Folliculitis

What is folliculitis?

Folliculitis is a condition that causes your hair follicles to become inflamed. It can occur as a result of infection, irritation and various skin diseases.^[3]

It can affect the hair follicles superficially, or it can be much deeper, causing redness and irritation. An infection is usually behind most cases of folliculitis, but hair follicles can become inflamed because of ingrown hairs, or because of medications that affect the skin, such as cyclosporine and lithium.

Folliculitis is usually confirmed by a clinician who looks at the affected areas of the skin and asks some questions about your symptoms. The condition can affect both men and women, although some fungal strains, such as Malassezia folliculitis, tend to affect men more commonly.^[1]

Who gets folliculitis?

Anyone can get folliculitis. The infection can occur anywhere where pilosebaceous units (the hair shaft, hair follicle and sebaceous gland) are found on your body.

The most common bacterial form of the infection is caused by Staphylococcus aureus, more commonly referred to as Staph.^[2]

People who have a history of diabetes, or anyone who is immunocompromised, are at a greater risk of developing this condition. Shaving frequently can also increase your chances of developing folliculitis.^[1]

How common is folliculitis?

Folliculitis is considered a common infection,^[1] but there isn’t much evidence to say how often people are affected by it.

A clinician will usually check to see if any other skin diseases might be causing your itching. You might also be asked whether you’ve used a hot tub or swimming pool recently, as bacterial folliculitis often spreads there.

Common causes of folliculitis include:

• spending time in hot tubs
• rubbing your skin often
• damage from shaving
• tight clothing that causes rubbing

Keeping on top of your personal hygiene is a helpful way of preventing folliculitis from recurring once you’ve treated your infection.

If you think your shaving or a skincare routine might be causing it, we’ll recommend adjustments that can reduce damage to your hair follicles.

What causes folliculitis?

Folliculitis can occur on your body wherever hair grows, and there are lots of things that can cause an infection.

One of the most common places that folliculitis spreads is in hot tubs. Sometimes referred to as pseudomonas folliculitis, this is an infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a type of bacteria that can survive in chlorinated water (most bacteria can’t survive in these conditions).

If you’re planning on using a hot tub or jacuzzi, you should make sure it is cleaned regularly to limit your chances of picking up an infection.

You can also develop folliculitis by sharing towels and razors with other people, usually when Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria is present. Most common types of folliculitis don’t spread person-to-person, though.

What are the symptoms of folliculitis?

The severity of folliculitis symptoms can vary, depending on the type of infection you have. The most common symptoms, whether your infection is bacterial, viral, or caused by inflammation, are raised, red bumps on your skin where your follicles are. They look like tiny spots and, sometimes, these raised bumps contain pus.

The bumps can appear anywhere you have hair, but they’re more likely to appear in areas prone to irritation, from repeated rubbing caused by clothes, or damage from shaving.

It’s common for the skin to itch, and sometimes it can be painful. A skin scraping, or swab test, might be necessary if your folliculitis symptoms aren’t responding to standard treatments.

Can folliculitis lead to other problems?

Folliculitis isn’t usually a sign of a more serious condition, and having an infection shouldn’t cause any long-term damage to your skin or general health.

Scratching and itching any skin condition too much can cause infection, so should be avoided. It can also cause scarring if your scratching is severe, so if your urge to itch is persistent, you could look at treatments such as creams or ointments which are designed to soothe irritation.