They are infections by bacteria of the species Staphylococcus aureus, which generate reddish and very painful lumps on the skin. The furuncle is the advanced stage of folliculitis and, contrary to what some people think, it has nothing to do with pimples. Folliculitis arises when bacteria enter a pore and attack the tissues of the hair follicle – the base of the hair. To fight this attack, the organism sends a legion of white blood cells to the region. The “corpses” that emerged in battle – the blood cells themselves, bacteria and, mainly, dead tissue – make up the pus, which proliferates rapidly, forming a hardened lump. This nodule indicates that the folliculitis has become a boil. The way out then is to use an ointment with antibiotics and, in more serious cases, oral antibiotics. After a few days, the proliferation of bacteria is contained and the nodule liquefies. To drain the pus, the dermatologist makes a small cut in the skin and the secretion gushes out. “If it’s not time to drain, there’s no point in squeezing”, says dermatologist Sérgio Yamada, from Unifesp.
1. The most favorable situation for the appearance of a boil is: the hair rubs against the clothes or with the skin itself, enlarging the pore from where it comes out. Staphylococcus aureus bacteria enter this hole, which, not infrequently, circulate through our skin.
2. Bacteria lodge in the hair follicle and infect its tissues. To fight this infection, the body sends defense cells (white blood cells), which, along with dead tissues and bacteria, turn into pus. With the infection of its base, the hair falls out
3. The infection takes over not only the hair follicle, but also the tissues around it – sometimes even the sebaceous glands. Severe infection generates a hard lump that makes the skin swollen and red. The nodule is what causes the infection to be classified as a boil.
4. The use of antibiotics contains the action of bacteria and, after a few days, the nodule softens and can now be drained. The doctor makes a small cut in the skin, the pus comes out and, finally, the flesh is extracted, a yellowish ball composed of concentrated dead cells