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At Home Treatments for Hair Follicles

An often painful experience, an infected hair follicle usually starts out tender and proceeds to become more inflamed with time. If treated at home during the early stages, the furuncle or boil, as it is often called, should abate and disappear. At-home treatments for hair follicles generally are successful at treating the problem.

  1. Symptoms

    • A hair follicle infection usually starts as a small pink or red nodule that is tender to the touch. The area will progress to a firm, hard boil that is within the hair follicle. This can be painful. Over time, the boil should soften and fill with pus and eventually drain. Other symptoms that an infection are present include fever, fatigue and a general feeling of illness.

    Causes

    • A virus or bacteria, usually staphyloccoccus, generally causes furuncles to form. The bacteria found on the skin's surface makes its way down into the hair follicles, causing the irritation. Any hair follicle on the body can become infected. Sometimes a group of hair follicles become infected, and this is called a carbuncle. Furunculosis is the condition of experiencing chronic furuncles. Carbunculosis is the condition of chronic carbuncles. The best method of avoiding infections is to keep the skin as clean as possible.

    Treatments

    • Waiting for this natural process to take place can often lead to discomfort that is difficult for the infected person to tolerate. You often can shorten the cycle by applying home remedies to the site. Apply a warm, moist washcloth to the site at least four times a day. Alternately, the patient can soak the infected area in a warm bath. Keep the area as clean as possible. The warm water will bring the pus to a head on the surface of the skin and then it should spontaneously drain. Avoid picking or attempting to drain the furuncle yourself. Remember, many home remedies have not been scientifically tested and you should consult a health care provider when you suspect you have an infection.

    Warning

    • See a doctor for treatment if the furuncle is on your face or spine as the infection might travel to your sinuses or spinal cord. Seek medical treatment if home treatment doesn't cause the hair follicle infection to heal within one week, if you're experiencing a high fever or if the redness is spreading away from the infection. Some furuncles are too large to treat at home and require a professional to lance them to drain the fluid.

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