Folliculitis is a common skin condition that is caused by infections with fungi or bacteria. It leads to rash patches or small bumps that are often painful and itchy. But this skin problem can be treated with good hygiene and tropical medicine. Also, if you take all the precautions and still get folliculitis, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.
Folliculitis
Folliculitis is a skin disease that can spread and affect more than one hair follicle. Hair follicles are important because these small spaces protect the hair roots from dirt. It can happen anywhere hair grows on the skin. Most of your hair grows from the scalp, so that’s where it hurts the most. But this skin condition can also happen in places like the thighs, and armpits.
It shows up as small bumps, but at first, it might look like acne or a rash. It can happen to just one follicle or many. People have often said that it is a long-term skin problem.
Folliculitis has many causes.
Folliculitis is caused by bacteria, which can be spread by touching or not. Folliculitis is usually caused by staph, which is a type of bacteria. If you touch someone who already has it, you might get it too. Most of the time, it’s not through direct contact, but through things like razors, towels, and used clothing. People get this skin condition mostly from pools and spas that aren’t clean, where many people go and leave their germs behind. If these places aren’t cleaned well, you might get one of these skin conditions.
Folliculitis Signs and Symptoms
Folliculitis shows up as small bumps that itch and turn into rashes. These bumps can also get bigger and turn into pustules that are full of pus. Since they look like pimples, they are often mistaken for them. They can be red, white, or yellow.
These small bumps often come with the following symptoms:
- Soreness
- Itching
- Swelling
- Folliculitis has many forms.
Here are the most common types of folliculitis that people talk about:
1- Folliculitis from a hot tub
Pseudomonas Folliculitis is another name for it. It can happen if you spend too much time in a hot tub, which has Pseudomonas bacteria. The risk can also be raised by using pools and water slides often. The bumps may start in one spot and then spread to other places. Places like the thighs and buttocks that are most exposed to the contaminated water are the most at risk.
This kind of folliculitis gets better by itself. But some medicines that you put on the skin can speed up the process. If you use these creams 2-3 times a day, you may get better results, but in severe cases, you may also be given pills to take by mouth.
2- Folliculitis from Pityrosporum
It happens when a yeast called pityrosporum gets into a hair follicle and spreads to other hair follicles. This makes a rash on your skin that looks like acne. This yeast lives on our skin, but it doesn’t do anything until an outside force makes it do so. Some of these triggers are:
Tight Clothes
How Hot or Humid It Is
Excessive Sebum
Stress
Diabetes
3- Bacterial Folliculitis
It is the most common type of folliculitis, and it happens when bacteria that live on the skin get into the skin and infect the follicle. Most of the time, the bacteria gets into the body through a cut or scrape on the skin. Mild cases of this folliculitis can be treated by taking better care of oneself and using topical medicines. But doctors have to give pills to take by mouth to get rid of the problem.
Folliculitis Danger Signs
Folliculitis can happen to people of any age, but the most common causes are:
Putting on clothes that are too tight and can hold sweat for a long time
Always touching and scratching your skin
Getting a full body shave
Often and for a long time sitting in hot tubs, pools, and water slides
Not having a strong immune system
How Folliculitis Is Treated
Folliculitis will heal itself over time. But using medicine to treat a skin condition depends on what it is, how bad it is, and what kind it is. It is important to know if the condition is short-term or long-term because it affects how the medicine is taken.
Some common ways to treat folliculitis are:
1- Creams or pills for a normal infection on the skin
For mild infections, the doctor will give you pills and creams to make the symptoms go away. Oral antibiotics are only given if the infection gets really bad or comes back over and over again.
2-Fungal infections can be treated with creams or pills.
It is used to treat yeast infections instead of bacterial ones. The way these medicines are made is different from the way medicines for bacterial infections are made. Normal antibiotics would not work to treat infections caused by fungi.
3-Pills or creams that go on the skin to relieve inflammation
Your doctor will give you a different set of pills and creams that are best for reducing infection-related inflammation and swelling. Also, the type of skin problem you have will be taken into account before any of the medicines are given to you.
4- A Small Operation
If you have a big carbuncle, your doctor may need to make a small cut in the skin to let all the pus and infected fluid out. It can help relieve pain, speed up healing, and even make it less likely that you’ll get scars on your skin. If the pus takes a few days to drain out completely, the area may be taped with sterile gauze.
5- Hair Removal with a Laser
This option is usually suggested when folliculitis is chronic and keeps coming back even after all other treatments have been tried. Laser treatment can permanently reduce the amount of hair you have, and long-term treatment can also get rid of hair for good. The treatment is expensive, but it makes sure that folliculitis won’t happen again.
It is always best to get advice from professionals. You can find out more about the Best Skin Specialist by making an appointment through Marham.