Overview
A vaginal boil is a painful, pus-filled bump that forms when a hair follicle on your labia, vulva, or pubic area becomes infected, usually with Staphylococcus aureus. Some boils heal on their own with warm compresses. Others need a prescription cream or oral antibiotic to clear, and a few need to be drained by a doctor. This guide covers what causes vaginal boils, the treatment options that actually work, and the warning signs that mean you should see a doctor.
What is a vaginal boil?
A vaginal boil is a painful, pus-filled bump that forms when bacteria infect a hair follicle near the vagina, vulva, or pubic area. The bacteria usually enter through a small cut caused by shaving, an ingrown hair, tight clothing, or skin irritation.
At first, the boil may look like a small red bump or pimple. As your body fights the infection, pus builds up under the skin, making the bump larger, swollen, and painful.
When the infection remains near the skin’s surface, it is called folliculitis. If it spreads deeper under the skin, it becomes a boil. Some boils stay small, while others can grow much larger. When several boils connect under the skin, it is called a carbuncle.
Most vaginal boils resolve within a few weeks and clear without complications. Larger boils or those that keep coming back may need medical treatment to prevent the infection from spreading to surrounding skin or, rarely, to the bloodstream.
Why do women get boils in the genital area?
Boils close to the vagina are caused by bacteria entering the skin and infecting a hair follicle. The skin around the vulva and pubic area has more hair follicles and more sweat glands than most other parts of your body, which gives staph bacteria more entry points. Friction from tight clothing, moisture from sweat, and tiny cuts from shaving can cause boils between your legs. Practicing good hygiene may help prevent vaginal bumps and recurring boils. Avoid using a razor or change it regularly to help prevent large boils in sensitive areas.
Symptoms of a vaginal boil
Vaginal boils can begin as bumps and appear as pimple-like or irritated areas after shaving. If it grows and becomes painful, that’s a sign of an infection. Symptoms of a vaginal boil include:
- Swollen, red lump/bump under the skin.
- Pain and tenderness at the site.
- A lump with a pus-filled center.
- Oozing clear fluid or developing a crust.
- Fever.
- Swollen lymph nodes suggesing the spread of infection.
What causes vaginal boils?
Bumps or boils in the vaginal area are caused by a Staphylococcus (staph) infection. This type of bacteria commonly resides on the skin and inside the nose. The bacteria can cause infection when they enter the body through broken skin. When bacteria infect a break in the skin, a fluid-filled lump may form. As the body’s defense system fights the infection, this can lead to painful bumps or boils in the vaginal area, blisters in the groin area in females, or inner thigh boils. Some causes of boils include:
- Obesity or being overweight can cause boils to form between the folds of your skin.
- Ingrown hairs. These can be caused by shaving or waxing your vaginal area.
- Poor hygiene.
- Diabetes or similar conditions increase the risk.
- Tight-fitting clothes and sweaty undergarments.
- Skin breaks from bites or minor injuries can allow bacteria to enter.
What tests will be done to diagnose a vaginal boil?
Most vaginal boils don’t need any tests. If your doctor suspects MRSA, recurrent infection, or an STI lesion that looks like a boil, they may swab the pus for a bacterial culture and sensitivity test. Recurrent boils sometimes point to an underlying condition such as diabetes, hidradenitis suppurativa, or immune suppression, so your doctor may also test your blood sugar or screen for STIs.
How to get rid of vaginal boils
Most vaginal boils last 1 to 3 weeks and resolve with at-home treatment or a boil ointment. It is advised never to try to squeeze a boil.
- Applying a warm or hot compress to the region several times a day usually helps relieve pain, pressure, and razor bumps on the vag lip.
- Washing your hands before and after you touch the area helps prevent the spread of infection.
- Keeping the area clean once the boil opens and fluid comes out helps prevent the spread of infection. There are different boil healing stages. Covering the area with a loose gauze bandage can help protect it.
- Wearing loose-fitting clothing helps prevent irritation of genital bumps and the bursting of large boils.
- Over-the-counter pain medication may help reduce pain and swelling.
If your boil hasn’t improved after three to five days of warm compresses, consider medical treatment.
Medical treatment
If warm compresses haven’t helped after a few days, or your boil is large, very painful, or keeps coming back, your doctor may move to medical treatment. How quickly you feel better depends on which option you need. In-office drainage gives almost immediate relief. Topical antibiotics work for 2 to 3 days. Oral antibiotics take a few days more to clear deeper infections.
Topical antibiotic ointment
A doctor may prescribe a topical antibiotic such as Mupirocin (Bactroban) or clindamycin gel to apply to the boil. These work against Staphylococcus aureus, the bacteria most often responsible for vaginal boils. You’ll usually see your boil start to shrink within 2 to 3 days of starting treatment.
Oral antibiotics
For a deeper boil, a cluster of boils (carbuncle), or recurrent boils, you may need an oral antibiotic such as Cephalexin, Dicloxacillin, or Clindamycin. If MRSA is suspected, your doctor may switch to Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or Doxycycline. Most people feel improvement within 3 to 5 days, with full clearance by 7 to 10 days.
Incision and drainage (fastest relief)
A boil that’s larger than about 1 cm, fluctuant (pus-filled and movable), or not draining on its own, may need to be lanced and drained by a doctor. This is a quick in-office procedure that gives almost immediate relief from pain and pressure. Most people feel better the same day.
Can you use Mupirocin or an antibiotic cream on a vaginal boil?
Mupirocin (sold as Bactroban) is a topical antibiotic that works against Staphylococcus aureus, the bacteria responsible for most vaginal boils. It’s FDA-approved for impetigo, and doctors often prescribe it off-label for small skin boils, including vaginal ones, when the boil is mild and uncomplicated. A few things to know before you use it:
- It’s a prescription-only medicine. You can’t buy Mupirocin over the counter. A doctor needs to assess the boil and decide whether a topical antibiotic alone is enough.
- It’s a thin layer, two to three times a day. When prescribed, the typical course is a thin layer applied to the boil two to three times a day for up to ten days. Wash your hands before and after each application.
- It’s for the outside, not inside the vagina. Mupirocin is approved for use only on the skin. Don’t apply it inside your vagina or on the urethra.
- It won’t help every boil. If your boil is larger than about 1 cm, deep, draining heavily, or hasn’t improved in three to five days, you likely need an oral antibiotic or drainage instead.
Over-the-counter triple-antibiotic ointments such as Neosporin (neomycin, polymyxin B, bacitracin) or Polysporin are sometimes used on small skin infections, but they’re not a substitute for Mupirocin against staph. Using them for boils can cause contact dermatitis on sensitive genital skin. If you’re considering an OTC ointment, talk to a doctor first. What looks like a small boil can be a Bartholin cyst, an abscess, or an STI lesion that needs different treatment.
Prevention
Sometimes it is hard to prevent boils on the skin around the vagina. However, some measures may help to reduce the chances of getting boils repeatedly near your vagina, and reduce the risk of recurring boils:
- Washing your genital area with antibacterial soap helps prevent bacteria from causing infection.
- Shaving in the direction of hair growth and changing your razor frequently helps prevent ingrowns.
- Avoid sharing soap, towels, and washcloths.
- Washing your hands regularly, before and after touching the genitals, also helps prevent the spread of infection.
- Changing your underwear daily.
- Reducing your weight if you are overweight could help prevent bacterial accumulation in skin folds.
Vulvar boil vs cyst
A vulvar boil starts as an infected hair follicle on the labia or vulva. It’s red, painful, and pus-filled. A vulvar cyst is different. The most common one is a Bartholin cyst, which forms when one of the two glands at the opening of the vagina gets blocked. Bartholin cysts are usually painless unless they get infected, and they can be larger and softer than a boil. If you can’t tell what you have, your doctor can usually diagnose it during a quick exam without any tests.
When to consult a doctor for vaginal boils
Talk to a doctor if your vaginal boil is bigger than 1 cm, hasn’t started improving in three to five days, is draining heavily, or comes with fever, chills, or red streaks spreading outward from the bump. The same goes if you keep getting boils in the same area, or if you’re pregnant, diabetic, or immunocompromised, since these can change how the boil should be treated.
You don’t need to wait for an in-person appointment or sit in a clinic to get help. With Your Doctors Online, you can connect with a licensed US or Canadian doctor within minutes, any time of day or night. Here’s how it works:
- Start a chat with a licensed doctor. No booking, no wait time.
- Describe your symptoms and send a photo of the boil if you want a faster assessment.
- The doctor reviews your case, asks any follow-up questions, and decides whether you need a topical or oral antibiotic or in-person drainage.
- If a prescription is appropriate, it’s sent to your nearest pharmacy within minutes of the doctor’s assessment.
- If the boil needs drainage, the doctor refers you to a local urgent care or clinic for the procedure.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, vaginal boils are common and usually nothing to be embarrassed about. Many women get a vaginal boil at least once, often after shaving, waxing, or wearing tight clothes that trap sweat against the skin. They’re not a sign of poor hygiene or an STI. If you’re getting them repeatedly, talk to a doctor since recurrent boils can point to an underlying condition.
No, vaginal boils are not an STD. They’re caused by Staphylococcus aureus, not by sexually transmitted bacteria or viruses. The bacteria can spread through skin-to-skin contact with someone who has a draining boil, so avoid sharing towels, razors, or sheets while a boil is active.
Don’t try to pop a vaginal boil overnight or any other time. Squeezing can push the infection deeper into the skin, cause cellulitis, or leave a scar. Warm compresses for 10 to 15 minutes, three to four times a day, can encourage a boil to drain on its own. If it hasn’t drained on its own within 5 to 7 days, see a doctor for safe lancing.
The pus inside a boil carries staph bacteria. Anyone who comes into contact with that pus, or shares a towel, washcloth, or razor with you while the boil is active, can pick up the infection. Cover a draining boil with a clean gauze bandage and wash your hands before and after touching it.
Most vaginal boils heal on their own within one to three weeks. If yours hasn’t started shrinking by the end of the first week, or if it’s getting larger, more painful, or draining a lot, talk to a doctor. You may need a prescription antibiotic or in-office drainage.
A bump on the vagina can indicate pimples, boils, or cysts.
Applying cool compresses, soothing lotion, or cortisone cream may help alleviate itching.
The boil initially appears as a small, red bump. It can then develop into a painful spot with a white or yellow pus-filled tip within a few days.
A boil is a bump filled with pus that develops under the skin, which is often painful. The bacteria Staphylococcus aureus are responsible for infecting hair follicles. A boil may result from a cut in the skin, such as from shaving with a razor, or from injury to the area.
Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic skin disease characterized by recurrent boils. Pemphigus is a rare autoimmune disease that can lead to blisters on the skin and mucous membranes, affecting the mouth, nose, throat, eyes, and genitals.
A boil usually heals without any medical intervention. However, if the infection worsens, you may need to get the boil drained or require antibiotics to treat the condition.
