is it a pimple or herpes?

Over the past few years i have had a huge pimple type bump appear on my buttocks right around the area between my leg and butt.  They appear on both sides usually one at a time and get pretty large.  If I pop them i suppose some puss and bleeding occur but they eventually scab up and go away.  They are pretty painful and can hurt to sit on.  does this sound like herpes or just large pimples? and is this a common spot to have them occur in? Thanks ahead of time for the response

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

They seem like boils or furuncle. Boils are caused by infection of the hair follicle by staph aureus. Bacterial skin infections can be spread by shared cosmetics or washcloths, close human contact, or by contact with pus from a boil or carbuncle.

A boil generally starts as a reddened, tender area. Over time, the area becomes firm and hard. Eventually, the center of the abscess softens and becomes filled with pus. Finally, the pus "forms a head," which can be surgically opened or spontaneously drain out through the surface of the skin.

Apply warm compresses on the boil and keep the area clean.Drainage of the boil is done only when it becomes soft and forms a head.Take some over the counter pain reliever and consult a doctor for examination and antibiotics prescription.If there are recurrent boils,then pls get your blood sugar levels estimated.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep us posted if you have any additional queries