A boil, though very painful, is a relatively harmless condition that will last about ten days and then disappear. Because they are relatively harmless home remedies for boils are often ideal ways to treat them. Boils then are basically an infection in a hair follicle or an oil gland that has been traumatized or become blocked in some way. A boil will develop and grow, turning yellow/white on the head of the boil and red and inflamed around the surrounding and nearby area of the boil itself.