What Is a Vaginal Boil?

A vaginal boil is a pus-filled bump that develops in the skin outside your vagina. This mainly involves the skin of your labia majora, which are the outer folds of the vulva. Even though the boil appears on the external genitalia and not in your vagina, the boil is still commonly referred to as a vaginal boil. However, a more accurate name for the condition based on the boil's actual location is a vulvar boil.

A vulvar boil develops due to a bacterial infection of a hair follicle and its surrounding tissue. Boils can be painful. Some vulvar boils can be treated at home, while others may need the attention of a healthcare provider.

Vulvar Boil Symptoms

Before the actual boil even develops, you might be itchy in the area where the bump will soon grow. In its early stages, a boil is tender, swollen and pinkish-red in color.

Once the boil is filed with pus, you will feel pain. The boil will also become more swollen. A boil is typically the size of a pea, but it can be as big as a walnut.

The bump might feel warm to the touch. The boil—and possibly the surrounding area—will be red, but you might also see some yellow or white in the middle of the bump from the pus underneath.

If you develop more than one boil in a cluster, this is called a carbuncle. If this happens, you may feel tired and weak and develop a fever.

What Causes Vulvar Boils?

A vulvar boil develops when bacteria infect a hair follicle. The infection kills the skin tissue, and the dead skin tissue and pus fill the space.

For most areas of the body, it is Staphylococcus aureus bacteria—a staph infection—that causes boils. But in the genital area, different bacteria, like Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococci, are usually the cause.

Infection of the hair follicle could stem from a variety of reasons. Sometimes products you place on the area could block the follicle's opening, leading to inflammation. Vulvar boils can also develop if you swim in a hot tub without proper chlorination.

A reason why boils can form in your vulvar area in particular is because the region allows for more moisture and friction. If you wax or shave, you may be more likely to get a boil in this area. The bacteria that cause the infection can enter the skin when it becomes damaged through the hair removal process, like through a cut.

People with weakened immune system, such as those with diabetes, cancer, or chronic infections, also have a higher chance of getting boils.

Boils tend to reoccur. They can also spread from person to person through direct or indirect contact.

How Long Does a Boil Last?

Once the bacteria enter and infect the hair follicle, a boil can develop in a few hours or days.

A boil might be able to heal on its own in one to two weeks. If a boil lasts longer than a week, visit a healthcare provider to see whether special treatment is needed.

Sometimes the pus doesn't break through the boil and is instead broken down inside by the body. If the pus does break through the skin or a healthcare provider needs to drain it, there may be a small scar.

How Do You Get Rid of a Boil?

Don't try to squeeze or pop open the boil because it could spread the bacteria to other parts of the skin. Instead, to speed up the healing process for boils at home, you can try the following:

• Apply a warm, moist compress: Hold the compress at the site for no more than 20 minutes at a time. The heat will help increase blood flow and promote drainage of the pus.
• Use an ointment: Some over-the-counter ointments work by pulling out the pus. The products are known as drawing salves.
  
• Take pain medications: Having a boil can be painful. You may want to try Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen) to help with the discomfort.
• Keep it clean, dry, and covered: Protect the area from further infection. Avoid touching the area so you don't spread the bacteria on the skin. Apply a gauze covering if the boil pops open.

Vulvar boils that are bigger, are painful, cause other symptoms like fever, or are recurrent may need attention from a healthcare provider.

Your healthcare provider may decide to help the healing process by making a small cut in the boil and allowing the pus to drain out, known as incision and drainage. Once all the pus is out, your healthcare provider will clean the wound and leave it open to heal.

Sometimes, an oral or topical antibiotic might be needed if you are at risk for complications or there are already complications present. Antibiotics taken by the mouth are usually only used when there is an infection in the nearby tissues, like cellulitis, or when you have developed multiple boils, like with carbuncles. Topical antibiotic therapy is helpful when there are a few numbers of boils. Sometimes topical antibiotics are given in addition to the incision and drainage.

How to Prevent Vulvar Boils

Sometimes you can't prevent boils. Maintaining proper hygiene is a main way to prevent vulvar boils. This includes:

• Not sharing personal items like razors, towels, or linens
• Using antibacterial or antiseptic cleansers
• Bathing and washing your hands with soap and water regularly
• Cleaning surfaces that many people touch, like counters and door knobs

Wearing loose clothing to prevent friction on your skin can also help.

If you already have a vulvar boil, you can prevent other boils by keeping the area dry, clean, and covered. You should also wash your hands after touching the area or an object that had contact with the area.

When to See A Healthcare Provider

Some vulvar boils will heal on their own, but not all do. Consider making an appointment with your healthcare provider if you experience any of the following:

• The boil returns
• You have frequent vulvar boils
• You have severe pain or discomfort
• The vulvar boil does not go away within one week
• You develop a fever with or without red streaking at the site
  

A Quick Review

Boils are pus-filled bumps that can be painful. A vulvar boil, commonly referred to as a vaginal boil, develops when bacteria enter a hair follicle around the vulvar area and cause an infection. Some boils may go away on their own within a week or so. Other boils may need to be evaluated or drained by a healthcare professional. The pain will go away once the pus has drained. Before the pus is drained, you can help manage the pain and prevent the spread of infection by keeping the area dry and clean. To decrease your chances of getting a vulvar boil and to prevent recurrence, you should practice good hygiene, including taking regular showers and washing your hands with soap and water.