Boils have been a plague on us since Biblical times when they were considered a punishment from God for wrong doings. It is not surprising then that they have emerged as a condition that is not only socially unacceptable, but also an unsightly embarrassment for anyone who has the misfortune to suffer with them.
A boil, though very painful, is a relatively harmless condition that will last about ten days and then disappear. Because they are relatively harmless home remedies for boils are often ideal ways to treat them. Boils then are basically an infection in a hair follicle or an oil gland that has been traumatized or become blocked in some way. A boil will develop and grow, turning yellow/white on the head of the boil and red and inflamed around the surrounding and nearby area of the boil itself.
Home remedies for boils often work at drawing the pus from beneath the skin and then the healing of the open sore that is left behind. Though lancing a boil is not recommended, since this will often lead to scaring once the boil heals, methods to draw out the pus from the boil are widely used home remedies for boils.
Cornmeal is a food that can be used as a poultice to draw out the pus in the boil. This is because cornmeal has properties that readily absorb moisture. Mixed up into a paste with warm water and then applied to the boil, wrapped in a clean cloth, is an ideal way to begin bringing the boil to a head.
Believe it or not, keeping the boil wet and warm is another home remedies for boils that has been proven to work well. The cloth needs to be kept wet as opposed to damp and the warmth must be maintained. It might take some organizing to keep the compress at the desired warmth and wetness, but if repeated four or five times during the day for about ten minutes each time, this is a great one to add to the list of home remedies.
In the same way as the cornmeal and wet and warm compress works, there are other food stuffs that will work just as well. Onions and garlic, for instance, have long been famous for their medicinal properties. A chunk of onion applied directly to the boil, or alternatively three or four cloves of garlic, are great ways to draw the boil to a head.
Above all, when the above methods are adopted and the boil begins to drain away, make sure that you do not allow the pus to contaminate the surrounding skin, as this will cause further problems that will need attention.