Can You Put Vicks on a Boil? Safety Tips and Better Home Remedies

Can You Put Vicks on a Boil?

Boils are painful, pus-filled lumps that form under the skin when bacteria infect and inflame one or more hair follicles. They often resemble swollen red bumps that come to a white or yellow head before bursting open and draining.

Common boil triggering bacteria strains like Staphylococcus thrive in hot, humid environments. Thus, boils frequently crop up on the neck, face, armpits, buttocks, and groin. While harmless overall, boils prove quite uncomfortable until healed.

Vicks VapoRub offers a staple home remedy for congestion and coughs. Some people also wonder if its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties can help speed up boil recovery. Here is everything you need to know about using Vicks on boils.

Whats in Vicks VapoRub?

The key ingredients in Vicks VapoRub include:

• Camphor - cough suppressant
• Eucalyptus oil - clears sinuses
• Menthol - cooling/soothing
• Turpentine oil - antimicrobial
• Cedarleaf oil - astringent
• Petroleum jelly - healing/protection
• Thymol - antiseptic

The combination temporarily relieves congestion and minor aches and pains when applied topically. But can these properties also help speed up boil healing?

Is Vicks Safe for Boils?

Using Vicks on intact skin likely causes little issues beyond potential irritation or allergic reactions in sensitive people. However, the thick, greasy balm may trap bacteria on open wounds like burst boils leading to additional infections.

Thus, most doctors advise against putting Vicks directly into boils. The company itself also warns against contacting damaged skin with their products.

Risks of Putting Vicks in Boils

Attempting boil home remedies without medical oversight carries inherent dangers. But introducing substances like Vicks into open sores ups complications, such as:

• Skin damage - Ingredients may burn and destroy healing tissue.
• Scarring - Deep wounds heal slower and often scar more significantly.
• Contamination - Trapped germs can worsen current infections.
• Spreading - Bacteria transfers to other hair follicles via contact.
• Masking - Vicks fumes conceal a worsening problem requiring antibiotics.

Rather than risking these outcomes, boil sufferers should take a conservative, doctor-guided approach focusing on cleanliness and standard home care for the best results.

Using Vicks around Closed Boils

Applying Vicks around the periphery of a closed, intact boil remains relatively safe. The menthol and camphor create a cooling, tingly sensation helping temporarily numb discomfort.

Take care to only apply the ointment externally though. Never rub into openings or broken skin due to contamination risks. Additionally, rinse thoroughly before reapplying to avoid trapped residue issues.

Proven Home Remedies for Boils

Research validates many at-home boil treatments as effective when used appropriately under medical guidance. Instead of improvising with household items like Vicks, stick to holistic remedies clinically shown to speed up healing.

Warm Compresses

Soaking a washcloth in hot water, wringing out excess, and holding to the boil for 10-20 minutes at a time promotes drainage and relief. The moisture also softens related skin inflammation and redness.

Repeat warm compresses two to six times daily until the boil opens on its one. Then continue use for five to 10 minutes during dressing changes to further reduce swelling.

Tea Tree Oil

Derived from the Melaleuca alternifolia plant native to Australia, tea tree oilcontains antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory compounds. Applying oils or creams containing diluted tea tree oil helps:

• Dry out boils
• Prevent bacterial spread
• Accelerate healing
• Reduce skin reactions

Use a cotton swab to dab tea tree oil onto intact skin surrounding boils approximately three times daily after cleansing. Mix with a carrier oil like coconut or jojoba oil to prevent irritation issues.

Turmeric Powder

The curcumin in turmeric demonstrates both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory abilities in numerous studies. Create a paste using one teaspoon powdered turmeric mixed with just enough water or aloe vera gel to form a thick liquid.

Gently apply the paste to boil exteriors using a cotton swab or clean fingers, allowing to fully dry before rinsing away with lukewarm water. Reapply this routine up to three times daily.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Wiping a cotton ball soaked in apple cider vinegar over the surface of boil prone areas creates an acidic environment inhospitable to bacteria growth. The acetic acid in vinegar also minimizes pitted scarring.

Repeat application up to three times per day between regular washes. However, limit use before consulting your dermatologist if you have sensitive or broken skin vulnerable to irritation.

Lifestyle Changes to Help Clear Boils

While home remedies treat current boils, certain lifestyle measures help prevent recurrent outbreaks in the future. Making skin care, hygiene, and diet upgrades reduces risks of continued problems.

Improve Hygiene Habits

Boil-causing bacteria live on everyones skin but require an opening like a cut or clogged pore to infiltrate deeper tissue. Thus, excellent hygiene keeps infectious agents from gaining entry by:

• Bathing regularly with antimicrobial soaps
• Exfoliating dead skin cell accumulation prone to clogging
• Shaving irritation-free using electric razors
• Avoiding tight clothes restricting airflow
• Quickly treating any skin injuries like scrapes

Washing hands frequently, wiping sweat away promptly, and keeping shared surfaces clean also minimize bacterial transfer opportunities.

Care for Underlying Conditions

Controlling related health conditions supports immune defenses critical for fighting infections. For those prone to boils, closely monitoring factors like:

• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Poor nutrition
• Smoking
• Excess alcohol
• Stress

...helps prevent recurrent problems. Managing diseases, maintaining healthy body composition, eating nutrient-dense whole foods, quitting smoking, and giving the body adequate sleep and self-care all bolster resilience.

Carefully Treat Active Boils

Once a boil emerges, proper care limits complications while supporting the healing process. Ideal at-home handling involves:

• Applying warm compresses to encourage drainage
• Leaving intact boils alone aside from medicated ointments
• Seeing a doctor for possible lancing if extremely painful
• Keeping burst boils covered until closed
• Using prescribed antibiotic creams as directed
• Watching for signs of worsening infection

While tempting to pick or squeeze, actively avoiding skin trauma reduces scarring and additional outbreaks.

When to Seek Emergency Care

Most isolated boils resolve within two or so weeks using conservative at-home care methods. However, receiving timely medical intervention becomes essential if you experience:

• Rapidly spreading redness, swelling, or tenderness
• Difficulty swallowing or breathing
• High fever, confusion, dizziness, or fainting
• Pus/blood draining from multiple sites
• No improvements after 48 hours

Life-threatening skin infections like MRSA can resemble boils initially but require immediate diagnosis and treatment.

Skipping qualified medical care allows treatable problems to progress into sepsis, gangrene, blood poisoning, and other dangerous systemic issues.

The Bottom Line

Boils sometimes clear up independently within a few weeks using conservative care tactics like warm compresses and turmeric pastes. However, attempting to drain or treat them using home remedies like Vicks proves controversial.

While Vicks may seem logically helpful given its antimicrobial ingredients, introducing foreign substances into open wounds risks contamination and infection spread. Thus, allow boils to open and heal naturally unless infection danger warrants medical lancing.

Implement preventative skin care, hygiene upgrades, daily cleansing routines, and doctor-approved treatments instead to resolve boils quickly and safely.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.