For a few years now, I have had what I think are boils.?

Question

They come and go on my upper inner thighs and I have scars, and purple spots, and pockets from where they were. They are usually purple heads with redish pink rings around them. If they pop usually blood comes out. But now I am starting to get these little hard things under my skin (Still in the inner upper thigh) they are like hard tiny rocks up under the skin, but i can pinch them and its hard. I don't know what any of this is? help

Answer 1

You have described what I get, exactly.
I'm in a wheelchair and that area doesn't get to breath well. This happens in men and women, and with people who are overweight. My doctor says that they are not boils (as I though) they are cysts, and abcesses of glands (mainly sweat). They can differ in size and become very infected. Here's what my doc has prescribed:
Soak in baths as often as possible, clean and dry thouroughly. Do not squeeze them. Squeezing them leads to scar tissue (the hard lumps under the skin). Try to leave them alone if they are not sore or large. If each individual "outbreak" lasts longer than 10 days, or if it is sore, and continues to grow larger. See your doctor. This often happens when they get infected. The doctor will normally put you on antibiotics if he feels they are infected (always finish the course of antibiotics). In extreme cases, after antibiotics have not helped, my doctor has had to excise the cysts. This takes out the glands that are causing them, and in the areas where he has had to do this they do not reappear.
The best thing would be to consult your doctor once one appears. Don't be emberassed. I waited too long on one and a very large area had to removed (painful!). Once he/she has seen what you are talking about, you can get more info, and get reassurance that it is just benign and not the sign of a deeper tumour (tumours generally cause very infected ones that leak out puss, and keep growing). If he/she agrees that they are cysts or gland abcesses, try to do everything you can to take care of them so they don't get to the point that you need them removed. Although if they occour repeatedly in the same spot, the doctor may remove that area to prevent future problems.
I hope this helps.

Answer 2

People refer to tender, red lumps that may ooze pus as boils. A single "boil" may be a ruptured cyst or a small abscess. Most boils can be treated by "incision and drainage", a minor surgical procedure to open the boil and to drain the pus. Oral antibiotics are usually not needed.

Some people have multiple or recurrent boils. These boils are usually Staph infections (furuncles or carbuncles). The bacteria are picked up somewhere and then live on the skin, crowding out the normal, harmless bacteria we all carry. The source may be a family member, a pet or just appear "out of the blue."

In these cases antibiotics are taken by mouth for 10 or 14 days. In stubborn cases two oral antibiotics plus topical antibiotic ointments are usually required to eliminate the bacteria.

Gentle heat, provided by a moist, warm washcloth held over the area for 20 minutes three times a day, speeds up the healing process. Putting antibiotic ointment (Neosporin, Bacitracin, Iodine or Polysporin) on the boil will not cure it because the medicine does not penetrate into the infected skin. Covering the boil with a Band-Aid will keep the germs from spreading.
A dermatofibroma (DF) is a round, brownish to purple growth commonly found on the legs and arms. It can occur anywhere, but seems to favor exposed areas. Dermatofibromas feel like hard lumps under the skin. Dermatofibromas occur most often in women. The precise mechanism for the development of DF is unknown. Rather than a reactive tissue change, DF seems more likely to be a neoplastic process because of the persistent nature of the lesion and the demonstration that it is a clonal proliferative growth.

Answer 3

If you are talking under the arms & inner thighs then possibly it's an ingrown pimple if you are a woman who shaves or if you are overweight & your thighs rub up against the other. Regardless of what you may think it is or not, you need to get some gold bond powder and use it under the arms lightly & the upper thighs. Sweat can also cause bumps. The best thing you can do is call a dermatologist who can see it & tell you what it is and give you something for it or tell you what to buy in the store to get rid of it. Best of Luck

Answer 4

"Boils" that keep recurring in the same place on the inner thighs, turn purple, leave scars, etc... are a sign of Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). The hard lumps under the skin are also something that happens with HS. You can check out http://www.hs-usa.org for more info.

I would suggest looking over the site and printing out some of the info to take with you to your next doctor's appointment.

Wishing you pain-free days!

Answer 5

You should also stop trying to squeeze the boil because you may be irritating it and in turn making it sore.
This boil you are describing could be pilonidal cysts (a large pimple on the end of the butt bone) and may need to the treatment of a doctor. Regardless, you need to get it looked at. A doctor can check it out to make sure it is not infected and can tell you how to take care of it so it can heal.