Boil Lancing

Boils Treatment » Various Types of Boils » Boils Lancing

Before we go into boil lancing, we should know about what a boil is and what their types are. Boils are a very general skin infection and in most cases, they are not due to anything wrong in the blood. Boil is also known as a furuncle and when multiple boils occur on the body, the condition is known as furunculosis

Numerous boils joined together with tunnels under the skin are called carbuncles. As a boil gets bigger, it gets a cavity filled with pus inside it which is known as an abscess. Boil is also known as a pimple which is smaller in size

There are four different types of boils. Even though they are all similar, some are more serious than the others. They are cystic acne, carbuncles (also called furuncle), hiradentitis suppurativa, and the pilonidal cyst. These are all types of skin abscesses caused by different circumstances

A boil could be compared to a deep skin infection. It often starts as a hard, sore area on the skin. After some time, this area will harden into what is called as a boil. The center becomes abscessed and infected. Pus is formed and the boil then requires some kind of treatment. If the infection is too deep, a surgery might be required

Boil Lancing

Boil lancing is a common method used by doctors. With the help of a lancet (it is a small knife with two cutting edges and a sharp point that a doctor uses while cutting the skin), the doctor cuts the boil and then drains the infected pus (mostly comprising of white blood cells) and cleans the area

Boil lancing as a procedure can be painful and in most of the cases, you would find that the infection re-occurs, requiring further lancing. Lancing a boil yourself is not recommended by doctors as it could spread infection in the body. However, if you want to do it on your own, you have to take certain necessary precautions. If you are in a dilemma on how to lance boils yourself, then following are some instructions to do so.

Some Instructions on Lancing a Boil

• Always keep the area around the boil clean. You can also use a mild astringent like Witch hazel to help take the boil to a head. Apply this astringent (Witch Hazel) to a cotton ball and hold it on the boil for several minutes, many times a day. Do not use it if the boil is near a busted skin or on a sensitive area.
• Boils normally take 4 to 7 days to form a head. White or yellow pus accumulates in the head when it is ready to drain. Don't lance the boil before it comes to a head as it won't do any good
• You can lance the boil once it comes to the head. Always clean the area near the boil and keep alcohol, needle and bandage ready. Wash your hands and the boil with soap and water. Clean the area again with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. Also sterilize the needle that you are going to use to pierce the boil with alcohol. Brace yourself as lancing a boil hurts
• Insert the tip of the needle with utmost care into the center of the pus in the head of the boil, but make sure that you don't go very deep with the needle.
• Gently squeeze the boil to force out all the infection. After that immediately clean the boil and the pus by using a soapy wash cloth or gauze pad. Wash your hands along with the area around the boil very well, so that you do not spread the infection. Allow the area to dry and cover with a dry bandage or gauze pad secured with a medical tape.
• The boil might continue to trickle for a day or so. For that you need to wash the area and change the bandage often.