How long does it take a boil to heal in children?

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asked Jan 29, 2022 in Kids Health by levisara (2,210 points)
How long does it take a boil to heal in children?

1 Answer

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answered Feb 3, 2022 by layla (60,790 points)
A boil in children will usually heal on it's own within 1 week to 2 weeks.

For open boils, the drainage needs to be fully covered with a dry bandage.

If not, stay home until it heals up (most often 1 week).

You can apply a warm compress to the boil to help it heal faster.

Some ways to get rid of a boil at home are.

Soaking a clean washcloth or towel in hot water.
Wringing most of the water out of cloth and squeezing it into a compress.
Applying the warm compress to the boil for 10 to 15 minutes.
Repeating this process 3 to 4 times daily, or until the boil has opened.

Most boils are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacterium commonly found on the skin and inside the nose.

A bump forms as pus collects under the skin.

Boils sometimes develop at sites where the skin has been broken by a small injury or an insect bite, which gives the bacteria easy entry

You can pop a boil at home but it's not recommended to pop boils at home.

The reason it's not recommended to pop boils at home is because of the risk of causing an infection or spreading an infection.

If you do pop a boil at home make sure to disinfect the area where the boil was popped with some hydrogen peroxide to kill bacteria that could cause an infection.

I have popped boils at home and made sure to clean the area with soap and water and put hydrogen peroxide on the area where I popped the boil.

I never got an infection from doing so but if you don't wash the area and disinfect the area where you popped the boil then it could lead to infection.

Boils usually do go away on their own within a few weeks to a month or two at most so you can always wait it out but if you do pop the boil at home make sure to clean it.

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