A pimple or a boil visually looks similar to one another, making it difficult for regular people to distinguish between them. Both of these protrusions can be considered acne since they appear red, heightened, and painful. However, if we look closely, certain differences discriminate between boil vs pimple; let us go through it.
Boil Vs Pimple – The Difference
To know what you have on growing on your skin, focus on some key points:
Boil on the skin is an underlying infection that starts off as redness on a hair follicle, cut, or gland. Medically, a boil is known as an abscess, and it is an accumulation of pus in a pocket which starts swelling. The buildup gradually becomes red and starts to cause pain.
Boils are found in those areas of the skin with a high amount of bacteria accumulation, such as skin folds, armpits, under legs, butt, thighs, etc.
On the other hand, a pimple is a local inflammation under the skin which occurs in a single oil gland. It is a buildup of dead skin cells near the surface that forms a nodule.
A pimple vs boil has other names such as zits, acne, black or white heads, etc. A zit may grow anywhere on the body where there is the presence of an oil gland, for example, the face, back, neck, etc.
Causes – Boil vs Pimple
The main differentiating factor between boils vs pimples is their root cause.
Boils
The most common reason why boils appear on the skin is the bacteria staphylococcus aureus that infects the hair follicles resulting in pus formation. Besides ingrown hair, a boil, unlike pimple, can grow in open wounds, insect bites, or any gland issue.
There are some people more susceptible to having boil on their skin:
- Diabetics
- Frequent bacterial exposure
- Sharing razors
- Eczema – skin disease
- Weak immunity
- Gland disorder
Zit or Pimple vs Boil
The main reason why pimple grows is blocked pores due to over production of oil from the gland. This is more common in people during puberty phase because of hormone fluctuation. Other than that, pimples show up as a reaction from steroids, stress, and certain cosmetics with triggering chemicals or genetics.
Treatment Pimple or Boils
Whether you have a pimple/zit or boil various treatment methods are available. However, knowing what you have is a must. Identification is the first treatment step since the root cause for both acne and boil is different.
Warm Compress For a Boil
A warm compression can ease the discomfort of boils with the possibility of drainage. It helps increase blood flow that brings down the lesion toward the surface. Do not panic if the boil is in a tricky area; you can quickly draw a warm bath and relax.
Antibiotics
Treating bacteria is only possible with antibiotics, in the form of either creams, tablets, caps, etc. If the issue is not severe, then topical creams work best; however, in cases where there is a need to stop bacterial manifestation, oral tablets are prescribed.
Pimples
A good skin care regime is all you need to get rid of a pimple vs. boil. This can help prevent excess oil buildup to an extent. Some extra tips to accentuate healing are as follows:
- Wash your face with warm water
- Choose good quality makeup
- Use a gentle cleanser
- Do not pop your pimple.
Final Outlook
A boil vs pimple is quite different and requires separate treatment as well. All you need to do is identify exactly what it is to start the treatment. In case your boil has grown to an extent you no longer feel it can be treated at home, head to Internal Medicine And Diagnostic Center. Call to set up an appointment at 281-252-8600