What is folliculitis? Learn to detect it

Folliculitis is included within the various pathologies that can affect our scalp and that are annoying in our day to day, as well as can be an impediment when having a hair graft, or after the intervention.

In this article we tell you what it is, its causes and how to detect it.

What is folliculitis?

Folliculitis is an infection of the polysebaceous follicle, generally produced by bacteria.

It is important to control these types of infections because they can trigger scar lesions at the level of the place where they develop.

However, the usual thing is that it occurs in mild cases and that in a few days it is solved by taking some basic measures and / or the medication that the specialist recommends. 

Symptoms of folliculitis

Folliculitis has a series of clear symptoms thanks to which it is very easy to detect its appearance.

• Red bumps around the hair follicle.
• Severe itching and burning sensation.
• Pain and skin sensitivity at times.
• Papules with pus that end up crusting.

What types are there?

The types of folliculitis are grouped into two groups according to their seriousness. There are superficial and deep folliculitis.

Superficial folliculitis

Superficial folliculitis affects only part of the follicle without completely damaging it. The most common causative agent is S. aureus. And there are factors such as waxing, deep shaving, sweating or humidity that favor its appearance.

It appears as peripollicular erythematous papules that later develop yellowish-white pustules centered by a hair and surrounded by an inflammatory halo.

Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate it from other folliculitis or pathologies in which similar papules and concomitant agents coexist.

It can also be due to other causes such as pesudomonas auriginosa.

Pseudomonas folliculitis

This type of folliculitis is also known as hot tub folliculitis and can present with the rash of red bumps that cause intense itching. It usually appears after having been in places like swimming pools and hot tubs with poorly regulated pH and chlorine levels.

Deep folliculitis

Deep folliculitis is more serious because it affects the entire follicle. Within them we find different causal agents that affect different locations. As an example we have the psychosis of the beard, the boil or the stye, which is an eyelash folliculitis.

Beard sycosis

It usually occurs in men when they begin to shave and it can cause pustules that without proper treatment can become chronic.

Help prevent it

Now that we have explained the types of folliculitis that exist, we will tell you what can help you prevent it:

Don't wear clothes that are too tight

The friction of clothing against the skin can help with folliculitis.

If you wear gloves, never wear them wet again

Humidity is not good when it comes to preventing folliculitis since fungi and bacteria do well in it.

Don't shave if you don't have to

If you have a propensity for curling hair and also have curly hair, avoid shaving as much as possible to keep your skin free of irritation or ingrown hairs.

Make sure your pool is always well regulated

It is necessary to always keep it clean and add the necessary chlorine with the regularity indicated by the experts, as well as we must ensure that any outdoor pool or jacuzzi that we use is equally well cared for.

Keep well exfoliated and clean

Having clean and fresh skin at all times helps us prevent bacteria from penetrating under the skin's surface, avoiding in many cases folliculitis or making it as mild as possible.