How to Use Garlic to Treat Boils
The use of garlic for a variety of medicinal reasons has been widely documented for centuries. For instance, garlic is often used to treat boils, a skin disease caused by infected hair follicles, due to its powerful healing properties and its ability to strengthen the immune system.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Garlic cloves
- Garlic press or juicer
- Onions
- Clean washcloth
- Bandages
- Antiseptic or anti-bacterial cream
Instructions
-
-
1
Confirm that the infected skin lesion is indeed a boil. Boils are characterized by a pus-filled abscess covered with a "head" made of dead, crusty skin. Boils are usually painful to the touch.
-
2
Use garlic to treat your boil by using either a garlic press or juicer to extract the juice from fresh garlic cloves.
-
-
3
Apply the garlic juice directly to the head of the boil. Cover the boil with a loose bandage until the head of the boil begins to soften.
-
4
Add the juice from several fresh onions to the garlic compress. Combining onion and garlic juice will accelerate the softening of the head of the boil.
-
5
Remove the compress once the head of the boil has softened to the point where it can be removed easily with a clean dry washcloth and warm water. If you experience too much pain while trying to remove the head, use your garlic juice compress a little longer.
-
6
Pour more garlic and onion juice into the wound, which will help to disinfect it. Flush the garlic out with warm water, and cover the boil with a bandage.
-
7
Keep the boil covered with a bandage until it has healed properly, taking care to change the dressing at least twice a day. Apply some anti-bacterial or antiseptic cream to the boil to facilitate healing or continue to squirt garlic juice on the affected area.
-
8
Check with you doctor if the boil has not completely healed within 10 days. Improper care of a boil can lead to sepsis, a potentially life-threatening infection.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Excessive boils, also known as chronic furnuculosis, can cause fever and swollen lymph nodes if not properly treated. The spreading of boils may indicate an immune system disorder or a vitamin A and E deficiency. See you doctor immediately if you notice any of these symptoms.
