What is a Boil?

Boils are skin infections caused by the staph bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus). A boil starts of as a red mark on the skin and gradually hardens into a painful bump. With time, the bump softens and fills with pus - a mixture of bacteria, dead skin cells, and infection.

Check out our How Boils Look and Symptoms to see how you can tell if you have a boil. Become aware of the types of boils that do exist -from carbuncles to furncles. Find out when you should go see a doctor and most importantly whether or not these boils are contagious!