It is an inflammation of one or more hair follicles. This condition can occur anywhere on the skin. It results in tender red spots often with surface pustules. It could occur due to infection, irritation, occlusion and specific skin diseases. It affects both men and women at any stage of their lives. Although it can develop on any part of the body but is more likely to occur on the face, scalp armpits, arms, legs or areas usually not covered by clothing. It results in small, yellowish white blister like lumps which are surrounded by narrow red rings which are caused by both fungal foliculitis and bacterial folliculitis. They can result in boils and in some cases serious skin infections. The bacteria can enter the blood stream and travel to other parts of the body.

Cause

It occurs when hair follicles are damaged by friction from clothing, shaving or blockage of the follicle. In a number of cases the damaged follicles get infected with the bacteria Staphylococcus. The cause of Folliculitis could also be yeast and another kind of fungus. If the cause of it is a fungus, then it is often seen in people who have trouble fighting infections as they have an impaired immune system. In order to decide if folliculitis is due to infection, swabs must be taken from the pustules for culture in the laboratory.

Symptoms

The symptoms of folliculitis include rashes, pimples or a pustule located around hair follicles which are generally present around the neck axilla or the groin and is also accompanied with the itching of the skin.

Treatment

Bacterial folliculitis does not require any treatment as it may vanish away but it can recur. Non prescription topical antibiotics such as Bacitracin or Neomycin can be applied to the affected areas three or four times a day in order to clear up the small number of bacterial folliculitis pustules. Oral antibiotics may be prescribed in the case of widespread infection.

One must clean the affected area twice a day with a mild antibacterial soap. One should wear loose cotton clothing in order to prevent folliculitis. In severe cases of folliculitis, the doctor puts the patient on antibiotics.

One should include a balanced diet which must include complex carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, fresh fruits and vegetables and must drink ten glasses of water a day in order to stimulate the body’s immune system and shorten the course of infection.

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