In most of the cases, the boils that are triggered due to staph infections, get healed only after they form a head. This is mainly due to the fact that the pus that is formed inside the boil contains the harmful bacteria which can be either alive or dead. It is only after the boils form a head that the pus gets an outlet through which it can get released from the body. Once the boil gets drained completely it usually gets healed soon after.
The normal life-cycle of a boil comprises of the following stages:
- A few days after the staph bacteria have invaded the skin a rash becomes visible which may be red, tender and itchy.
- The body reacts to the presence of the staph bacteria inside the skin by dispatching the white blood cells to ingest and destroy the bacteria.
- With home remedies such as warm compressions, poultices etc the infection soon reaches its climax. The victory of the white blood cells over the staph bacteria is marked by the suppuration process or the boil getting ready to release the infected pus through a minute opening or head.
- The ripe boil then gets drained completely and heals thereafter.
So we find that releasing of the pus is an essential part of the healing process as the infected pus gets released from the boil. In case the boil becomes too large and painful but does not form a head in a usual way then it becomes a matter of grave concern. The doctor may resort to a minor surgery called lancing in which after applying local anesthesia, a cut is made on the boil to allow the pus to drain.
This goes to show that the pus needs to be discharged even if it requires performing a minor surgery.
However, in some cases minor boils such as a pimple may get healed without forming a head. This happens because the body tends to reabsorb the boils sometimes. Therefore sometimes we may find that a boil may disappear without discharging the pus as it gets reabsorbed into the body gradually.