If you’ve ever had a shave, laser hair removal, or Brazilian wax, you may have had the unpleasant experience of small, round, red blisters appearing afterwards. If the area is itchy, painful and has pus, it is likely to be ‘folliculitis’.
Folliculitis, as the name suggests, is an inflammation of the hair follicles (hair follicles). It happens when bacteria and fungi penetrate the weakened skin. When the symptoms are mild, they can be cured by just cleaning the skin, but when the symptoms are severe, the number of blisters increases rapidly and they can spread to the surrounding area. If the symptoms are severe and you are worried about the pigmentation remaining after the improvement, it is better to treat it. Learn more about folliculitis with Haidak experts.
FolliculitisㅣSource: Getty Image Bank
C. The difference between folliculitis and acne
Acne and folliculitis are similar but different diseases. When acne occurs, the hair follicle becomes inflamed as folliculitis. However, unlike folliculitis, the main cause of acne is the accumulation of sebum in the hair follicles.
The way to distinguish between acne and folliculitis is to see if there are ‘comedones’. Comedones are typical lesions of acne and appear only in acne. Common whiteheads are closed comedones and blackheads are open comedones.
Acne evolves into an inflammatory lesion through comedones. On the other hand, folliculitis appears as a red, painful inflammation without the formation of comedones.
– Haidaq Dermatology Counseling Doctor Yoo Seo-rye (Lee Ji-ham Dermatology Clinic)
Q. What causes folliculitis?
The causes of folliculitis are very diverse. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what causes folliculitis, as there are various causes such as reduced immunity, external environment, skin irritation, eating habits, sleeping patterns, and heredity. Because of this, it is also difficult to cure folliculitis. When symptoms worsen, it is best to manage appropriately to relieve the symptoms accordingly.
– Hwang Jeong-wook, consultant at Haidak Plastic Surgery Clinic (Mojerim Plastic Surgery Clinic)
C. When scalp folliculitis is severe
It is useful to take medicines based on minocycline (antibiotics) prescribed by the hospital. Also, washing your hair with a shampoo that contains zinc pyrithione can improve it.
If the inflammation is severe and yellow pus arises and the pain is severe, you can extrude it by pressing very gently with a cotton swab. However, be careful as using strong pressure and repeated extrusion can damage the hair follicles and scalp.
– Hwang Jeong-wook, consultant at Haidak Plastic Surgery Clinic (Mojerim Plastic Surgery Clinic)
C. How to treat folliculitis that often occurs in the chest and back
Folliculitis that occurs on the chest or back is often caused by an overgrowth of the normal flora that originally resides in the body. Instead of saying something is wrong, the original germs become better at living, so folliculitis gets worse and often recurs. For example, when you are too tired or stressed, your immunity is low, or when your body temperature rises, the normal flora can overgrow.
Because of this, preventing a recurrence is not easy. This is because as long as we continue with our daily lives, the environment can be created for it to happen again. Also, since they are germs that normally live in the body, there is no treatment that can kill them all.
Therefore, do not stress too much that it happens again often, and if you are about to happen again, it is better to visit the hospital as soon as possible and get treatment. Folliculitis, which usually occurs on the body, requires the use of antibiotics and antifungals for about a month. However, some patients do not respond well to antibiotics or antifungals, in which case you may need to take acne medication.
– Dermatology Counseling Doctor Haidak Younghoon Kim (Celine Dermatology Clinic)
* This article has been reproduced from a Haidak expert answer.
Support = Haidak Consulting Doctor Yoo Seo-rye (Lee Ji-ham Dermatologist Clinic), Haidak Consulting Doctor Hwang Jung-wook (Plastic Surgery Specialist Mojerim Plastic Surgery Clinic), Haidak Consulting Doctor Kim Yeong-hoon (Celine Dermatology Clinic Dermatologist)
