If you’ve had recurring boils in your private areas, you know how frustrating and painful they can be. You might be searching for home remedies to help get rid of a genital boil fast.

Here’s what to know about treating boils on the vulva and other genital areas at home — and when to see a doctor.

What Are Boils?

Boils are painful lumps that form under the skin when a hair follicle becomes infected, filling with a white or yellow substance called pus. Boils may be purple, red, or brown, depending on your skin tone, and at first look like cysts, pimples, or ingrown hairs. The lumps usually fill slowly, and they can eventually reach up to two inches in size before they burst and drain. In many cases, boils can be treated at home.

Staph Infection

Most boils are caused by a common bacterium called Staphylococcus aureus (staph), which lives in your nose and on your skin. Staph can enter your skin through small openings like cuts, scrapes, or even bugbites and cause an infection. Boils from staph can show up anywhere on the body, including in the genital area and the vulva.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Boils can also be a symptom of a skin condition called hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). HS is not a bacterial infection. It happens when hair follicles get blocked and the body’s immune system overreacts, causing inflammation in areas where you sweat, including the groin and vulva. This immune response causes inflammation that can lead to boils.

HS may flare up, go away, and then return. If you have boils that keep coming back, it’s a good idea to see a dermatologist for an accurate diagnosis.

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Sometimes, genital boils — including vulvar boils — may be mistaken for sores caused by sexually transmitted infections (STIs). STIs can cause painful bumps or sores that look like boils but aren’t true boils. Your healthcare provider may recommend testing to distinguish an STI from a boil.

Adding to the confusion, some boils can be spread during sexual contact. If you or your partner has a genital boil caused by a staph infection, it could be passed to the other person. A healthcare professional can help figure out the cause and make sure both partners get the right medical treatment.

How To Get Rid of Vulvar Boils at Home

If you’re wondering, “How do you get rid of a boil ASAP?” you might feel tempted to pop or squeeze it. Although there are home remedies, this isn’t one of them.

Popping a boil caused by a staph infection can be very painful and may cause the infection to spread, leading to more serious complications. In rare cases, the infection can enter your bloodstream (a serious condition called sepsis) or your lymphatic system. Symptoms of a spreading infection include:

• Fever
• Fast breathing
• Rapid pulse
• Very low blood pressure

Also, don’t inject anything into a boil unless your doctor specifically tells you to and shows you how to do it.

The safest way to treat a boil on your vulva is to draw out and drain the pus with a warm compress. You can soak a washcloth or a towel in warm (not hot) water and place it on the boil, or use a damp cloth under a heating pad.

Hold the warm compress on the boil for about 10 or 15 minutes, three or four times a day. After about five to seven days, the boil should open and drain on its own — no popping, squeezing, or prodding needed. Although you might want a faster solution, the best approach is to be patient and let the damp heat do its work.

Managing Boil Pain at Home

The vulva is a sensitive area, and a boil there can be very painful, even interfering with your ability to walk, sit, and move around normally. Over-the-counter pain relievers can help. Read the package directions to find out how much and how often to take these. Your healthcare provider can also guide you, especially if you have other health conditions.

Caring for a Vulvar Boil After It Drains

A drained boil still needs care. Keep using warm compresses for three more days, or longer if the boil still seems to be draining.

If the boil was caused by staph bacteria, wash the area at least twice a day using antibacterial soap and water. Otherwise, keep it bandaged to avoid spreading the infection. It’s also important to keep HS wounds bandaged so they don’t become infected. Change the bandage at least once a day, or more often if it’s soaked with fluid from the boil.

Preventing Future Vulvar Boils

To help prevent future staph infections, you can take steps such as these:

• Focus on good hygiene. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, bathe regularly, and clean any open wounds — even if they’re very small.
• Don’t share items that touch your skin, such as towels, sheets, and razors.
• Launder bedding and towels at least once a week at high temperatures.

If your boils are due to HS, these tips above won’t stop the lesions from returning. You’ll need ongoing treatment to control flares. A dermatologist can prescribe treatments to help.

When To Get Medical Help for Genital Boils

Sometimes, vulvar or other genital boils need more than at-home care. Get medical help if:

• You also have a fever.
• A boil is painful.
• A boil grows quickly.
• A boil doesn’t heal within two weeks.
• A boil keeps returning.
• A boil gets bigger despite self-care.
• You’re not sure how to treat a boil at home.
• You think you might have a condition such as an STI or HS, not an infection.
• You have a carbuncle (several boils clustered).

• Your immune system is weakened by a health condition or medication.

If you have a high fever or severe pain, or if the infection seems to be spreading fast, seek medical attention right away.

Your healthcare provider can help you figure out what’s causing your boil and how to treat it. They may need to cut the boil open and drain it in a sterile environment or prescribe antibiotics to help clear up the infection.

Your doctor can also check for HS and STIs. HS can be hard to diagnose, so you may need to see a dermatologist who specializes in this condition and can recommend the best treatment for you.

Talk With Others Who Understand

On myHSteam, members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with hidradenitis suppurativa.

How do you treat genital boils at home? Let others know in a comment below.