What’s the difference?

Boils can develop anywhere on your skin, but they’re most likely to occur at the site of an infected hair follicle on the neck, face or thighs.

Over time, pus forms inside the boil, causing it to grow larger and become more painful. In most cases, a boil will eventually burst and the pus will drain away without leaving a scar. This can take from two days to three weeks.

Acne involves sebaceous glands of follicles too, but they become blocked by sebum under the influence of testosterone in both sexes. Sebaceous glands are attached to hair follicles and lubricate the hair and the skin to stop it drying out.

They do this by producing an oily substance called sebum. In acne, the glands begin to produce too much sebum. The excess sebum mixes with dead skin cells to form a plug in the follicle causing the blockage.