Yes, pus can definitely come out with HS — and it's one of the more frustrating parts of managing the condition. With HS, lesions and abscesses can fill with pus and sometimes drain on their own, which is actually part of the body's natural process.
Pus is made up of white blood cells, dead tissue, and other fluids your body Show Full Answer
Yes, pus can definitely come out with HS — and it's one of the more frustrating parts of managing the condition. With HS, lesions and abscesses can fill with pus and sometimes drain on their own, which is actually part of the body's natural process.
Pus is made up of white blood cells, dead tissue, and other fluids your body produces when it's trying to fight something. With HS, this happens because of inflammation around hair follicles, not necessarily an infection. The color of pus can give you clues about what's going on:
- White — your body may be fighting something and starting to heal
- Yellow or green — could be a sign of a bacterial infection
- Pink or red — blood is mixed in with the pus
- Brown — may involve old blood or signal a more serious issue
For people with HS, drainage with an odor is often considered normal, but it's still worth keeping an eye on changes. If a lesion bursts and drains on its own, keep the area clean and watch for warning signs like spreading redness, warmth, swelling, streaks moving away from the wound, or a fever. These could point to a more serious infection that needs prompt medical attention.
When in doubt, always check in with your doctor or dermatologist — they can help figure out if it's an HS flare, an infection, or both.
October 18
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