Health education · SkinSkin health
Skin infections and abscesses: symptoms, care and treatment
A painful pimple with pus, a red bump that keeps growing, redness that spreads: skin infections take several forms. Recognizing them helps you choose the right care and know when to seek help.
Don’t squeeze or lance a boil or abscess yourself: this can spread the infection.5
Skin infections
What are we talking about?
| Problem | Main features |
|---|---|
| Boil (furuncle) | Abscess involving a hair follicle and the surrounding tissue.1,2 |
| Carbuncle | Cluster of boils connected under the skin, larger and deeper; it can cause fever.1,2 |
| Skin abscess | Warm, painful pocket of pus that can form anywhere on the skin.1 |
| Cellulitis | Infection that spreads through the skin and the tissue beneath it, without a pocket of pus. See the Cellulitis page. |
These infections can occur together: an abscess can be surrounded by cellulitis.3
Skin abscess
Skin abscess: how to recognize it?
A skin abscess is a pocket of pus that forms in the skin or the tissue beneath it, following a bacterial infection. It can appear anywhere on the body.1,7
No white head or drainage doesn’t rule out an abscess. A bump that grows or becomes more painful should be assessed: an exam can tell a pocket of pus apart from another lesion and check for infection around it, such as cellulitis.3,4
Drainage
Why might drainage be needed?
Once a pocket of pus has formed, it often needs to be drained to treat the infection: controlling the source through drainage is essential.4 Antibiotics alone don’t always replace drainage.
Depending on the size, location and depth of the abscess, the professional may make a small opening to let the pus out. A pus sample may be taken to identify the bacterium.4,7
Antibiotics are rarely needed after draining a small, uncomplicated abscess in a healthy person. They may be needed depending on the infection around it, the symptoms and the person’s health.3,4
Don’t try to lance or empty an abscess yourself: this can spread the infection.5
Care
After drainage: dressing, drainage and follow-up
Care depends on the procedure performed. Follow the instructions your professional gives you for cleaning, dressings and appointments.
Following treatment and follow-up
- if an antibiotic was prescribed, take all of it, even if you feel better, and don’t change it on your own;7
- warm compresses (a warm washcloth or a heating pad on low, with a cloth between the heat and your skin) may be recommended 3 to 4 times a day;7
- for pain, use an over-the-counter medicine only if your professional approves;7
- even after drainage, a follow-up visit may be needed to check healing.7
Monitoring
Which signs need a new assessment?
Having an abscess drained doesn’t rule out a complication: any worsening should be reassessed.
Contact a professional promptly if:7
- pain, swelling, warmth or redness increase;
- red streaks spread from the area;
- pus drains from the area;
- you have a fever;
- you aren’t improving as expected.
Boils
Boils: symptoms, causes and treatment
A boil is an infection of a hair follicle, the small structure a hair grows from. The infection spreads to the surrounding tissue and forms a pocket of pus.1,2
It can look like a large pimple, but it’s often deeper and more painful.
Why do boils appear?
Symptoms
How to recognize a boil?
Boils often appear on the neck, breasts, face or buttocks.1
Appearance alone can’t always tell a boil apart from another skin bump. A very painful or large lesion, or one with fever, should be assessed.
Possible signs:1
- a firm, red, swollen and tender bump;
- pain that increases as pus builds up;
- drainage of pus, sometimes mixed with blood, if the lesion opens.
How are boils linked to abscesses and cellulitis?
An abscess is a pocket of pus. A boil is an abscess that starts around a hair.1,2
Without treatment, an abscess can burst and the infection can spread to nearby tissue.1 Cellulitis can then develop around it: the skin becomes warm, red, swollen and painful over an area larger than the original bump. This spreading needs assessment.
Heat doesn’t replace a visit if the lesion grows or the pain increases.
If the boil opens on its own
Let the pus drain without squeezing. Gently clean the area and cover it with a clean bandage, changed if it gets wet or dirty.
Wash your hands after care and wash anything that touched the area.5 Don’t share towels, washcloths or razors.
Treatment
Are antibiotics needed?
Small boils often drain on their own or with warm compresses. For a large boil, a carbuncle or an abscess, the main treatment is incision and drainage by a professional.1,2
Antibiotics are prescribed mainly when there is fever or other signs of a more serious infection.1,2 After draining a small abscess, without much cellulitis around it, they are rarely needed.3,4
A pus sample can help identify the bacterium and choose treatment, especially if infections come back or don’t respond to treatment.4,5 An antibiotic cream doesn’t replace draining an abscess when it’s indicated.
Seeking care
When to seek care promptly?
An assessment helps decide whether drainage or antibiotics are needed.
Ask for an assessment if:
Recurrences
What if boils keep coming back?
Recurrent boils
Boils often recur.2 The professional then looks for what triggers them, such as staph carried in the nose.1,2
Measures to reduce bacteria on the skin and in the nose, such as an antiseptic soap or an ointment in the nose, may be offered in some cases.1,4
Always in the same place?
Repeated bumps in the armpits, groin, under the breasts, inner thighs or buttocks may be hidradenitis suppurativa, a chronic skin disease.6
It can cause painful bumps, abscesses, scars and tunnels under the skin. It’s not contagious or caused by poor hygiene, and it needs different care.6
When to consult at the Clinique IPS du Palais?
A nurse practitioner can examine a painful bump or skin infection, decide whether drainage or an antibiotic is needed, provide follow-up and refer you to another service when indicated.
Rapidly spreading redness, extreme pain or a worsening general condition: go to the emergency department.
Sources
- Passarelli PJ. Folliculite et abcès cutanés (French page). Merck Manual, consumer version. Revised May 2026, accessed October 30, 2026. merckmanuals.com
- Passarelli PJ. Furoncles et anthrax (French page). Merck Manual, professional version. Revised May 2026, accessed October 30, 2026. merckmanuals.com
- Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS). Cellulite infectieuse chez l’adulte (in French). Published July 24, 2026, revised October 13, 2026, accessed October 30, 2026. inesss.qc.ca
- Penner J, Fanella S, Canadian Paediatric Society. Management of bacterial skin and soft tissue infections in children. May 26, 2026, accessed October 30, 2026. cps.ca
- Mayo Clinic. Boils and carbuncles: Diagnosis and treatment. September 18, 2021, accessed October 30, 2026. mayoclinic.org
- Canadian Dermatology Association. Hidradénite suppurée (French patient document). Date not stated (posted April 2026), accessed October 30, 2026. dermatology.ca
- Ignite Healthwise, MyHealth.Alberta.ca. Skin Abscess: Care Instructions. Revised December 4, 2024, accessed October 30, 2026. myhealth.alberta.ca
This information does not replace an assessment or recommendations tailored to your situation. Published October 30, 2026.