Heal Boils Naturally: Effective Home Remedies

For boils/staph, & I'm pretty sure it should work on spider bites, ect. PORK SALT!! Or bacon,which I have used personally on mild staph boils. Sliced & put against skin (boil)with bandage over it. Change out 3-4 times a day,& you should see an incredible improvement within 36 to 48hrs. The fat (or oils) sure seem to be the DRAWING ticket.The bandage thing was much easier for on the job working conditions, & on the kids, it's almost a must.

I've been using a paste made from turmeric powder and coconut oil to deplete acne boils and the scars left from it. I used pure virgin coconut oil alone on the boils and they depleted in about 5 days. when I mix the paste and use that as a facial mask before sleep it only takes about three days to completely clear my face. I've been studying and working with theses to substances for 3 weeks and am already very impressed with the results on my self and 5 other willing subjects.

I broke out with 6 Staph infections on 1/24/10. These are not my first and I have tried many homeopathic treatments, but always ended up on antibiotics. Not willing to give up, I tried a new regimine. I took raw garlic 3x's a day along with colloidal silver, tumeric, and apple cider vinegar in my water. I also gave up coffee, white sugar and white flour. By the following Sunday all the infections had drained, the corks where out and and I could sit down again. I believe it was the raw garlic that helped fight the infection without antibiotics. I will continue taking raw garlic everyday to avoid further outbreaks. I have been fighting MRSA for a year and a half.

When all the pus is gone, there will still be a whitish lump in the middle. It is like a small piece of cottage cheese. If you're very careful about sterilizing, you can lift it out with the very tip of a needle.

How do I know when the core is out of the boil? What does the core look like?

WARNING!

I just wanted to make a quick comment about boils. It is very important to get your boils checked out by a doctor because now days there is a huge spread of MRSA infections that look like boils but they are really staph infections. Sometimes people think that a boil is just a boil but it is really a deadly staph infection. MRSA staph infections can kill you or if the infection just looks like a boil it can really be doing a lot of hard on the inside of your body and spread and if it gets into your blood stream (and it happens fast) it could kill you or make you deathly sick. If you get something that looks like a boil or a infected pimple get it looked at and do take the antibiotics unless you don't care if you die or get deathly sick. When I was young I got boils all the time and my mom would take care of them for me. Now I am 26 and have been in the hospital from a serious staph infection that looked just like a pimple or a boil. I spent a week in the hospital once for thinking it would just go away and I try homemade treatment. Don't try to fix yourself or a pet in these situations. Go seek professional help with these. This info may save your life. Also, never poke at a pimple or boil with anything sharp or squeeze them because it may be a staph infection and could spread inside of your body and will cause a hospitalization over night. trust me. I know lots of people that thought these things would go away after squeezing them and ended up spending the night in the hospital.

I am glad I found this page and others. About Me: I am a 25-year old, African American female. I have never been sexually active. I am 5'6" and 135 pounds. I eat too many sweets/carbs & shave weekly. I recently got over a cold

Today, relief came to me after barely 24 hours of INTENSE treatment. Yesterday, after I got off work I picked up Turmeric and Acidophilus, Antibacterial bodywash, and Tea Tree Oil. I took a hot shower (5:45) using the antibacterial bodywash and applied a hot compress (drained, wet cloth microwaved for 1 minutes) dipped in a paste mixture (of 1 miced clove of garlic, 3 tbsp baking soda, 1 tbspp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 capsule of Turmeric). I placed gauze on top of the boil so the mixture would stay in place. I ate a meal and took 1 capsule of Acidophilus and 1 capsule of Turmeric. I drank an additional glass of water. Later, I soaked in a tub of hot water (as hot as you can take) and sprinkled epsolm salt, baking soda, and peroxide. I washed with the antibacterial bodywash. After about 20 minutes of soaking I applied tea tree oil to the boil and everything within an inch or two of it as well. I got a q-tip and dipped it in the tea tree and cleaned out my nose. It felt tingly like how vapor rub opens your nasal passages up. Then, I went to bed.

When I woke up this morning I applied a hot compress with the mixture again and sat in a hot tub for a quick soak. When I got out of the tub (8am) I was about to apply the tea tree oil when I saw liquid oozing out of the boil. Hallelujah! I squeezed it and immediately cleaned it with peroxide and followed with tea tree oil (a natural antiseptic) and triple antibiotic ointment (get from any grocery store or pharmacy). BEWARE! If you do not disinfect and treat the area after the boil bursts, it will become infected again and may spread. I will continue to shower with antibacterial bodywash (for the rest of my life), have hot soaks for the next week, take Acidophilus & Turmeric for the next week, and drink more water forever :-).

WHAT HAVE I LEARNED:

1.) I will no longer shave except for my legs and underarms.
2.)After shaving I will immediately wash with antibacterial bodywash or antibacterial soap (which is different from regular fragranced soaps because if it doesn't say antibacterial, then it won't kill any bacteria).
3.) I will look for and begin using deodorant (not anti-perspirant) with tea trea oil in it because it's healthier and will fight infection before anything happens. There are lotions and oils with tea tree oil and I will be sure to look for those as well.
4.)I have always done this, but thought I'd share... I change my washcloth and bath towel daily for good hygiene. I never wash my face with the same washcloth I bathe with.
5.) When you do laundry, I suggest adding a capfull of pine sol into your wash to disinfect your undergarments that had close contact with the infected regions.
6.) Carry anti-bacterial wipes around with you because the bacteria that causes boils can be spread.

ATTENTION LADIES: If the boil is in your private area, I suggest wearing pantyliners and cleaning the boil with tea tree everytime you use the restroom during the day and changing your liner as well.

The only boil I ever had was on my knee after skinning it on playground sand in California 66 yrs ago. I don't remember what the doctor did for it, but I do remember him squeezing the core out of it. I have heard that 'resentment' is at the basis of a lot of boils, and once I mentioned that to a relative, her son's endless boils seemed to go away. Glad to hear about the turmeric, as I have been thinking about getting some.

Keep up the good work....

I have had a boil for the past 8 days ... first time I have ever had one, and was completely freaking out! It just appeared one day, and progressively hurt worse each day. The second day, I began drinking a half glass of warm water with turmeric powder mixed in it, tasted gross but I just plugged my nose and chased it with a glass of cold water. I did this 3 times a day, also took acidophillus pills 3 times a day. The swelling went down, within a few hours. I took two hot showers each day, and thought that the boil was ready to drain several times but after trying realized it was not. I began to mix the turmeric with water and put the paste on the actual boil, which helped a lot! It finally began to drain. I also got manuka tea tree honey which I applied, and it drained it completely. I have been taking echinasea drops in water as well to boost my immune system. I do not want more of these! The boil is not totally healed, but no longer hurts, and has drained pretty much completely. I will continue to take the herbs internally, and put the honey on the boil directly since bacteria cannot live in the honey. Hope this may help!

Did the ointment leave a scar? I have heard that drawing salves can cause scarring?

Do you think mixing salt water and baking soda would be even better? Just a thought because of the bacon post...

Are you sure you should wash your face last? i always try to do it first bc i thought last was like rubbing your genitals, feet and armpits all over your face.

WARNING!

My wife battles recurring boils and the sulfa antibiotics do seem to be effective. Be careful though, my wife turned out to be allergic to sulfa drugs, which it turns out is not uncommon and the reaction (suppression of white blood cell production leading to unexpected bruising and eventually internal bleeding, as well as muscle ache and fever) can be life threatening. So, be vigilant and contact your doctor immediately if the antibiotics lead to any of these or other unexpected reactions whatsoever.

Just to be sure she should get her blood sugar checked, Boils can be a sign of diabetes, as can wounds not healing.

pls describe comfrey because i dont know it

Cure for boils: stop eating sugar! especially corn syrup

I had boils for about 2 & 1/2 years and tried all KINDS of rememdies... internally I took a couple of different antibiotics that didn't help at all, concentrated allicin which helped until I stopped taking it, turmeric helped the most, also tried raw garlic but this was too strong & I couldn't be smelling of garlic at work! Externally, tea tree oil only worked if I caught them very early - most of the time they grew too fast and wouldn't respond to the oil anymore. Colloidal silver was my life saver dropped into the pad of a flexible band-aid many x/day, but sometimes new boils secretly grew under the adhesive...grrrrr

In an experiment to solve a completely different health problem (one I thought was yeast related) I stopped eating ALL sugar including fruit. The only "sweet" things I had were rice milk (TJ's unsweetened), carrots, corn, peas, nuts & nut butters. It didn't help the other problem, but to my surprise no new boils grew and the current ones ran their normal course so within a few weeks I was boil-free. A few months later around Christmas I ate a pretty sweet dessert on several days and the boils returned. About 3 weeks after finishing that dessert (and not eating anymore sugar), they disappeared again. I probably went for a good year & 1/2 like that eventually eating fruit again, which has never been a problem. I eat lots of fruit now. I think it's been over 2 yrs now since they stopped and occasionally I get a tiny boil, but they never itch or grow. I continue to eat very little sugar, but not as strict as before. Every 2 or 3 mos. I'll have dessert on a special occasion as long as it's not really sweet, can't tolerate that anymore anyway! Sugar was always my downfall so, strangely, I'm grateful it all happened. Please email me if you want to know more about the foods I ate [email protected] and curious to know if this works for anyone else since I never saw it as a cure in all the research I did.

Recurring boils and similar large, painful pimples

After age 21 I had terrible huge pimples. When my pharmacist told me that some derms prescribed Vitamin A, I started on it immediately.. It was like a miracle, a moderate miracle. The huge deep pimples stopped and my skin improved in other ways.

I used to take 50,000 units a day but now I would limit myself to 25,000 units per day. Just be patient and don't stop the treatment.

Dear Christy and Carroll,

I read both of your posts and I was wondering, what form of Acidophilus are you taking?? Is it a pill form, drops, yogurt? I would really like to know so I can start ASAP.

Thanks,
Betty

Wish I'd checked this page 4 days ago.... I squeezed and it did not help! I remembered using heat and that was painful, but it did bring it to a head. Also used a bandaid w/ drops of Tea Tree Oil. Will try these other suggestions in the future. Glad I found this site! Could have saved myself a lot of pain!

WARNING!

I would like to warn everyone about treating boils. Prior to knowing about earthclinic I had a boil on my leg that grew to the size of a grapefruit (inner thigh). I'm not a doctor, this just my personal experience. I shudder when I read someone advising others to apply heat to a boil to make it come to a head. That's what I did and I almost died. boils for whatever reason one has one, are full of infection. applying heat pulls blood to the surface and increases the risk of spreading the infection already in the boil. I was treating myself, like many others w/o insurance. I did not have the knowledge about turmeric and other home remedies then. better to use the home remedies, have patience, and if it does not clear up get to a hospital. I hate being in debt, but I think I'd hate being dead over a boil worse. If you have a store near by that sells indian groceries buy turmeric in bulk--inexpensive. Then either get empty capsules from a healthfood store and make your own (empty caps also not expensive), or to get the turmeric into you, make golden milk and drink it:

1-2 tablespoons turmeric
2 cups milk (lactose intolerant- use rice milk)
1 tablespoon honey ( I prefer molasses blackstrap, full of b-vitamins and iron) to personal taste

heat milk to warm, not boil, and add turmeric and honey. when drinking stir cup before sip as turmeric settles to bottom and you want to get it all down w/ the liquid.

Turmeric is the key ingredient in mustard, wear old clothes or handle carefully it stains. c/o topical apps here at Earth Clinic. I wish I had known about this site, I might have been able to save myself from having emergency surgery and 2 months on my back in a nusing home on a wound pump (pumping out infection). I'm only 49 years old!

UPDATE: Well, the good news is: I don't have MRSA. I did have a bout with MSSA (another form of Bacteria Strep). Landed me in the hospital for a week. I had the whole serious triple pack of I.V. antibiotics, pain medication injections, and gauze packed in my breast.

BACKGROUND: My right breast started to swell and within one week had gone from a C cup to almost an F. Skin started to peel and the infection was showing under the skin. I had to have surgery to lance it. I have now a 4" long gash, 1.5" wide and done to the breast bone. The consensus is that I would have been better off with a masectomy. I have also been diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2. Another nasty factor that contributed to all of the flair up of boils.

I'm going to start back on the ACV to help with the blood sugars. I still stand by a lot ot the remedies. As soon as the doctors clear me..I'm racing back to my vitamin E (internal) and Vitamin E/Coconut Oil mix (external) for the scaring.

ADIVCE: If you are avoiding the Doctor and are having repeated outbreaks...GET YOUR BUTT TO THE HOSPITAL ANYWAY!!!!! The doctor's opinion is that if I have waited another week...I wouldn't have survived.

RE: Carla from Greenville, Nc : What type of abscess did you have in your pubic area? And how exactly did you use the salt? I have been trying everything to rid myself of an abscess in the same area. I am so afraid to have this surgically removed.

I feel like you saved my life! I had tried everything to treat the abscess in my pubic area, and as soon as I read your post I tried the salt, and I still can't believe how it worked. THANK YOU and your family.

hi, may i asked what did you do with apple cider vinegar with water and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. you can email me at edgarmnavarro (at) gmail(dot) com. tnx

Hi Judy, I just wanted to let you know that within weeks of having TITANIUM tooth implants fitted, my joints began to swell & stiffen, & twice I had to be given a cortisone injection to unlock my hip joints. No less than 3 specialists insisted that I was suffering from a rare fast & early onset of arthritis! I knew they were WRONG & that it was an allergic reaction to the TITANIUM. I visited a top HOMEOPATH in Durban ~ South Africa, who managed to source some titanium & prepare some homeopathic tabs , and within a week I was back to normal & have been for at least 10yrs now. Oh! Once I took some SILICA from a health store & BOOF! my hip joints locked again, but after taking antihistamines & drinking plenty of water, it disappeared within hours. I'll never touch SILICA ever again.
Please visit a renowned HOMEOPATH & learn what you could possibly be allergic to. It's worth it ~ trust me.
Love & LIGHT,
~@nnie~ Durban

My spouse took tetracycline for a boil because we didn't know what else to use. He's never had another boil but if he did I would have him try tko Orange around it. Boils might be a systemic problem tho.

G'Morn! My apologies to the moderators for posting this one too while the most previous post if still pending. I can only hope that the posts are in order. ;-)

UPDATE: I never got to the cream of tarter. I went to the bathroom for a round a warm/hot compresses and (drum roll please) it was draining! A little background here: One of the boils had developed into a hole that I had thought was healing. I had even done some hydrogen peroxide to clean out any residue. I now think that was a big mistake. Jump forward to draining: four gauze pads later, it had slowed so that I could bandage it and have some dinner. I walked out of the bathroom to the kitchen and informed my mom that I didn't care if the cloves of garlic (chewing, putting fresh in food) played havoc with my stomach for an hour afterwards...IT WORKED!!!!! I promptly took out a large clove of garlic, chewed up half, down some water, chewed up the other half, drank more water, grabbed a spoonful of strawberry preserves (NO HFCS) to clean out the taste. We had chicken chow mein and mom informed me that there was a least 5 cloves in it. LOL

Mom also gave me some Tylenol 3's for the pain. The circles under my eyes for lack of good sleep is very noticable. I took a nice warm bath, warm compresses, more drainage. Then washed with Ivory. I know, I know, most people are recommending Dial BUT that soap is way too harsh for my skin and had proven to be the cause of my acne from teens to early twenties. I won't touch it. The Ivory (which I had used on my babies with no problems) gets me clean and is proving effective at clearing up the smaller boils below the waist.

As of 4.30AM, it is still draining (YIPPEE)! The pain is going down and so is the size. I do prefer my regular bra-cup size. Mom and I will be hitting the local dollar store for more garlic. Am I still taking Turmeric? Oh yes!!! One teaspoon (Not the measuring spoon!!) in a glass of warm water 3x a day. The glass size would be referred to as a "juice glass" or about 180mL. I don't do anything extra with it other than drink it before eating. That way my stomach shuts up and behaves!

I do hope that I've covered everything. If I haven't send me an email (my address is on the first post under this heading) or post it on the website. I am deeply greatful to EarthClinic for all of the wonderful info!! Bless Be

First, sorry about the delay in response!! Oh YES! You can still get boils while taking Turmeric. I am battling a VERY major one right now and was/still am taking Turmeric. I even added more Turmeric to my previous intake. (2 500mg tablets 3 times a day AND one teaspoon regular spice in warm water 3 times a day) I have now added 2 garlic cloves in the morning and 2 garlic cloves at night. After 24 hours, NO RELIEF! It has taken my left breast from a C cup to a DD cup! I'm going to try cream of tarter next. Good Luck and Bless Be

My father had boils, i.e., cysts, appear on his arms for years. I found that Goldenseal Root is a GREAT herb with 'drawing' powers. I convinced him to try my paste, let it dry, then wash it off. Not only did the cyst go away fast, but has not returned! I have used Goldenseal Root to 'draw' infection out of cuts, sores, etc., and even cure athletes foot. You only need a small amount of the powder and a tiny amount of water. Stir into a paste quickly and spread it on the affected area. Let it dry. Rinse off. You have to be quick as it begins to work as soon as water hits it. Be careful, a tiny amount of water goes a long way! My mom had a rash on the back of her hand - all the prescription creams made it go away but as soon as she stopped using, the rash would reappear. Used the Goldenseal Root past method on the rash. It went away in 2 days and never returned.

i have read that the FDA required almonds to be pasteurized about a year ago, and one of the methods is to use a chemical that is an ingredient in jet fuel (yes, really); so i would do some internet research on almonds if u eat them a lot because maybe that chemical is giving you a reaction

Hello, by salt pork you mean a piece of row pork meat full of salt?

The Distinction Between Black Salve and Black Drawing Salve:

Before purchasing black drawing salve, it is important not to confuse it with another herbal product with a very similar name: black salve. Black salve contains a powerful herb called bloodroot (Sanguinaria candensis). Bloodroot can burn skin tags and tumors off the surface of the skin, and has only limited value in treating topical skin disorders.
If used improperly, black salve can burn healthy tissue along with the affected tissue.

Many websites make a common mistake and use the two names interchangeably. To be certain that you're buying the topical ointment form used to treat splinters, look for the active ingredient, ichthammol or ichthyol, in the ointment.

I found this info on herbs.lovetoknow.com

Hello TJ

I saw your post on earth clinic today, and I am interested to know something pls. did you get your outbreak even while you were using Turmeric? as everyone says that as long as you use it there will be no boils or outbreaks?! I was diagnosed with HS which is different than normal or acne boils, and I take Turmeric powder, so that's why I appreciate if you can let me know. Thank you so much.

Dolly

TJ, I buy a particular grape jelly for my son that doesn't have HFCS in it. I know we can't really give brand names so I'll just say it's in a slender jar and is "all fruit" :) They make a variety of HFCS-free fruit spreads (blueberry, strawberry, etc.). This is carried in my local grocery chain. It can also be bought online if you work out the brand name.

UPDATE ON BOILS: While I still stand by my orginal cure, I have something to add. I had a MASSIVE outbreak of boils about two weeks ago. After doing a very careful evaluation of diet, vitamins, supplements and general life issues...EUREKA! I had upped my "high fructose corn syrup level"...sad to say, NO MORE GRAPE JELLY, Store bought creamy-style dressings, granola bars, etc.! My mom and I went through the kitchen and proceeded to read labels. Over half of the foods (including some wheat breads, granola bars, salad dressings) had the stuff in it.

Since cutting way back on foods with high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup solids and the such, I have in ONE week: 1) Seen a dramatic healing of all SIX boils, 2) dropped about 4 pounds and 3) have more energy.

NOTE: My daughter, who does extensive research on additives and is studying nutrition at college, says that it's because I'm getting rid of the "bad" sugars in my diet.

I had also skipped some dosages of vitamins and supplements. Now that I'm back on a full range. Life is much better. There is no way that I'll be able to cut out all of the offending/threatening foods from my diet. So, it will be in "moderation."

I still take Turmeric, Multi-Vitamins, Calcium w/Vitamin D, Extra Vitmain E and ACV. I know that there are a lot of comments on the the taste of Turmeric and ACV...well, who said the "medicine" was always supposed to taste good? It's not candy for the taste buds, it food for the soul and the body. I buy my Turmeric pills at WalMart (great price) and I keep some Turmeric in a small container in my first aid kit. You never know when you'll need some!

I drink roughly 32ounes of ACV in water daily. One large mouth water bottle, 2-3 teaspoons of ACV, One small package of a Sugar Substitute or a 1/2 teaspoons of Honey, 4-5 ice cubes, fill with water, Cap the bottle, then shake to mix. My water bottle holds 16.5 ounces of liquid.

Hope this update helps some of you out there. I'm not into over complicated cures. I like it simple and direct. Thanks to EarthClinic for everything!

I've had a bump on the top between my toes for a year now. Lemon oil seems to reduce it but it comes back just as big. At times it hurts as it is alittle bit bigger. I'm now trying a poltis of turmeric and goldenseal. I'll let you know how it works. Doug

Hi, Ted- hope you get this... have been having an issue with a small boil-like thing on the back of my upper thigh. It has been there on and off before in the past- I have picked at it before, some small puss will come out and then it usually goes down again. It errupted again about a month ago- I put colliodal silver on it and it seems to be going down, but then I did about 2 weeks of heavy-metal cleanse, borax, occasional hydrogen peroxide inhalation, etc. and during that time felt like a had some kind of bug that i was chasing around my system. I had a respiratory type thing right before started cleanse, then it went into my nose for weeks- had several small pustules inside nose and both nostrils were raw and swollen... i kept draining the pustules and then applying various things: colloidal silver, neosporin, clove and basil, oregano and sea salt nasil spray, etc... but what's interesting is that when it went away in my nose the boil started to fill again. I even went to the dr. who didn't really tink the boil was anything b/c was small and no head to it ( it never really comes to a head, though i HAVE picked at it tried to squeeze it...)

Anyways- I put compress of milk of magnesia, borax, silver, and sea salt on it and covered with a band aid... about 8 hours later (last night) i got really sudden intense vertigo, nausea, followed by a bad fever. I took the sea salt cure for vertigo, along with niacinide and magnesium... and was able to sleep but have been exhasuted all day and slight fever again. Also got bitten or stung by spider or mosquito 2 days ago. am wondering if could be blood poisoning from spider or if could possibly be staph or MRSA that got into my blood? Any advice on how to treat? thanks

BTW- the sea salt in water worked AMAZING on the vertigo was only thing that gave me any relief last night,... you're brilliant thanks!

I love Turmeric for its anti-inflammatory properties. Over a year ago I suffered from arthritis in my hips. I was (WAS) in so much pain. I couldn't walk with my usual speed. My hips would actually lock up on me. I wrote about Turmeric because I was researching multiple spices/herbs and their natural abilities to heal when I came across information on Turmeric and pain management. I was so amazed with the results that I now take it daily and wrote an article about it also. I love the stuff!

turmeric is amazing! my dbf has recurring boils on his rear - and after much coaxing i got him to take turmeric. now he only wanted the kind in the capsules and was taking several - but finally i opened some of them and measured a teaspoon of powder and it was at least 5 capsules worth!!! also i made him take it in milk so it would be dissolved better.

he was in such pain when he started this - and he didn't believe it would work since he didn't see immediate improvement. but he started feeling very sick and dizzy and just horrible (cleansing reaction IMO) and then he fell asleep and the next day the boil was much less painful and had gone down in size. over the next couple of days he continued taking the turmeric at a smaller dosage and it went away.

I have had boils since I was 13 years of age, I am now 56 years old. I have tried everything imaginable even doctors, antibiotics of all kinds and lancing. My sister told me about this site and off I went reading. I just happen to be experiencing one of my episodes with boils. I bought the turmeric and smelled it and tasted it and no way that would go down and stay down. So I bought empty gel capsules and filled 4 to 5 of them with turmeric powder, from an Indian resturant/store. That is equivalent to 1 tsp. That did not seem to be doing much, until I read one of the newer accounts that indicated that turmeric was oil soluble. So I bought some Almond Oil and honey and tried the tea recipe, but no way I could drink so much tea. So I did a paste of 1 tsp turmeric and about 1/2 tsp almond oil. I also add a drop of honey just because I bought it. It looks like peanut butter. I make this paste and with a paring knife I stuff it into the gel capsules and drink them down with water. No taste in my mouth and it works. By the end of one day the pain of the boils was gone. I just had to write to let you all know. I will continue and see how long I can get away with not having any boils. Lord willing, it will never happen again. Thanks to all who have passed on their testimonials.

Tina, I am so sorry not to have answered you, but I have not checked back to this section of Earth Clinic for a while. In answer to anyone who might be reading about the clay/silver poultice: I wore the thick poultice from the time I came home, through the night, until I showered. During the day at work, I smeared the silver clay thinly over the area and covered it with gause. I would then wrap my hand with a clean, flesh toned, ace elastic bandage. I wore a long sleeve cotton shirt to cover most of the dressing. On the weekends, I wore the poultice day and night. As the boil improved, a large bandaid did the trick. Of note: The boil has never come back (well over a year now). There is absolutely no way to tell where it once was. Liz

Dear Liz, Did you just wear the poultice overnight or all day? I am currently using different topical stuff for my spots but my boss says I am no longer allowed to because it looks 'unprofessional and disgusting'. She says she'll lay me off if I don't! So I can't have any thing visible on during work-which cuts out a lot of home remedies.