A boil is a skin abscess, or a collection of pus deep in the skin. I'm Jackie with How to Care for a Boil. It usually starts as a reddened, tender area, and after while it can become firm and hard. Eventually, the center of the boil softens, and becomes filled with white blood cells that the body sends in to fight infection. This collection of white blood cells is the pus. Boils can be caused by the bacteria staphylococcus, or it could be a type of abscess formed when oil ducts called sebaceous glands become clogged and infected. You should check with your doctor before treating a boil, if you think it may be something more serious. Avoid squeezing the boil so you don't spread the infection. Apply warm compresses two or three times a day to the boil to soften it up and speed up the healing process. Keep the area very clean. Once the boil has opened up, apply saline solution to it by mixing one teaspoon of table salt with one cup of warm water. Wet a wash cloth in the solution and apply it to the boil. The salt will help dry it up and reduce the amount of pus. Remember, to care for a boil, do not squeeze the boil. Apply hot compresses several times a day to soften it. And then apply saline to the boil once it's opened up. And be sure to keep it clean. I'm Jackie with How to Care for a Boil, and I hope you feel better.