bone can cause osteomyelitis, leading to swelling and pain.
- Endocarditis: This bacterial infection of the heart’s muscle causes a range of symptoms, including chest pain, muscle and joint pain, shortness of breath, and swelling in your feet.
- Meningitis: Bacteria that reach the brain can cause meningitis, a life-threatening swelling of tissues around the brain and spinal cord.
- Sepsis: Sepsis is a dangerous infection of the blood, which can lead to organ failure and become fatal.
A boil is a growth that forms on the skin, fills with fluid, and becomes painful. A boil on the buttocks forms due to infection of the hair follicle and skin at the root of a hair. Most commonly, S. aureus bacteria cause these infections, though other bacteria or germs can also cause boils.
Treatments for this condition primarily involve home management techniques to ease symptoms. In more severe cases, medications or minor surgery can treat a boil on your buttocks.
