Table of contents:

Hair follicle - characteristics
Causes of the disease
Symptoms, diagnosis, treatment
Prophylaxis

In the initial stage, the lesions affect only the follicle outlet (superficial nature of the condition). As the disease progresses, the lesions may involve the entire follicle including the surrounding area (deep-seated nature of the condition).

Important! Folliculitis can develop in any area of the body where hair grows. However, the condition most often occurs in (among others) the chin, back, legs.

Folliculitis - characteristics

A follicle is a variety of tubule located in the skin configuration from which hair grows. The underside of the follicle is innervated as well as supplied with blood - it houses the papilla, which gives rise to the hair-building cells.

The follicle contains the duct openings of the sebaceous glands (which produce sebum). This substance forms something resembling a "protective mantle" on the surface of the skin, against factors that can irritate it.

Causes of the condition

In fact, anyone can come across folliculitis.

The condition is favoured by:

swimming pools (insufficiently chlorinated water),
clothing that is too tight (rubbing the skin hard),
use of substances (which can block the hair follicles).

Follicular dermatitis can have two causes:

Infectious - the condition is caused by various types of pathogens:

bacterial (mainly staphylococcus aureus),
fungal (dermatophytes),
viral (e.g. herpes).

They are localised in the follicle, where they multiply - thus triggering the appearance of inflammation, which is the body's immune response.

Non-infectious - form as a result of excessive irritation of the skin, such as the aforementioned wearing of too tight clothing, as well as excessive sweating, which causes maceration (wetting) of the skin and increased susceptibility to irritation.

The condition can be triggered by too "zealous" hygiene - too frequent washing, causes "abrasion" of the protective layer of the epidermis (so-called "sebum"), thus exposing the skin to harmful substances. In addition:

depilation and shaving - these can create micro-injuries to the skin, making it easier for bacteria to penetrate the skin,
certain medications (e.g. glucocorticosteroids), cosmetics, as well as chemical compounds with a local effect (e.g. carbohydrates in oil) can also cause inflammation,
excessive use of sunbathing can cause inflammation of the skin - this is known as 'radiation folliculitis'.

Important! Diseases (including diabetes) are also predisposing factors for frequently contracting this type of skin condition.

Folliculitis, photo: panthermedia

Symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

Symptoms indicative of folliculitis are skin eruptions (sometimes with serous fluid or pus). The pustules may be in colonies and cause discomfort in the form of pain or itching.

Important! The condition begins with redness in the area of the hair follicle.

A common skin disorder is simple folliculitis - the disease is caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Its reservoir can be the nasal cavity, among other places. People who are prone to this type of affliction include patients with atopic dermatitis (AD).

Important! The disease is favoured by low attention to personal hygiene.

The characteristic symptom is pus-filled eruptions. Usually, the follicles from which the terminal hairs grow are "attacked" (including the scalp).

Important! It ismore common for men to suffer from this type of folliculitis than women - in whom the areas of appearance are limited.

In the case of severe and extensive lesions, the accompanying symptoms may be those resembling those of a cold (fever, enlarged lymph nodes).

A distinction is made between the following types of simple folliculitis:

Ordinary folliculitis of the chin.
Eczematous folliculitis of the chin
Eczematous folliculitis of the nasal vestibule

Treatment of the above conditions is topical, based on the application of disinfectant solutions and drying agents.

Important! In severe cases, antibiotic therapy is used - antibiotics that include staphylococci.

Another type is superficial folliculitis - the condition is most often caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

Causes of onset are:

occlusion (causes obstruction of blood vessels),
maceration (as a result of prolonged exposure to moisture, the top layers of the skin are damaged).

The symptom is follicular pustules (single hairs grow out of them). The disease is difficult to see (when only follicular hairs are involved) - they are characterised by being extremely short and light (covering most of the body area).

The pimples that appear burst after some time, forming scabs on the reddened skin (face, neck, among others).

Important! Symptoms of superficial folliculitis, may resemble skin lesions typical of acne, syphilis, halogenoderma.

In sporadic cases, the disease has a chronic form. In addition, symptoms in the form of pain or itching are rare.

Treatment is generally topical (e.g. antibiotic compresses to dry wounds, disinfectant solutions for the affected skin).

Folliculitis is diagnosed by a dermatologist through a physical examination and palpation. In addition, a swab is taken from the infected area to help make the diagnosis. Sometimes, basic laboratory tests are additionally performed (e.g. morphology, ESR, CRP).

Important! Folliculitis heals spontaneously (in the case of a mild course) - after a period of approximately two weeks.

In the initial treatment, the doctor recommends a topical ointment (e.g. containing sodium fusidate - antibacterial effect). When symptoms do not disappear, the patient is switched to systemic antibiotic therapy (tablets).

The healing process of the lesions can be assisted by the use of (inter alia) warm salt water compresses.

Folliculitis of a bacterial nature, is treated with antibiotics (bacitrocin, detromycin, neomycin, among others).

Prophylaxis

According to the saying: "prevention is better than cure" - it is advisable to use all kinds of body lotions and bathing liquids with care, so as not to damage the lipid layer of the skin. It is extremely important to disinfect your epilator or razor after each use. Disinfection can be carried out with simple salicylic spirit or hydrogen peroxide.

After epilation, it is worth using cosmetics that contain urea or allantoin, among others, which have a moisturising effect on the skin.

Important! The condition of folliculitis must not be underestimated under any circumstances - the changes may become chronic or take the form of boils. In both cases, treatment is not only lengthy, but also difficult.

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Folliculitis

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