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Folliculitis is often caused when hair follicles are infected with bacteria, commonly Staphylococcus aureus (staph). It may also be caused by viruses, fungi, parasites, medications or physical injury. Mild folliculitis will likely heal without scarring in a few days with basic self-care.
Treatment for folliculitis, boils, and carbuncles
When shaving, plucking, or waxing causes the infection, you’ll want to stop doing these things for 30 days. Each spot may have a red ring around it, which is a sign of the infection. These dermatologists' tips tell you how to protect your skin. Expect symptoms to clear up within a few weeks of starting treatment. It’s also more likely to affect people who sweat a lot (hyperhidrosis) and those who live in hot, humid areas. It may be possible for people to mistake folliculitis for guttate psoriasis, acne, or hidradenitis suppurativa.
Malassezia (Pityrosporum) Folliculitis
Folliculitis can appear at first glance like an acne breakout, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. The condition features small areas of raised, red, or white bumps. The fluid-filled bumps can crust over and become painful and itchy. In some cases, folliculitis appears as a large, single bump. Folliculitis is usually minor and goes away on its own without treatment. If you have skin irritation that’s accompanied by a fever, a spreading rash, or pus-filled and smelly bumps, seek medical help.
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The most common cause of folliculitis is a bacterial infection of the deep hair follicle. It’s important to note that treatment for folliculitis may take several weeks or even months to fully resolve the condition. Preventing ingrown hairs can decrease your risk of related infections.
Harvard Health Publishing
This may involve a visual examination of the affected area, taking note of symptoms and the appearance of the bumps. If bacteria, fungi, or other pathogens enter the skin, an infection can develop, known as folliculitis. Washing with warm water and antibacterial soap is often enough to clean and help heal the area. You can also try a saltwater solution, or vinegar mixed with water. If none of these things does the trick, your doctor can prescribe an antibiotic you apply to your skin.
Pseudofolliculitis barbae and sycosis barbae, for example, are two types of folliculitis are closely linked to shaving. These conditions are much more common in men who are frequently cutting beard hairs. There are actually many different types of folliculitis. Think of folliculitis like a blanket term — it’s the family that each of these specific types of skin conditions lives under. Each type of folliculitis can have its own appearance, symptoms and cause.
A dermatologist can provide a proper diagnosis, and select a personalized treatment that will help restore health to you hair and scalp. In some cases, for example if you have had treatment and it has not helped, they may take a sample of any pus or crusting (a swab) and send it to the laboratory. This tries to help identify the cause of the rash and what treatment you may need. If left untreated, folliculitis can develop into a more serious condition, such as cellulitis. Talk to your healthcare provider if your folliculitis does not resolve on its own.
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The first sign of an infected ingrown hair is often a bump. As the infection progresses, you may see pus, and the bump may grow larger. Typically, new hair grows straight out of the follicles in the skin. As the hair matures, it exits the skin’s surface and continues to grow.
Folliculitis is a common skin condition that occurs when hair follicles become inflamed and infected. It can appear as red, pus-filled bumps on the skin and can be itchy and painful. While folliculitis can affect anyone, certain factors can increase the risk of developing this condition. Folliculitis is a common skin condition commonly triggered by bacterial or fungal infections. The resulting rash of raised bumps can be itchy and painful, but it is treatable with topical medications.
While you can contract Staph bacteria through bodily contact with someone who has it, folliculitis caused by fungi is not passed through physical contact. You can usually take care of mild cases of folliculitis at home. The most important thing is to stop doing anything that may have caused it in the first place.
The rash is likely to be worse in areas where your swimsuit holds water against the skin. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, it’s completely normal to shed anywhere between 50 to 100 strands of hair per day. However, if you’ve noticed more strands falling out of your head than normal, you may be experiencing alopecia, the medical term for hair loss. Common diagnoses include androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, and lymphocytic scarring alopecia, Agbai tells USA TODAY. When you pop a pimple, you might inadvertently push bacteria and debris deeper into your pores, worsening acne. The oil and other gunk could also spread, causing more pimples to appear in other areas, says Dr. Annette LaCasse, a dermatologist in Commerce Township, Mich.
Topical antibiotics are typically preferred, but in some cases, oral antibiotics may be needed if the infection is severe or spreading. Oral antibiotics that are often used include doxycycline, amoxicillin, and clindamycin. Eosinophilic folliculitis causes deep-set, pus-filled skin lesions to occur mostly on the face, neck, and scalp. This form of folliculitis affects infants and people with weakened immune systems. The lesions can leave dark spots on the skin, which is also known as hyperpigmentation. When pityrosporum folliculitis is severe or doesn’t go away, your healthcare provider may prescribe antifungal pills (systemic treatment).
They may start with an antifungal cream (topical treatment) to reduce the amount of yeast on your skin. They can treat either bacterial or fungal infections, depending on the condition’s cause. A healthcare professional may also recommend anti-inflammatory drugs. You're likely to start by seeing your primary care provider.
The condition sometimes goes into remission (no symptoms) but can return and cause a flare (active symptoms). Gram-negative folliculitis occurs most often when a person uses oral antibiotics, particularly tetracyclines. It could also develop after long-term use of topical antibiotics, where antibiotic-resistant bacteria grow on different parts of the body, including the scalp. Dissecting cellulitis of the scalp, or Hoffman disease, is where large nodules appear on the scalp. This condition is not due to a bacterial or fungal infection, but secondary infections can develop if a person does not treat these.
Having a scalp infection can lead to various types of skin rashes on the scalp as well as hair loss. Pseudofolliculitis barbae, also known as barber’s itch or razor burn, is a type of folliculitis that develops from ingrown hairs. Razor burn usually leads to clusters of tiny, red bumps on the lower face, genitals, and other areas where a person regularly shaves. Scalp folliculitis begins with small, inflamed bumps that appear along the hairline. Over time, these bumps grow larger and become more inflamed. Without treatment, scalp folliculitis can spread to hair follicles in the center or back of the head.
What might look like acne in these areas could be a type of folliculitis. You may itch a lot, and notice that getting sweaty makes these bumps worse. That’s because as you go through puberty, your oil glands start working harder. You get this from swimming in a pool or sitting in a hot tub where pH or chlorine levels aren’t balanced.
