Hello all. Glad to have found you, sad there’s so many of us. I’m 99.9% sure I have HS. Since I was a child, I would get very infrequent solitary boils in the groin area over the years. They would form an abscess and grow until they burst. I didn’t have much problem with them and since they were so infrequent, it didn’t bother me too much.

I’m now 53. Over the past year I’ve been getting them repeatedly, they form clusters, and are extremely painful. They’re making tunnels and leaving scars. However, there is no odor as I’ve read is usually the case?

Is this late for HS to occur? How did yours develop, and was it extended over the course of decades before it finally blew up? What age did you first experience HS, and how long did it take to get to the cluster and tunnel phase?

I’ve got an appointment with a dermatologist, but she can’t see me until the end of April. One of her interests is HS. Should I wait that long, or find another dermatologist who can get me in sooner? Or, do you think there’s a way I can beg my way into her office?

I really appreciate any responses, and I’m so sorry we’re all going through this.

Thanks!