Cellulitis treatment: quick, practical steps to get better

Cellulitis is a bacterial skin infection that spreads in the deeper layers of the skin. If your skin is red, warm, swollen, and painful — and the area is growing — you probably need treatment fast. The main goal is to stop the infection with the right antibiotic and to support healing with easy home care.

How doctors treat cellulitis

Treatment usually starts with oral antibiotics for simple cases. Common choices include cephalexin or dicloxacillin when staph and strep are suspected. If MRSA is a concern (history of MRSA, severe infection, or certain communities), doctors may pick trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, doxycycline, or clindamycin. If you have a penicillin allergy, there are alternatives — tell your provider.

If the infection is severe, spreading rapidly, causing fever, or you have signs of systemic illness, you may need IV antibiotics and hospital care. People with diabetes, poor circulation, or weakened immune systems often get more intensive treatment. Your doctor may order blood tests, wound cultures, or imaging if they suspect an abscess or deeper problems.

Home care that actually helps

Follow the antibiotic course exactly. Stopping early can let the infection come back. While antibiotics work, these practical steps speed recovery:

• Keep the area clean. Wash gently with soap and water and pat dry.
• Elevate the affected limb to reduce swelling — raise it above the heart when you can.
• Use warm compresses (10–15 minutes, 3–4 times a day) to ease pain and improve circulation.
• Take over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain and fever, unless your doctor advises otherwise.
• Avoid tight clothing or shoes over the infected spot.

If you have a wound or cut that started the infection, keep it covered and check for signs of abscess (a painful, pus-filled bump). Abscesses often need drainage by a healthcare professional — antibiotics alone may not fix them.

Prevention matters. Treat athlete’s foot, cracks, or insect bites quickly. Keep skin moisturized to avoid cracks, and manage swelling or lymphedema if you have it. For people with recurrent cellulitis, doctors sometimes offer low-dose antibiotics as prevention — that’s a discussion for your provider.

When in doubt, get checked. Rapid change, widespread redness, fever, severe pain, confusion, or fast heart rate mean you should seek urgent care. If you have diabetes or a weakened immune system, contact your doctor sooner rather than later. With the right antibiotic and simple home care, most people recover in days to a couple of weeks.

Remember to tell your provider about allergies, recent antibiotic use, and any recent hospital or clinic visits — that helps pick the antibiotic most likely to work.