Folliculitis – A Major Threat To Our Healthy Hair & Skin

We all love our smooth, silky, and long hair. Owing to our busy schedules, we often neglect to take proper care of our hair like washing hair, oiling it, and wearing a protein mask. Avoiding these things often leads to issues like folliculitis.

Folliculitis is a common skin problem and can occur on any skin region containing hair. It majorly begins with the hair region and causes severe inflammation and hair loss. It is majorly caused by bacteria. It can also be caused by fungi, some viruses, and certain other reasons.

Folliculitis- The Most Common Types:

• Staphylococcus aureus folliculitis– This is the most common type of folliculitis. It is caused due to a bacteria namely, Staphylococcus aureus. It is visible as small red patches and can be cured at home. However, proper medical treatment is generally suggested.
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa(“hot tub”) folliculitis-Psuedomonasaeruginosa is a bacteria living in hot baths. This infection looks normal, similar to the infection caused by staphylococcus. It causes rashes and itchiness. It goes away from exposing it to water and rarely medical attention is needed.
• Malassezia folliculitis- This type of yeast, generally found on all skin surfaces causes itchiness. This type of folliculitis becomes worse because of the sweat outpour. It can be managed by using anti-dandruff shampoo regularly.
• Pseudofolliculitisbarbae- This is also referred to as the ‘razor bumps,’ and is caused due to shaving. Hence the use of trimmers for men and waxing for women
• Gram-negative folliculitis- This occurs when too many antibiotics are used to treat acne problems for a long time. It can, in fact, lead to the growth of these bacteria in the skin regions and can worsen the acne issue. Medical attention is required in this case.
• Carbuncles- This kind of folliculitis leads to the appearance of several boils at a single spot. It is caused due to multiple infected hair follicles.
• Furuncles- This type is severely red, tender, and painful. It has the potential to leave a scar behind it. Consulting a dermatologist immediately you notice it would help to treat it better.

 

The Major Causes:

There are many causes of Folliculitis some of which are:

• Inflammation of the ingrown hair, loss or damage of hair follicles, having acne and dermatitis.
• Use of an oral antibiotic for a prolonged period of time.
• Shaving often with unclean blades.
• Bacteria living in the nose and nails when coming in contact with the hair follicles and other skin surfaces can spread.
• Excessive sweating and not cleaning the sweat properly.
• Touching unclean areas which may have bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
• Usage of hot baths more often can also cause folliculitis.

 

Are you a victim of Folliculitis? Here’s how you can find it.

Here are some of the noticeable symptoms if you are prone to folliculitis.

Folliculitis appears as small, red-sized bumps with hair in the center. It looks similar to a pimple on skin regions. It can be painful and give an uncomfortable feeling. For some, it appears as whiteheads on hair follicles and skin. It can provoke to one scratch the affected regions often. But it is advisable not to do so as it further increases the risk of spreading.

Folliculitis appears all of a sudden and may or may not cause pain. But one thing that is always evident is the presence of bumps. So, if you notice bumps and spots appearing on any region of the skin containing hair, it is best to visit a dermatologist at the earliest and get it cured.

 

Preventive Measures:

Imagining the pain that folliculitis can give is itself horrible. And losing hair or the skin’s beauty is something which no one would like to do. Here is a list of preventive measures that can be taken in order to stay away from folliculitis.

• Keep your hands and nails clean. Avoid touching the hair and skin unnecessarily.
• Use clean combs to brush hair.
• Make sure the hot tubs are free from bacterial contamination. For this one can check for the chemicals used as disinfectants and their level of warmth.
• Wearing clothes that are not too tight to keep the sweat trapped within.
• Proper cleaning or bath must be taken after doing heavy exercises. As the amount of sweat released would be high.
• Clean blades to be used while shaving hair. Usage of trimmers is generally recommended.

Diagnosis & Treatment:

Although Folliculitis can be treated at home, it is always best to consult a dermatologist. Several cases of folliculitis may need oral medication and other types of treatment. Major concerns are given to folliculitis infections which spread to different regions of the skin. Also, these infections might lead to fever, chillness, fatigue, and painful bumps filled with fluid.

Hence, folliculitis is not a thing to worry about when you cure it at the right time. So, take the necessary precautions and keep your hair and skin healthy and smiling.