Top Remedies for Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Tips from a girl who has had HS for 8+ years

I started having symptoms of HS when I was around the age of 14 but I didn't realize what I had until I was around 20 years old. Once I discovered my extremely painful boils weren't a result of a lack of hygiene, I started the long road of looking for a cure or a way to manage them. A doctor gave me spironolactone and although it worked great, I didn't want to be on a medication like that long term so I started looking for natural remedies...which is when I found this site! It helped me so much I thought I would share some tips of my own. First, I only have HS in my groin (panty-line) and bottom area, so not in my armpits (thank God! ). Things I do that have helped A LOT:

--Washing the affected area once a day with hibiclens (OTC anti-bacterial soap). It was recommended by a doctor and I have found that when I skip a day, I regret it!

--Washing the affected area after working out or getting the area sweaty is a MUST! And I mean right after. I tend to sweat a lot around my panty-line and when I don't follow this regimen, again, I regret it! I usually schedule my daily skin-shower around when I work out so that helps.

--I didn't use tampons until I read posts on this page of women recommending it. I couldn't agree more that if you have HS you should exclusively use tampons. They are a life saver. I used to get the worst flares during my cycle and now barely at all! Moisture and a lack of airflow are huge no-no's with HS, so you can see why pads are terrible for you.

--Wear underwear/briefs that are a size too big. I know that sounds weird, but ANY pressure on the skin in my groin area (the hem line of underwear) would cause the worst inflammation which would lead to the boils. This was honestly one of the easiest ways to manage my problem. I also stopped wearing shorts/pants to bed to give the area more airflow (so less sweat).

--Like the above tip, do not wear tight swim bottoms! I now wear a tankini (I used to wear a one-piece) so that I can wear looser swim-shorts. Beforehand, I would literally have same-day inflammation from wearing a swimsuit that hugged that panty/hemline!

--Another reason I wear swim shorts is so that I don't have to shave my legs so high! I would get a lot worst inner thigh flare ups from shaving, so I stopped doing so as frequently. I have considered laser hair removal but have yet to try it.

--The right kind of shorts (and pants! ) is really important and is probably the hardest to find. I don't wear jean shorts at all anymore (I miss them so much) because they were pinching and causing problems. This is a tip that you will have to figure out by trial and error, but just know that clothing makes a HUGE difference. Speaking of clothing, if you're at home on a cold day, loose shorts and a blanket are better than pants--remember, lack of pressure and airflow are everything.

--Unfortunately, I haven't found many ways to manage the bumps I get on my bum! I've found certain chairs/sitting positions cause bad flare ups, but I haven't found anything else to help so far.

--I have tried turmeric, and although I think it helps a little (I was eating it every day for a couple of months), it didn't help me enough to make me want to eat it every day (so gross when eating a teaspoon by itself). I've also tried tea tree oil and manuka honey which I didn't see much results with. BUT, I wasn't all that diligent in their application so that might have been my problem.

--Although I would not recommend spironolactone long term, I would recommend someone who has super-damaged skin from untreated HS to use it for a couple of months. After 6 years of damage (I literally have scars and had areas of my skin that were so damaged they were almost constantly in a state of being an open wound), the break spironolactone gave me was great. It allowed my skin to heal up and just calm down and I think the natural methods I'm using now work a lot better because I started from better skin.

I've been doing the above for around 2-3 years now and I can say that although I still suffer from HS, it is nowhere near as bad as when I didn't know what HS even was. Although there are some areas of my skin that are still pretty sensitive (only one area of super damaged skin near my panty line), there are other areas that used to flare up every couple of months that haven't bothered me in over two years! Hopefully, this helps you on your journey. And please don't get overwhelmed by the changes either! Just take one change/step at a time and hang in there!

I have this issue in my groin, around my vaginal area. Here are a few remedies that worked for me:

Try to get rid of as much hair as possible in the area of your frequent breakouts. I use a hair removal lotion around my bikini area (don't get any of this on the bumps! ) that seems to work well and not cause further irritation. Shaving is the worse-I usually got a bump afterwards. I've never waxed my bikini area so can't comment on that. I've heard laser hair removal may work.

The TURMERIC really works. I simply mix a few dashes of it in a small cup of hot/warm water and drink it straight with a straw. The turmeric really stains so you may want to do this right before eating or gargle before brushing your teeth. It will stain your toothbrush. I try to do this at least once a day when I have a bad breakout but it you can do it more often I'm sure that is better. I actually like the taste of the turmeric so I'm thinking I must have a mineral deficiency or something.

I had a large boil right along my belt line that really hurt! I bought those large square band-aids and soaked the gauze part in straight TEA TREE OIL. It was large enough to completely cover the boil and was discreet enough for me to wear all day. In a few days it became flat and eventually went away. It did leave a dark spot that does eventually fade, after several weeks...

VICKS VAPOR RUB-even the generic kind-did give me some relief. It is soothing and did relieve some of the itching that happens as the boils go away and heal. It was best for me to use this at night.

Ladies-use TAMPONS instead of pads if at all possible. I usually get these breakouts around the time of my cycle. Using the pads causes more moisture in my vaginal/anal area and I start to sweat, which causes the bumps! Change your pads often. There is one particular brand-that starts with an "A"-that is the absolute worse and I always feel the moisture a few minutes after using them. Choose wisely!

Using ZINC SUPPLEMENTS seemed to work also. I read that taking 90 ml a day is the trick, but the brand I had is only 50 ml, so I had to take it twice a day. You MUST take this with plenty of water or with a meal, otherwise you will get nauseous or you may throw up.

This last breakout I had was the worse-I had about 4 small boils in my vaginal/anal area at the same time. As they heal, the itching is intense! Scratching seems to make itchiness spread. To combat this, I used ANTI-ITCH VAGINAL WIPES, (in my vaginal area) ANTI ITCH CREAM and ANTIBIOTIC OINTMENT outside of my vaginal area.

I don't currently have any boils now, but on a daily basis I use TEA TREE OIL mixed with COCONUT OIL around the area where I've had past breakouts.

Mind you-my boils never burst, they just went away. Draw your own conclusions with that...

This is a really embarrassing ailment. I truly hope that some of these things I've tried helps someone.

I have hidradenitis suppurtiva in my armpits for almost 3 years now. I was misdiagnosed initially and only recently I came to know my exact illness.

As per my experience, antibiotics are not much effective unless its when a flare up occurs and you want to reduce the inflammation. Also, if you do surgery you have to do it each time a flare up comes.

But, I have been dealing with it and now I have very less flare ups using the following:
- After bath, Use Povidone Iodine solution, the traditional brown colour liquid on your affected area to kill all the germs.
Let it dry so that it doesnt stain your clothes
- Use clindamycin gel on your affected area any time of the day or before sleep.

Do not miss any day.
Do not shave or wax.Try an alternative.
Try not to sweat too much.
Drink water.

I guarantee that you wont have a flare up :)
Good luck guys and stay strong!

p.s In case you get a flare up ever, use neosporin (bacitracin) powder on it for school/work since its a powder and the pus won't scar your clothes.

The idea is not original. I got it from the Internet and I forgot exactly where.

My son got his attack of Hidradenitis Supperativa on Friday. He took tumeric and zinc capsules/ pills, on Friday evening and on Saturday, morning & evening and Sunday, twice a day to the present. Saturday evening we used Ichthammol ointment on it (first with just tissue over it and the second time on Sunday, a bandage was used).On Sunday also a LED UV auto-leak-detection little 2 AAA battery flash light was place right on top of the boil for 5 minutes . This was done also for three minutes after the boil popped the next day (about 24 hours after the first flash light application.) We are continuing with the pills and are now using neosporin instead of Ichthammol ointment

I would like to get in touch with Hs/ai New Hampshire, 02/15/2014 to inform him of this.

I am 75 years old, no advertisement nor religious propaganda has been made and I just wish to thank everybody for their help.

I have had HS since I was about 19 years old I am now 51years old. I diden't have a diagnosis till about 10 years ago. I've seen numerous doctors. I have tried topical antibiotic creams, lotions and gels, retinol prescriptions very expensive and not covered by my insurance. However the retinol did help. I have used tea tree oil for many years and add hibilclens to lever2000. I can't use dial.

I started using turmeric and magnesium yesterday for pain issues. I also take EFA's and have since my 20's. I am currently on an oral antibiotic which was given to me after 2 outbreaks where I turned septic. I had a cyst the size of a grapefruit on my buttocks. It started out the size of a grain of rice at 10pm. By 1pm in the morning I had a fever of 106 and the cyst was the size of a lime. By the time I was able to get into the doctor at about noon I was septic. This happened again a few years later. I also used ACV and zinc, not as helpful for me as other people here at this site. I don't want to add too many thing at once. So for now I see how what I added works. I would like to get off the antibiotics.

I'm now 23 and I have suffered from HS since I was about six years old. I would get a flair up a couple times a year and it stayed that way, until I was around 17. I'm not sure what changed exactly, but I began having mulitple flair ups in my groin/buttock/armpit and now lower stomache areas. Its a terrible disease.

I finally got the guts to ask my gyno about it when I was like 18 and she told me it was a form of staph infections from poor hygiene, boy I felt like for a long time after that thinking it was something I did to myself. Luckily I know better now.

after doing some reaserch online, I refuse to use antibiotics because I dont want my body to build up a tolerence or be stuck on a medication for the rest of my life but some things I have found that have helped me are as followed.

When I get a flair up that wont pop, as long as its in an area I can bandage I use full strenth tea tree oil (I know its very drying on the skin, but it opens the sores right up to drain sometimes over night)

Recently, I cut out all majorly proccessed foods, and have gone gluten free and I noticed a HUGE change, they almost completely went away within a month, with an exception of one that I've been fighting with for about six months.

and then lastly I started taking Tumeric capsules like crazy. The 500mg ones, I would take 3x in the morning and 3x at night.

with the combination of all of that it cleared up my HS almost completely. Sadly, I went on vacation and didnt eat right, didnt take my vitamins, and I got insane flair ups, something like ten of them at once.

Over the last year I also lost 40 pounds and that might have something to do with it too. Anyway, I hope something here may help someone out there, I know it's all things that have been said before, but they have helped me when I stick to them!

I have had HS for over 15 years and have always had them lanced with no permanent solution; they always come back. I recently went to a doctor for an official diagnosis and was told it is HS. Now I am in search of a homeopathic solutions nothing else has cured it.

Here is what I have tried that has helped:

1. Hybaclens - antibacterial soap

2. Topical antibiotics both over the counter and prescription

3. Hot compresses

Now I recently found this to be very helpful reducing the swelling and removing the puss within 2 hours of use.

1/2 teaspoon Tannic Acid (powder) in 1/4 cup warm water plus 20 drops of DMSO (liquid). Applied to infected area repeatedly for 1 week. It does not burn but stings a little.

If you have any other homeopathic remedies please post here. Thank you!!!!

Does anyone know if HS is a form of candida?

I've had HS since high school and I'm in my 30s now. It's pretty much all over my body, face, neck upper and lower back, thighs, armpits and back of arms. It gets worse when I'm stressed or I eat sugar or drink alcohol. I have been diagnosed with Candida. I know that sugar and alcohol both make Candida grow. While I was on the Candida diet my abscesses got better but as soon as I got off the diet they got worse.

Somethings that work for me but are by no means a cure are as follows:

• exfoliating regularly
• apply ACV topically - ingesting is good too
• probiotics
• soaking in a hot bathtub when the cyst is infected/painful will help open it
• apply a paste of garlic topically as well as ingesting raw garlic
• Surgical removal
• Antibiotics don't work and if this is a form of Candida the antibiotics will just make the candida worse since they eat the good bacteria with the bad.

I've been dealing with HS for 12 years now. I usually tell my boyfriends that I have an issue with my sweat glands... That they get infected and don't function properly. That is usually sufficient and they always understand : )

For me, all of these things help:turmeric, topical antibiotics (evoclin), and using antibacterial soap. In addition, I'm mindful of the fabrics I wear (cotton almost always), the personal hygiene products I use (natural deodorants), and usually go "commando. " Lol. However, nothing has "cured" my HS yet.

I've quit smoking cigarettes and am working on losing weight. I am specifically focusing on having a clean and healthy body from the inside out. Eventually, I will do a comprehensive detox like a raw food cleanse for a few weeks this summer. It makes sense that this will be the best option because it has worked for others and these types of regimens have healed cancer and other vile diseases.

I'll keep you all posted <3
Samantha

I read every post on this link and tried what seemed to be most common for my mild case of HS (compared to some of you--how in the world do you do it?). I am taking a tumeric supplement becuase I couldn't find tea, using the yellow bar soap, switched to the spray on crystal deodorant and use acne spot treatment for breakouts as soon as they start. I had a spot that was about the size of a half dollar, swollen out about an inch and within 1 day of trying the combo listed above, it had reduced by half. I had no faith that this stuff would work, but I've noticed that what is appearing are minor spots that I can get rid of in a couple of days. I don't know what is the driving force behind them but I will continue to use/take all of the remedies above if they continue working for me. I just thought I'd share and tell you all thanks for the info--it has really helped me. All of you who are suffering so terribly, I'm so sorry that you can't find relief. One last thing, I was only diagnosed in December after my first break out and immediately, I was referred for surgery. I didn't find this site until after I had both underarms excised. I wish I had found it befor--the areas covered by the surgery do not breakout anymore, but all the areas around the surgical area are now breaking out. Anyway, the remedies above are helping me. I hope they help others too...