Folliculitis

What is Folliculitis?

Folliculitis is a skin condition in which hair follicles become inflamed and/or infected, and is commonly caused by a fungal or bacterial infection. This condition may first appear as small red bumps or white-headed pimples around hair follicles but can spread into non-healing or crusty sores. While folliculitis is not life-threatening, it can be uncomfortable, unsightly,  sore, and itchy. Severe infections may lead to hair loss and scarring.

Symptoms of Folliculitis

• Blisters that are pus-filled may break open
• Clusters of small red bumps or white-headed pimples grow around hair follicles
• Burning, itchy skin
• Tender or painful skin
• A swollen bump or mass

There are also different forms of folliculitis, including superficial and deep folliculitis. Superficial forms involve part of the hair follicle, while deep forms involve the entire hair follicle.

What Causes Folliculitis?

While anyone can develop this condition, certain factors may put you at a higher risk, including having a medical condition that hinders your immune system, taking certain medications, regularly wearing clothing that traps heat and sweat, or soaking in hot tubs that are not well maintained.

Who is a Good Candidate for Folliculitis Treatment?

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms above, or if your signs and symptoms do not go away after a few days, contact our office today to schedule a consultation. Please contact our office today to get started!

Diagnosing Folliculitis

Diagnosing folliculitis infections usually begins with a physical exam of the affected skin around the hair follicles to determine whether it’s a superficial or deep form. Common symptoms like pus-filled bumps, itchy pustules, or razor bumps help guide the diagnosis, but if infections are recurrent or severe, additional tests such as a skin biopsy, swab, or fungal culture of the affected area may be needed. These help identify causes like bacterial folliculitis (often from staphylococcus aureus), fungal types such as malassezia or pityrosporum folliculitis, or less commonly, viral folliculitis (e.g., herpes simplex virus) skin diseases.

We may also consider underlying factors like a weakened immune system, antiretroviral therapy, or prolonged antibiotic use, especially in eosinophilic pustular folliculitis or gram negative folliculitis. Exposure to poorly maintained hot tubs may suggest hot tub folliculitis or pseudomonas folliculitis (hot tub rash), and we will review your medical history, hair removal methods, and clothing habits to rule out triggers like improper hair growth or pseudofolliculitis barbae.

Folliculitis Treatments

Treatment options will depend on the severity of your condition, and which treatment options you have already tried. Common treatments include:

Creams or pills for infection: For cases of mild infections, an antibiotic cream or lotion may be prescribed. Oral antibiotics used to treat folliculitis that is more widespread and may be used for severe or recurrent infections.

Creams or pills for fungal infections: These medications are used to treat infections caused by fungus or yeast.

Creams or pills for inflammation: A steroid cream or anti-inflammatory pill may be used to ease itching in the case of eosinophilic folliculitis.

Minor surgery: For patients with a large boil, your dermatologist may create a small incision to drain the pus. This can relieve discomfort and speed up recovery.

Laser hair removal: In severe cases, if other treatment options do not work, long-term hair removal with the GentleLase Pro laser therapy may help to clear up soft tissue infections.

What to Expect During Folliculitis Treatment?

During folliculitis treatment, the approach will be tailored to the type of folliculitis, the severity of the condition, and its cause—whether facial bacterial infections, fungal folliculitis, or viral infections. You may be instructed to use warm compresses, avoid shaving, or switch to an electric razor with shaving cream to reduce friction and trauma to the oil glands and affected follicles. Throughout your treatment, it’s important to keep the skin clean, avoid tight clothing, and adhere to any recommendations for medical treatment to improve outcomes and help prevent folliculitis from recurring.

Following Folliculitis Treatment

Following treatment, patients will notice an improvement in their symptoms and a clearing up of their infection. Be sure to follow your dermatologist’s specific instructions on how to care for your skin post-treatment.

In order to prevent folliculitis in the future, we recommend these tips:

• Avoid wearing tight clothing.
• Avoid shaving, if possible, or shave with care.
• Only use clean hot tubs and clean heated pools.
• If you wear rubber gloves frequently due to your profession, dry out your hands and gloves between uses.

Schedule a Consultation

To learn more about folliculitis treatment at HMGS Dermatology, contact our office today! We will be happy to help you schedule your consultation appointment with one of our skilled dermatologists or physician assistants.