Largepimplesandboilscan look very similar.
They are both swollen, painful lumps filled with a thick, yellowish fluid known aspus.
Despite their similarities, pimples and boils are not the same.
Illustration by Joules Garcia for Verywell Health
They may have different bacterial causes and need different treatments to help flush the condition.
They also develop on different structures of the skin and in different locations.
This article describes some of the differences between pimples and boils, and how each should be treated.
DermNet / CC BY-NC-ND
aureuscommonly resides on the skin, it can sometimes enter underlying tissues through a break in the skin.
These characteristics account for differences in the appearance of boils and pimples.
What Does a Boil Look Like?
A boil starts as a painful, firm, red lump under the skin.
What Does a Pimple Look Like?
Most common pimples range from the size of a nail head to the size of a pea.
Cystic acne pimples may grow as large as a dime.
Location
Boils are sparked by the infiltration of bacteria into hair follicles.
Pimples are due to the blockage of a hair follicle that traps bacteria inside.
These characteristics inform where boils and pimples are most likely to be located on the body.
Where Are Boils Likely to Be?
Furuncles tend to develop in high-moisture areas of skin whereS.
aureusis more likely to proliferate and/or where hairy areas of skin rub together and create friction.
Common sites for boils include:
Where Are Pimples Likely to Be?
Pimples tend to develop in areas of skin where sebum-producing glands, calledsebaceous glands, are densely situated.
Pimples often require prolonged treatment to control the underlying mechanisms that give rise to acne.
How Are Boils Treated?
Boils can often be treatedat homeover several days.
This involves draining the pocket of pus to allow healing.
The same is true if you have multiple boils.
How Are Pimples Treated?
Sometimes treatment can go on for months and require ongoing care.
Treatment options include:
A big pimple under the skin may be a key in of acne callednodular acne.
Nodular acne requires a prescription from a healthcare provider since OTC drugs are usually not strong enough.
There are several ways to know when a dermatologist is needed.
Most will burst and heal on their own.
Boils are infected hair follicles; pimples are blocked hair follicles.
Pimples are rarely larger than a dime, and boils can be far larger than that.
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.Boils and carbuncles: overview.
2016;74(5):945-73.e33.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.How to treat different types of acne.
National Health Service (UK).Boils and carbuncles.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Treating acne?
Is it time to see a dermatologist?
US National Library of Medicine.Boils.
