Are you having small red itchy bumps and rashes on your skin? You may have been affected by a condition called Folliculitis. Read on and know all about Folliculitis – what is Folliculitis, what causes Folliculitis, what are the symptoms of Folliculitis and more.

Folliculitis Definition

Photo 1 – Folliculitis
Source – skindisordersguide

Folliculitis is a health condition that involves the swelling of one or more follicles of the hair. The disease may strike any part of the skin. It commonly affects areas of the body like scalp, face, cheeks, neck, arms, armpits, chest, back, groin, genital region and legs. One can also have Folliculitis on buttocks. The only areas that remain unaffected by Folliculitis are the palms and soles of the body.

Types of Folliculitis

Depending on the intensity of symptoms, Folliculitis is classified into two types :

Superficial Folliculitis

It affects the external surface of the body. In Superficial Folliculitis, rashes and papules develop on the skin surface in any area of the body except the palms and soles.

Superficial Folliculitis itself can be of different subtypes, such as :

Bacterial Folliculitis

It results from a bacterial infection, mainly of the Staphylococcus bacteria variety. A Staphylococcal Folliculitis arises due to infection from a blunt blade while shaving. An infection by the Pseudomonas bacteria can lead to Pseudomonas Folliculitis, also known as Hot Tub Folliculitis. A person usually gets it from hot wooden tubs and develops red itchy lumps within a day after exposure.

Fungal Folliculitis

It arises when fungus or yeast infects the deeper layers of the hair follicles or the skin. Tinea barbae is a well known Fungal Folliculitis. Tinea Folliculitis Barbae can result in pus-filled, deep red bumps on any part of the body.

Viral Folliculitis

It is caused by a viral infection, mainly by the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV).

Parasitic Folliculitis

This occurs when small, parasitic micro-organisms nest themselves into the hair follicle and lay eggs there.

Deep Folliculitis

In this condition, the infection extends deep into the hair follicle and affects either the entire follicle or a deeper area of the follicle.

Deep Folliculitis can also be subdivided into various subtypes like :

Gram Negative Folliculitis

This happens in people who use antibiotics for a long time for acne treatment. Antibiotics disrupt the normal bacterial balance in the body and result in profusion of harmful organisms.

Eosinophilic Folliculitis

Photo 2 – Eosinophilic Folliculitis Picture
Source – paraorkut

It is generally visible in people who are affected by HIV infection. It is also known as Eosinophilic Pustular Folliculitis.

Deep Bacterial Folliculitis

This occurs when there is deep infection of the hair follicles by the Staphylococcus bacteria. It leads to boils and carbuncles on various regions of the skin surface.

Infected Hair Follicle, or Folliculitis, is defined as a condition that causes the swelling of the hair follicles. Read on to know about the various ways by which this ailment can be treated.

There are many treatments for infected hair follicle that can provide relief to a Folliculitis patient. These can effectively diagnose and control the causes as well as symptoms of hair follicle infection. Know about the various treatment procedures used for infected hair follicle as well as the types of infection they are used for.