Recurrent painful “boils” in the inner thigh/groin for 5 months should be assessed by a clinician or dermatologist soon. Two common possibilities are:

A clinician may need to examine an active lesion, drain it if it is an abscess, and take a pus/swab culture before selecting antibiotics. With repeated infections, they may also assess contributing factors such as diabetes, friction/sweating, smoking, obesity, immune suppression, or household spread. A furuncle is an abscess involving a hair follicle, and recurrent lesions merit evaluation rather than repeated self-treatment.

Get urgent care today if there is fever, rapidly spreading redness, severe or worsening pain, red streaks, a lesion near the genitals/perineum, marked swelling, feeling unwell, or if the patient has diabetes, pregnancy, or reduced immunity.

Helpful details for the appointment: whether lesions recur in exactly the same area, leave scars or “holes/tunnels,” drain pus or have odor, occur in armpits/buttocks too, and whether anyone at home has similar boils.

This sounds more like recurrent superficial folliculitis than deep boils or hidradenitis suppurativa: tiny red, pus-filled bumps centered around hair follicles, often triggered by sweat, friction from tight clothing, shaving/waxing, or bacteria such as Staphylococcus. It is less typical of HS when lesions are painless, small, and do not leave scars, tunnels, or recur as deep lumps.

Because it has been recurring for 5 months, arrange a non-urgent appointment with a GP or dermatologist. They can inspect an active bump and, if needed, take a swab/culture. Cultures are particularly helpful in recurrent or treatment-resistant folliculitis. There may be a simple contributing factor even in someone otherwise healthy.

Seek medical care sooner if a bump becomes painful, large, hard, rapidly enlarging, redness spreads, fever occurs, or there is drainage near the genitals. If it remains recurrent despite avoiding friction/shaving for 1-2 weeks, a clinician should assess it. The Mayo Clinic overview of folliculitis similarly advises assessment for persistent or recurrent lesions and urgent care for signs of spreading infection.

Scarring changes the concern. Recurrent pustules on the inner thigh/groin that leave scars should be examined by a dermatologist or GP soon, ideally while an active lesion is present.

It could still be recurrent folliculitis, but the location, recurrence over 5 months, and scars raise the possibility of early hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). HS is a chronic inflammatory follicle disorder in skin-fold areas and can lead to recurrent lumps, drainage, and scarring. It is usually painful and deeper, but early disease can be milder and may resemble small pimples, ingrown hairs, or folliculitis. The NHS description of HS specifically includes groin and inner thighs, recurrent boil-like lesions, and scarring.

Seek urgent care for fever, rapidly expanding redness, severe pain, or a rapidly enlarging deep lump.