How to Drain an Abscess or Boil

Applying warm compresses to a skin abscess like a boil can help drain the pus it contains and ease related pain. Though you may be tempted to poke at the lump to get the abscess to burst, this may make your situation worse.

Attempting to cut a boil open—known as lancing—can force the infection-causing bacteria deeper into the skin. This may be considered if warm compresses fail, but should only be done by a healthcare provider who can take steps to minimize risks.

If the boil is large, on a vulnerable area like your face, or you have a condition that affects your immune system, skip DIY treatment altogether and seek a professional opinion.

This article explains how you can attempt to get an abscess to burst at home. It also reviews the tools and steps a healthcare professional may use to get a boil to pop.

What Is Used to Pop a Boil?

Boils may be drained during an in-office procedure, but some may require surgery. In general, an abscess is drained using sterile, or germ-free, tools, which may include:

• Disposable gloves
• Needles
• Scalpel, which is an instrument with a very sharp blade
• Irrigating syringe, which is used to clean wounds
• Sterile saline
• Dressing, which includes clean and soft materials that keep the wound protected

How Does a Doctor Drain a Boil?

During an in-office procedure, every effort is made to ensure a germ-free environment. The procedure takes around five to 10 minutes in total. The procedure may differ depending on your type of abscess, but in general:

1. The healthcare provider wears protective clothing and disposable gloves. An absorbent pad is placed under the area to be drained.
2. The healthcare provider finds the head of the boil. Ethyl chloride, a numbing medication, may be applied at this stage to reduce pain.
3. The healthcare provider makes a quick nick in the skin to release the pus. A sample of pus may be collected and sent to the lab if you have a severe infection, have a history of recurrent boils, or have a weakened immune system.
4. Depending on the size of the boil, the healthcare provider may need to make another cut to ensure that all the pus is completely drained.
5. The wound is flushed out with sterile saline, and bandaged.
   

How Can I Drain an Abscess at Home?

You may feel tempted to lance, or cut, a boil at home, especially if it is small and isn't super painful. You should avoid doing this. Instead, encourage the boil to pop on its own by doing the following:

• Place a warm, wet cloth on the boil for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, four to five times per day.
• Cover it with a heating pad to provide additional warmth.
• In about a week, the boil may open on its own. When it does, wash the affected area with soap and water.
• Dress the boil with a clean bandage.
• Continue using heat and re-dressing the boil every day for three days once it has opened.

Summary

A boil, or abscess, is a red bump that is filled with pus. Caused by bacteria, boils can be painful and may range in size from small to large.

To drain an abscess, a doctor will lance, or cut, the skin to remove the pus. Then the doctor will flush out the wound and bandage it.

If you plan on caring for your own boil at home, try not to pop it. This can force bacteria even deeper. Instead, apply a warm, wet washcloth for 20 to 30 minutes up to five times a day. Continue applying heat until the boil opens on its own. Once open, clean it and apply a new bandage every day.

Reach out to your doctor right away if your boil doesn't drain on its own, if you have a fever, or are experiencing uncomfortable or worsening symptoms.