Well I just found out on myself I have Folliculitus. Its nothing related to STD's, and I have been having it for almost 4 weeks, I'm not using any creams and medicine. I'm only using an Anti-Bacterial soap. When I first had it, I had it on my pubic area and they are like little red rashes and started itching the next few days. But since I have been using Anti-bacterial Soap, It got less of the red bumpy ness and it isn't itchy anymore.
I was wondering since I'm only using an Anti-Bacterial soap, How long will it take for it to completely go away? Alternative names
Pseudofolliculitis barbae; Tinea barbae; Barber's itch
Definition
Folliculitis is inflammation of one or more hair follicles. The condition may occur anywhere on the skin.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Folliculitis starts when hair follicles are damaged by friction from clothing, blockage of the follicle, or shaving. In most cases of folliculitis, the damaged follicles are then infected with the bacteria staphylococcus (staph).
Barber's itch is a staph infection of the hair follicles in the beard area of the face, usually the upper lip. Shaving aggravates the condition. Tinea barbae is similar to barber's itch, but the infection is caused by a fungus.
Pseudofolliculitis barbae is a disorder occurring primarily in black men. If curly beard hairs are cut too short, they may curve back into the skin and cause inflammation.
Symptoms
Rash (reddened skin area)
Pimples or pustules located around a hair follicle
May crust over
Typically occur on neck axilla, or groin area
May present as genital lesions
Itching skin
Signs and tests
A diagnosis is primarily based on the appearance of the skin. The skin infection is shallow and superficial. A culture of the lesion may show which bacteria or fungus are causing it.
Treatment
To prevent further damage to the hair follicles and infection:
Minimize friction from clothing.
Avoid shaving the area if possible (if shaving is necessary, use a clean new razor blade or an electric razor each time).
Keep the area clean.
Avoid reinfection from contaminated clothing and washcloths. Hot moist compresses may promote drainage of extensive folliculitis. Topical antibiotics (mupirocin), oral antibiotics (dicloxacillin), or antifungal medications may be needed to control the infection.
Expectations (prognosis)
Folliculitis usually responds well to treatment, but may recur.
Complications
Folliculitis may return
Infection may spread to other body areas
Calling your health care provider
Apply home treatment and call your health care provider if symptoms recur frequently, if they persist longer than 2 or 3 days, or if the infection spreads.
Prevention
Avoid damage to the hair follicles to prevent infection
OTHER RELATED INFO
Folliculitis can affect both women and men at any age. It can develop on any part of the body, but is most likely to occur on the scalp, face, or parts of the arms, armpits, or legs not usually covered by clothing.
Small, yellowish-white blister-like lumps (pustules) surrounded by narrow red rings are usually present with both bacterial folliculitis and fungal folliculitis. Hair can grow through or alongside of the pustules, which sometimes ooze blood-stained pus.
Folliculitis can cause boils and, in rare instances, serious skin infections. Bacteria from folliculitis can enter the blood stream and travel to other parts of the body.
Causes and symptoms
Folliculitis develops when bacteria, such as Staphylococcus, or a fungus enters the body through a cut, scrape, surgical incision, or other break in the skin near a hair follicle. Scratching the affected area can trap fungus or bacteria under the fingernails and spread the infection to hair follicles on other parts of the body.
The bacteria that cause folliculitis are contagious. A person who has folliculitis can infect others who live in the same household.
Factors that increase the risk of developing folliculitis include:
dermatitis
diabetes
dirty, crowded living conditions
eczema
exposure to hot, humid temperatures
infection in the nose or other recent illness
tight clothing
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is based on the patient's medical history and observations. Laboratory analysis of the substance drained from a pustule can be used to distinguish bacterial folliculitis from fungal folliculitis.
Treatment
Bacterial folliculitis may disappear without treatment, but is likely to recur. Non-prescription topical antibiotics like Bacitracin, Mycitracin, or Neomycin, gently rubbed on to affected areas three or four times a day, can clear up a small number of bacterial folliculitis pustules. Oral antibiotics such as erythromycin (Erythocin) may be prescribed if the infection is widespread. The drug griseofulvin (Fulvicin) and topical antifungal medications are used to treat fungal folliculitis.
A doctor should be notified if:
pustules spread after treatment has begun or reappear after treatment is completed
the patient's fever climbs above 100掳F (37.8掳C)
the patient develops boils or swollen ankles
redness, swelling, warmth, or pain indicate that the infection has spread
unexplained new symptoms appear
Alternative treatment
Eating a balanced diet, including protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, fresh fruits and vegetables, and drinking eight to 10 glasses of water a day may stimulate the body's immune system and shorten the course of the infection. Garlic (Allium sativum) and goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), both antiseptic agents against staph infections, may be taken. The daily dosage would vary from person to person and is based on the severity of the infection. Echinacea (Echinacea spp.) is helpful in modulating immune function. Again, the dosage would vary.
Daily doses of 30-50 mg zinc and 1,000-5,000 mg Vitamin C (taken in equal amounts at several times during the day), and 300-2,000 mg bioflavinoids can also strengthen the body's infection-fighting ability. High doses of vitamins and minerals should not be used without a doctor's approval.
Prognosis
If properly treated, the symptoms of bacterial folliculitis generally disappear in about two weeks. Fungal folliculitis should clear up within six weeks. But it can worsen if the condition is misdiagnosed and inappropriately treated with steroid creams.
Prevention
Anyone who has a tendency to develop folliculitis should cleanse the skin with antibacterial soap twice a day and before shaving and should not use oily skin lotions. Men should not shave while the beard area is infected. When they begin shaving again, they should use a new blade each time. Women who have had fungal folliculitis should use depilatory creams instead of razors. Daily shampooing can help prevent folliculitis in the scalp. The spread of infection can be prevented by not sharing towels or washcloths
For Your Information
Books
The Editors of Time-Life Books. The Medical Advisor: The Complete Guide to Alternative and Conventional Treatments. Alexandria, VA: Time Life, Inc., 1996.
Other
"Bacterial folliculitis." ThriveOnline. 5 Apr. 1998 http://thriveonline.oxygen.com
"Folliculitis." ThriveOnline. 5 Apr. 1998 http://thriveonline.oxygen.com
"Fungal Folliculitis." ThriveOnline. 5 Apr. 1998 http://thriveonline.oxygen.com my friend had the same thing, the md gave her a rx for a antibiotic. they told her not to take until she used a antibactrial soap for a couple days and if it didnt start to clear up then take the antibiotic With common names like hot tub folliculitis and barber's itch, folliculitis may sound more like a bad joke than a skin disorder. But folliculitis, an infection of the hair follicles, is no laughing matter. Severe cases may cause permanent hair loss and scarring, and even mild folliculitis can be uncomfortable and embarrassing.
Treatment for this is:
Folliculitis usually appears as small, white-headed pimples around one or more hair follicles 鈥?the tiny pockets from which each hair grows. Most infections are superficial, and although they may itch, they're seldom painful. Superficial folliculitis often clears by itself in a few days, but deep or recurring folliculitis may need medical treatment.
Avoid constricting clothing. Tight clothes 鈥?especially jeans and athletic wear 鈥?may be stylish, but make sure they don't chafe your skin.
Shave with care. Use an electric razor or a new blade every time you shave. Be especially careful to keep the shaved area clean and to avoid cuts and nicks. If you're a woman who gets frequent infections, you may want to consider depilatories or other methods of hair removal.
Maintain hot tubs. If you own a hot tub, clean it regularly and add chlorine when recommended. Use commercial tubs only if you're sure they're well maintained. Folliculitis
With common names like hot tub folliculitis and barber's itch, folliculitis may sound more like a bad joke than a skin disorder. But folliculitis, an infection of the hair follicles, is no laughing matter. Severe cases may cause permanent hair loss and scarring, and even mild folliculitis can be uncomfortable and embarrassing.
Folliculitis usually appears as small, white-headed pimples around one or more hair follicles 鈥?the tiny pockets from which each hair grows. Most infections are superficial, and although they may itch, they're seldom painful. Superficial folliculitis often clears by itself in a few days, but deep or recurring folliculitis may need medical treatment.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
The signs and symptoms of folliculitis vary, depending on the type of infection. In superficial forms of the disorder, small pimples develop around one or more hair follicles. One way to distinguish a follicular pimple from acne is that with a follicular pimple you often can see the hair shaft at the center of the lesion. The pimples sometimes contain pus (pustules), and they may crust over or be surrounded by an area that's red and inflamed. The infection may itch or be somewhat tender, but it usually isn't painful. Deep folliculitis, which affects the entire hair follicle, can cause more severe signs and symptoms, including large, painful, pus-filled pimples that may leave scars when they heal.
CAUSES
Every hair on your body grows from a follicle, a small pocket of modified skin. Although follicles are densest on your scalp, they occur everywhere except your palms, soles and mucous membranes such as your lips.
Each follicle is attached to a small muscle. When you're cold or frightened, the muscle contracts, raising the hairs above the level of your skin and giving the appearance of goose bumps. Just above these muscles are sebaceous glands that produce an oil (sebum) that lubricates your skin and coats each hair shaft. Sebum is carried to the follicles and skin in tiny ducts.
Normally, the follicles carry out these functions with few problems. But when they're damaged, they may be invaded by viruses, bacteria and fungi, leading to infections such as folliculitis.
RISK FACTORS
Anyone can develop folliculitis, but certain factors make you more susceptible to the condition. These include:
Medical conditions that reduce your resistance to infection, such as diabetes, chronic leukemia, organ transplantation and HIV/AIDS
A pre-existing skin condition such as acne or dermatitis
Trauma to your skin from surgery
Long-term antibiotic therapy for acne
Topical corticosteroid therapy
Obesity 鈥?folliculitis is more common in people who are overweight
Living in a warm, humid climate
WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE
Mild cases of folliculitis often clear up without any treatment. But if the infection doesn't improve in two or three days, appears to spread or recurs often, call your doctor or dermatologist. You may need antibiotics or antifungal medications to help control the problem.
SCREENING AND DIAGNOSIS
Your doctor is likely to diagnose folliculitis simply by looking at your skin. When standard treatments fail to clear the infection, your doctor may send a sample taken from one of your pustules to a laboratory, where it's grown on a special medium (cultured) and then checked for the presence of bacteria. When doctors suspect eosinophilic folliculitis, they may remove a small tissue sample (biopsy) from an active lesion for testing.
COMPLICATIONS
Mild cases of folliculitis aren't likely to cause complications, although the infection may recur or spread, leading to large, itchy patches of staph infection on the skin (plaques).
TREATMANT
Sometimes folliculitis goes away on its own in two or three days, but persistent or recurring cases are likely to require treatment. The therapy your doctor recommends will depend on the type and severity of your infection.
PREVENTION
Although it's not always possible to prevent folliculitis, these measures may help keep you infection-free:
Avoid constricting clothing. Tight clothes 鈥?especially jeans and athletic wear 鈥?may be stylish, but make sure they don't chafe your skin.
Shave with care. Use an electric razor or a new blade every time you shave. Be especially careful to keep the shaved area clean and to avoid cuts and nicks. If you're a woman who gets frequent infections, you may want to consider depilatories or other methods of hair removal.
Maintain hot tubs. If you own a hot tub, clean it regularly and add chlorine when recommended. Use commercial tubs only if you're sure they're well maintained.
SELF-CARE
Mild cases of folliculitis often respond well to home care. The following suggestions may help relieve discomfort, speed healing and prevent the infection from spreading:
Apply a warm, moist washcloth or compress to the affected area.
Try an oatmeal lotion or an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream to help soothe itchy skin.
Gently wash the infected skin twice a day with antibacterial soap or apply an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment.
Avoid shaving irritated skin. If you must shave, use an electric razor rather than a blade, and apply a soothing after-shave lotion when you're finished.
To help a boil or carbuncle burst and drain more quickly, apply a soft cloth soaked in warm salt water to the affected area for about 30 minutes several times a day. Prepare the salt water by adding 1 teaspoon of salt to 1 quart of boiling water. Let cool until comfortably warm.
Don't share your towels or washcloths, and launder them in plenty of hot, soapy water after every use. Wash clothes that cover the affected areas after each wearing. |
