Hard, red boils can be painful and uncomfortable on your skin, however they are easy to treat at home without spending a fortune.
Boils can form on your neck, face, back and other parts of your body and are a skin infection formed either in a hair follicle or oil gland. You might see a red area and then a tender lump appears.
Most boils are caused by a germ called staphylococcal bacteria which enters the body through tiny scratches or cuts in the skin or can travel down the hair to the follicle, and are more common in people with diabetes, poor diet and immunity issues.
Here are 7 natural ways to get rid of boils painlessly.
1. Turmeric
Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties and is a blood purifier, perfect for treating boils. Add a teaspoon of turmeric to a glass of water and mix in well. Drink three times a day.
You can also make a turmeric paste by mixing together minced ginger and turmeric and applying directly to the boil.
2. Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil’s antiseptic areas will help to calm down the inflammation of the area, whilst also drying it out. You can apply directly to the boil.
3. Cornflour
Cornflour is a natural absorbent and very effective for healing boils. Boil half cup of water and mix with some cornflour to make a thick paste. Apply this to the boil and cover it with a clean cloth. Until the pus drains out, repeat this multiple times a day.
4. Epsom salt
Epsom salt is another very effective remedy for boils as it has natural astringent properties. Simply fill your bath tub as you normally would and add Epsom salt to it.
5. Onion
Onions has 25 active compounds within it including strong anti-inflammatory properties. It might sound strange but onions are fantastic at drawing out inflammation and bacteria.
All you need to do is place cut slices of onion on your boils and use a bandage to hold them in place.
6. Garlic
Garlic, like onion, has excellent anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral properties. To use it to treat your boils, apply minced garlic and wrap with a bandage. Leave there for 15 minutes and rinse. It’s also a good idea to add garlic to your diet for extra absorption of its nutrients.
7. Potatoes
Rich in vitamin C, B-complex vitamins and iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium and phosphorus, potatoes are fabulous at treating skin conditions.
Simply cut thin slices of potato and place them on your boils and keep replacing these slices with fresh ones. Otherwise, you can grate raw potato and squeeze out its juice, then apply this to the boil.
Preventing boils