Boils on the scalp are very common because, while you can get boils anywhere on your body, they often occur on parts of the body where hair follicles can become infected, like the scalp, armpits, and groin area. They can be quite painful and may also itch or sting. Scalp boils can be particularly problematic because they can make it difficult to wash, brush, comb, or style your hair. It’s also difficult to see your own scalp, so you may have tenderness or pain but have difficulty even seeing what’s causing the problem.
What Causes Boils on Scalp?
All boils are caused by bacteria, usually a form of staph. People often carry staph on their skin and don’t even realize it. If you get a small cut or scratch, though, bacteria can enter the body and an infection can develop.
Boils usually begin as a small lump just under the skin, which often resembles a pimple. The infection then forms an abscess, or pocket of pus, which can grow to the size of a golf ball or even bigger. As you can imagine, this usually causes quite a bit of pain.
As mentioned earlier, boils are common on the scalp because infected hair follicles or ingrown hairs often lead to boils. You can get boils on your scalp even if you’re bald, though. Boils do not always occur as a result of infected hair follicles or ingrown hairs.
If you have diabetes, an immune system disorder, or any nutritional deficiencies, you’ll be more susceptible to boils. Even if you’re in good health, though, you can find yourself with a scalp boil. Often it’s hard to determine why a boil developed. If you have recurrent boils on your scalp or elsewhere, you should see your doctor try to figure out what’s causing them.
How do You Treat Scalp Boils?
Most boils, including boils on the scalp, will resolve without any treatment, usually within a week or two. To help relieve pain and speed up the healing process, apply warm compresses several times a day. This increases the blood circulation to the boil, which means more white blood cells reach the area to fight the infection.
Sometimes boils don’t resolve on their own, though, or sometimes they cause severe pain and warrant a visit to a doctor. Your doctor may decide to incise and drain the boil, piercing it with either a sterile needle or a scalpel. He or she may inject a local anesthetic to numb the area first so that the procedure isn’t painful. This procedure should relieve discomfort and also speed the healing process.
Don’t try to incise a boil yourself because if done incorrectly it will just make the infection worse. It will probably cause more pain and swelling, as well.
If your boil is particularly large or painful, if it must be incised and drained, if you have a fever, or if you have multiple boils, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to help treat the infection. If antibiotics are prescribed for you, it’s important to take them all, even if your boil seems better before you’ve finished all of them.
Some people prefer to use natural remedies to treat boils when possible. There are homeopathic remedies that can help. Homeopathic remedies are available without a prescription. If you do see your doctor, be sure to let him or her know if you want to use homeopathic remedies along with whatever other treatment is prescribed. Just make sure your doctor knows about any medications, including herbal supplements and homeopathic remedies, you are taking.
Our Preferred Treatment For Boils
Our preferred treatment for boils, including boils on the scalp, is an essential oil called NZ Country Manuka Oil. It’s an all-natural remedy that promotes healing of boils and relieves symptoms like pain, itching, and inflammation. NZ Country Manuka Oil is easy to use – you can just add it to your shampoo. For more information about NZ Country Manuka Oil, just follow the link provided.