Folliculitis - Causes and Treatment

You may have heard of various skin disorders that are ready to thrust pain and sufferings to human beings in a massive way. Folliculitis is one such skin disorder related to the hair follicles of the body that plays the same role of causing trouble to the sufferers in an acute manner. The folliculitis is obviously related to 'hair follicles'. So this skin problem is basically located to the parts of the body where hair looms large.

The common cause of folliculitis is the invasion of bacteria, most commonly by Staphylococcus aureus that cause severe inflammation on the surface of the skin. It may be located anywhere of the skin where there is hair save the sole of the feet and the palms. The people who generally have got them shaved in the barber's shop or even a home may be affected with folliculitis. The most important factor regarding folliculitis is that it spares no one, not even a child.

Folliculitis causes surface inflammation of the skin of the body. It appears on the skin just like pustules that is filled with pus. The pustules are formed around the follicles of the hair located in the middle of the lesion. The affected parts cause mild pain as soon as the lesions are swollen. Soon the itching starts and causes tremendous discomfort.

If the fair follicle of your body is mildly injured due to any injury, friction or skin-tight garments folliculitis is initiated. Folliculitis may be caused by fungi, dermatophytes or Pityrosporum. If you have to spend long time in the watery regions contaminated by Pseudomonas aeruginosa you may be invaded with folliculitis too.

Again folliculitis may be caused due to some specific reasons.

• If you perspire all the time and let the perspiration dry on your skin the follicles on the skin are blocked for a prolonged period resulting in folliculitis.

• The common skin disorders like acne and dermatitis lead to folliculitis too.

• If all on a sudden your skin is scratched a bit or bruised.

• 'Fight' with your razor while shaving may lead to suffering from folliculitis. They just appear on the face with a blister form filled with pus. Your effort to shave with a blunt razor also leads to such a catastrophic state of the face. Gradually Staphylococcus creeps in and causes folliculitis.

• It may be so that you have to don a tight dress for a long time. This prolonged tightness causes friction on the skin and as a result folliculitis grows.

The causes of folliculitis are many. Some are called superficial folliculitis; some may be termed as Deep folliculitis.

Superficial folliculitis may be categorized in this way:

1. Barber's itch
2. Tinea barbae
3. Herpetic folliculitis
4. Pityrosporum folliculitis
5. Pseudomonas folliculitis.

• Barber's itch is generally caused due to bad shave with a blunt razor or blade. Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for this disorder.

• Tinea barbae is specifically caused by fungus. At any part of the part they may appear with blisters filled with pus.

• Herpetic folliculitis is caused by herpes simplex. When the fluid filled with virus spreads the hair follicles of the body the area is infected.

• Pityrosporum folliculitis is generally caused by the invasion of a fungus called Malassezia furfur. The itchy pustules are located on the neck, chest, face, shoulders and the back.

• Pseudomonas folliculitis is caused due to the rapid invasion of the bacteria named after it. They easily thrive in the hot and humid atmosphere. This type of infection is called Hot tub folliculitis too as the wooden bath tubs are usually responsible for the attack. The persons who are infected may suffer from red bumps. Gradually these bumps turn into pus filled blisters. Those who have bruises or cuts on their skin or suffer from diabetes are get infected very quickly.

Now we have to discuss on Deep folliculitis which are of two types.

1. Gram Negative folliculitis
2. Boils

• Gram Negative folliculitis affects those persons who have been treated for a long time with antibiotics to cure their acnes. The antibiotics in a massive scale alter the bacteria of the nose paving the way for the Gram negative bacteria. As a result when the bacteria try to spread on the hairy part of the face affecting the follicles the infection is caused. If you maintain proper hygiene you have no chance to be affected.

• Boils generally are formed as an invasion of the Staphylococcus bacteria. The boils are generally filled with pus gradually break and dry.

In the final phase we have to discuss how to combat folliculitis, in a word, we have to find way how to treat folliculitis.

The treatment of folliculitis depends on the extent of your infection.

If you suffer from Barber's itch it is advised not to shave until the infection gets properly cured. You can take antibiotic if the case is severe.

It is the Hot tub folliculitis that is generally treated with a topical cream. The problem is excessive itching. The cream stops itching. But if it takes long time to get cured you must have to swallow antibiotic capsules.

An antifungal cream is sufficient to cure Tinea barbae.

Topical and oral antifungal is enough to treat the Pityosporum folliculitis. The bad side of the ailment is that it recurs again and again hence it is better to continue the treatment for a prolonged period though present infection is absent.

When the question of herpetic folliculitis comes to the purview it must be noted that it is self limited. If it is seen that the disorder is not cleared within a week then there comes the question of using an antiviral medicine.

Folliculitis caused due to Gram negative organism is the side effect of using antibiotics for a prolonged period. It is only the reference of a medic that may cure you from the ailment.

Boils are self limited problems provided they are not infected. If an infection is not cured you may take antibiotics for a few days. It is better to drain the pus in the very initial period so that you may evade the inflammation.

Finally it must be remembered that folliculitis is never a deadly infection, hence there is no need to pass sleepless nights. The thing that you have to do is to take care in the very initial period so that it can never get the better of you.