How can you tell if it’s a boil or a cyst? I have a hard lump on my bikini line and idk if it’s a boil or cyst :(. My anxiety is going in on me and it’s really bothering me.

I think usually a boil is caused by a bacterial infection and a cyst is usually like a lump under the skin. I get boils on my panty line and they swell up to the size of a grape sometimes and then they explode usually a few days after I apply warm compress / have an epsom salt bath. My gyno says they are completely normal and it’s just kind of an annoying thing to keep dealing with.

@liltinybee I just cant tell if it’s either or. It’s about to be a week since I’ve got it. When I have gotten boils it’ll pop but this one just feels hard! It felt irritated on Tuesday but not anymore, however I don’t think the size has gone down.

@liltinybee Also, sorry I meant i can’t tell visually! I tried looking at comparisons but they both kinda look the same.

Is it possibly a very deep ingrown?

Sometimes they can be very stubborn and hard to get to come to a head. Look up “furuncle” on google images, that is what mine usually look like when it comes to a head. I think cysts usually don’t have heads

When I went to the gyno she told me it was very common and looks like a clogged hair follicle kind of like an ingrown except it swells up as an infected pimple. I would also get a full panel std test if ur able that helped calmed my anxiety bc everytime i get one i freak out about it. It’s kind of hard to tell unless you are actively having one then I know you can visit your doctor and they can drain it for you also give you medication to help prevent them but also they told me some people are just prone to them and they can continue to pop up even if they take out the core

@maeve_ could be! I did shave a lil while ago so possibly.

@liltinybee Thank you! I’ll go to the doctors if it doesn’t get smaller by the end of this week.

@ssueno_ if your anxiety is getting to you you can visit the doctors any time to put your mind at rest. I know of it was me in this situation I’d find it difficult to ignore and worry more than I should. You won’t need to worry either way tho whatever it is they will be able to give you treatment/ advice.