Vaginal Boil: What is it? Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

One of the primary concerns that patients have regarding vaginal boils is whether they are sexually transmitted or not. Vaginal boils are not sexually transmitted. They are caused by bacterial infections, friction, or infected hair follicles. While they are not sexually transmitted, vaginal boils are contagious. It can spread from one person to another through the use of common items with the infected person, such as towels and razors. 

There is not much awareness regarding vaginal boils, their causes, and their impact on your health. So, let’s take a detailed look at what vaginal boils are, their symptoms, how it differs from STIs, and the treatment options you have available for vaginal boils.

What Are Vaginal Boils?

A vaginal boil is a pus-filled lump that develops under the skin in the female genital region. The boils are painful and most commonly caused by bacterial infections, namely Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The bacteria generally infect hair follicles in the region or oil glands. The infection leads to inflammation, redness, and tenderness along with pain. Most commonly, the boils appear on the labia, groin, or inner thighs of women.

The most common method of transmission for the infection is through microcuts in the genital region, which is how the bacteria enter the body. It can also enter through blocked hair follicles. Once the bacteria enter the body and the boils are formed, they grow larger over time. The only way these boils go away is when the pus eventually drains on its own, relieving the pressure. It is strictly recommended that you never try to burst the boils yourself.

What Causes Vaginal Boils?

Vaginal boils are most commonly caused when bacteria enter your skin through cuts or broken skin. It can also enter from areas that are irritated or blocked hair follicles. Once it is inside your body, vaginal boils start forming as an infection, inflammation, and painful pus-filled lumps in your genital region. Here are the most common causes of vaginal boils listed below.

Bacterial Infection: Most Common Cause

Bacterial infections in the genital region that cause vaginal boils are most commonly caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. This bacterium is commonly known as a Staph infection, and it can affect both your respiratory system and cause vaginal boils. The bacteria generally live on your skin, but it is a highly opportunistic pathogen, and it enters deep layers of your skin through:

• Small cuts or nicks caused by shaving
• Skin friction
• Minor injuries or irritated skin

Once the bacteria enter the skin, they infect hair follicles or oil glands, which in turn lead to the formation of a boil.

Blocked Hair Follicles & Sweat

Since the bacteria can live on the skin, sweat gives them a warm and moist environment to multiply. Along with sweat buildup, dead skin cells and dirt can also help the bacteria multiply. These factors increase the risk of infection and boil formation when the bacteria eventually enter the body through the skin and infect the hair follicles or oil glands.

Ingrown Hair After Shaving or Waxing

Hair removal in the genital region using methods like waxing or shaving can increase the risk of ingrown hairs. It is a condition where the hairs curl and grow inside your skin instead of outward. They can be very painful and also cause irritation, inflammation, and a higher risk of infections. Ingrown hairs, matched with sweat and dead skin cells in the genital region, give bacteria the best opportunity to enter your skin and infect the already ingrown hair follicles. This increases the risk of vaginal boils several times.

Poor Hygiene Practices

Poor hygiene practices, such as not washing the genital regions regularly and preventing sweat and dead skin buildup in the area, can lead to an increased risk of vaginal boils. This is because, without proper hygiene, or if you don’t dry the area properly, it can keep the skin folds moist. The moist region helps the bacteria multiply and, in turn, it can cause infections or increase your risk of vaginal boils.

Medical Risk Factors

Apart from lifestyle and hygiene factors, some medical conditions can also increase your risk of getting vaginal boils. This primarily includes a weakened immune system and some chronic skin conditions. 

• Weakened immune system: Conditions like diabetes or chronic illnesses impact your immune health. A weakened immune system makes it easier for bacteria to grow and multiply in your body. Since the immune system is compromised, your body’s ability to fight infections is also low, leading to worse symptoms and rapid infection spread.
• Chronic skin conditions: Hidradenitis Suppurativa; this is a skin condition that can cause recurring boils in the groin and genital region. Even though the condition is not widespread, people who have it will experience an increased incidence of vaginal boils.

Vaginal Boil Symptoms

Vaginal boils develop gradually. In the beginning, the condition does not become noticeable immediately. Over time, the condition grows and becomes more painful, uncomfortable, and noticeable. If you know how to identify the early signs of vaginal boils, you can prevent the condition from worsening. So, to help you categorise and identify, here are the symptoms of vaginal boils described in stages.

Early Stage Symptoms

In its early stages, a vaginal boil may resemble a pimple. It is important that you do not try to pop the pimple. Here are the symptoms of early-stage vaginal boils.

• Small red bumps in the genital region
• Irritated skin that’s tender to the touch
• Small inflammation in the affected area

Progressive Symptoms

The boil becomes larger, and it starts impacting your daily life as the condition progresses. The symptoms also start becoming more pronounced. Here are the progressive symptoms of vaginal boils.

• Increased size of the boil with more inflammation in the region
• Increased pain from the boil
• Increased redness around the boil
• Lifestyle symptoms like discomfort while walking, sitting, or exercising
• The affected area remains warm

Advanced Symptoms

When the condition worsens without medical care, these are the symptoms that become common.

• The boil may fill with pus
• The boil may develop soft, pointed centres
• The boil may burst and drain thick pus

Once the boils burst, it can lead to significant relief from the pain and pressure you were experiencing. However, you should not try to pop the boils yourself.

Symptoms of Serious Infections

If you have vaginal boils that are accompanied by the following symptoms, it can be indicative of a serious bodily infection that requires immediate medical attention. The following symptoms should be monitored if you have vaginal boils.

• Fever with chills
• Rapidly increasing boil size or number
• Severe pain in the boil region
• Redness that’s spreading rapidly across the boil region
• Multiple boils appearing

Vaginal Boil vs Pimple vs Cyst: Know The Difference

Not every inflammation in your vaginal or genital region is a vaginal boil. This is why it is important to adequately understand the difference between cysts, vaginal boils, and pimples. All of them may look similar, but they are caused by different reasons and, as such, require different treatment. Here’s a tabular look at the difference between pimples, cysts, and vaginal boils.

Summarising The Difference

• Vaginal Boils: They are painful, red, and inflamed lumps. They grow bigger over time and may burst to drain pus.
• Pimple: Surface-level bumps. They resolve quickly and by themselves.
• Cyst: A round, firm lump that grows under the skin. It is slow to grow and may not cause pain.

How To Treat a Vaginal Boil at Home

Vaginal boils can be treated at home if you can identify the symptoms at an early stage. In case you are experiencing advanced symptoms, it is important to get medical attention immediately. However, for early symptoms, here are the best treatment options you can try at home.

• Warm Compress: A warm compress helps your body’s white blood cells reach the area of the boil and fight it off. It also soothes the pain and inflammation, and over time, it supports the natural bursting and drainage of the boil. Here’s how to do it at home.
  • Use a clean, warm cloth
  • Apply the compress for 15 to 20 minutes for up to 4 times a day
  • This helps improve blood flow to the region
• Hygiene Practices: Moisture, sweat, and dead skin become a breeding ground for bacteria, and it can increase the recovery time for your vaginal boil. So, it is crucial that you wash the genital region regularly with mild soap and water. Pat the area dry to avoid irritating your skin further. And most importantly, change your undergarments regularly while also considering wearing loose-fitted garments.
• Don’t Squeeze The Boil: Even though pimples are treated by popping them, the same can’t be said about vaginal boils. Avoid the temptation to squeeze or pop the boils. It can push the infection deeper into your skin or may spread the infection to other nearby areas. In short, it increases the risk of multiple vaginal boils appearing. You should always let the boil drain naturally.
• Wear Loose, Breathable Clothing: Tight clothes can worsen your boils with constant irritation to the region. This is why, if you have vaginal boils, choose loose cotton underwear. You should also wear garments that reduce sweating in the region and moisture buildup.
• Pain Relief: If you are experiencing a lot of pain caused by the boil, you should use the warm compress as the first line of defence. If the pain still persists, consider getting medical help.

Medical Treatment for Vaginal Boils

If you are having a lot of pain in your boil and it doesn’t subside naturally, it is important that you get medical treatment for your condition. The easy way to decide when you should visit a doctor for your vaginal boil is when you get the advanced symptoms of the condition that were listed in this blog. When you do, in fact, go for medical treatment, here are the options doctors recommend.

• Antibiotics: Antibiotics are prescribed when there is a recurrent boil that is not improving, even with a warm compress. The medicines are also recommended when there are multiple boils at once, or the infection is spreading. If you have a chronic underlying health condition like diabetes or low immunity, it can push doctors to recommend a course of antibiotics for you since your immune system is already weak. The antibiotics in this case can be recommended both as oral medications or topical creams to be applied to the boil.
• Lancing: Lancing is a medical procedure where doctors make a small surgical cut to the boil to drain its pus. This is performed in a sterile environment, and it quickly treats the boil. However, after the procedure, you must follow proper wound care to prevent reinfection. In fact, if you have a compromised immune system, lancing may not be recommended for you.
• Recurrent Boil Treatment: If you have recurrent boils, doctors may recommend diagnostic testing to find out the underlying cause of recurrent or multiple boils. The reasons can often be:
  • Chronic skin conditions
  • Underlying health problems (compromised immune system)
  • Hygiene issues

Based on the underlying factors, the treatment is recommended to manage recurrent boils.

Get Expert Care for Vaginal Boils at The MASSH Super Specialty Hospital

Vaginal boils, especially recurrent ones, require expert medical care. At the MASSH Super Speciality Hospital, we specialise in holistic gynaecological care that helps you treat and prevent conditions like vaginal boils. We work with our patients to understand the lifestyle or dietary factors that may contribute to a higher risk of conditions like boils and recommend alternatives. The key is to help our patients with our curated P5 care approach of predictive, participatory, precise, preventive, and personalised medical care. So, if you’re suffering from vaginal boils or other gynaecological problems, feel free to set up a consultation with our experts at the MASSH Super Speciality Hospital in South Delhi.

Medically Reviewed By 

MASSH Super Speciality Hospital Laparoscopic Gynaecology Team

Our highly experienced laparoscopic gynaecologists have expertise in advanced treatment options for uterine fibroids and other conditions, including hysterectomies and oophorectomies. Treatments are often accompanied by lifestyle and metabolic guidelines for long-term sustainable gynaecological health.

FAQs

1. What is a vaginal boil?

A vaginal boil is a raised boil that’s generally filled with pus located in the female genital region. It can appear on the labia, inner thighs, or general genital region. The boil is often accompanied by redness and inflammation in the region. Vaginal boils are painful and should not be popped. They eventually burst, and the pus drains to provide relief.

2. What causes vaginal boils?

Vaginal boils are most commonly caused by bacteria, specifically, Staphylococcus aureus. This bacterium already lives on the skin and is highly opportunistic. Whenever there are microcuts or broken skin in the genital region caused by actions like shaving, the bacteria enter the body and start infecting the oil glands and hair follicles. Poor hygiene also increases the risk of vaginal boils several times.

3. Are vaginal boils contagious?

Yes, vaginal boils can be contagious through skin-to-skin contact. It is not necessarily sexually transmitted. However, people with vaginal boils should limit physical contact in the affected area with other people as much as possible. It can lead to the spread of the infection to others, especially since the bacteria can live on the skin. The Staphylococcus aureus bacteria can also cause respiratory infections.

4. How to treat vaginal boils at home?

A warm compress is the best way to treat vaginal boils at home. The key is to apply a warm compress that’s bearable and not hot up to 4 times a day to the affected area. This increases the blood flow to the region and promotes the activity of white blood cells, which can fight the infection. Additionally, the warmth can eventually increase the speed of the boils' healing, which would be bursting and the release of pus. Along with a warm compress, make sure you also maintain optimal hygiene in your genital region and keep it dry.

5. When to see a doctor for a vaginal boil?

If you are experiencing significant pain, there are multiple boils appearing on your body, you have a fever with chills, your boils are significantly growing in size without bursting, you should consider seeing a doctor. A doctor may recommend a course of antibiotics for you or lancing if you are not immunocompromised.

6. Can vaginal boils be prevented?

Yes, vaginal boils can be prevented by maintaining good hygiene in your genital region and not using harsh hair removal methods like waxing. You should also try to wear clothes that do not irritate your intimate areas and wear breathable underwear. Lastly, keeping your genital region clean and dry can help you prevent vaginal boils.

7. Why am I getting recurrent vaginal boils?

Recurrent vaginal boils can often be caused by chronic skin problems. It can also be caused by a weak immune system. In any case, if you are experiencing recurrent vaginal boils, you must get medical attention. A gynaecologist can help you identify the root cause and help you treat the condition with proper medical treatments.

Medical Disclaimer

This blog is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified gynaecologist in Delhi for proper evaluation and treatment recommendations.