Folliculitis
I'm writing this lens to discuss and explore the acne-like skin infection known as folliculitis. I'll cover the various types of folliculitis, the common and alternative treatments available, psychological factors to consider and my recent personal experience with this condition. I hope this will be of help and comfort to you if you too are suffering from a folliculitis infection. Just knowing that others are going through the same thing and that it's just a condition that can be sorted out will be of some consolation.
My Experience With Folliculitis
...how I became Spotty Muldoon overnight and discovered the joys of folliculitis skin infections - yay!
Folliculitis Removal
When I started getting spots on my face about 7 weeks ago, I figured I must have been overdoing it a bit and needed to detox. I immediately went on a water fast for a day, followed by two days on just raw apples. In the past, this would have been more than enough to clear up skin blemishes and I should have looked and felt really good. Only thing was, it didn't make a bit of difference! I was getting even more spots. What was going on? This shouldn't be happening. I was a 38-year-old 'health nut' of a man not a 14-year-old junkfood-eating boy -- I shouldn't be getting acne spots!
Well, like it or not, I was getting acne-like spots and they seemed to be multiplying over my face and neck. There's nothing like having a big zit on your nose to really make your day!
I upped my liquid intake -- consuming lots of water. I washed my face morning and night with Oxy face wash (it had always worked for me in the past). I was already eating lots of fresh, organic fruit and vegetables. Surely that would fix it?
No, the spots kept coming (red ones, whiteheads, crusty ones ... the complete pizza menu!).
I went to Google and started searching ... acne, adult acne, skin infections. Oh my gosh, there was a whole world of nasties out there. The worst is if you click on image search results and get hit by the absolute extreme cases. I was scared when I saw how bad some people get hit by skin infections. I looked at hives, scabies, impetigo, psoriasis, ecsema (how do you spell that?!), and a host of things that I have now deliberately forgotten. Somewhere in the mix I also read about folliculitis. But to be honest I didn't know what I had. Follicultis sounded like the most likely -- but there were many different types of folliculitis.
When I started getting spots on my face about 7 weeks ago, I figured I must have been overdoing it a bit and needed to detox. I immediately went on a water fast for a day, followed by two days on just raw apples. In the past, this would have been more than enough to clear up skin blemishes and I should have looked and felt really good. Only thing was, it didn't make a bit of difference! I was getting even more spots. What was going on? This shouldn't be happening. I was a 38-year-old 'health nut' of a man not a 14-year-old junkfood-eating boy -- I shouldn't be getting acne spots!
Well, like it or not, I was getting acne-like spots and they seemed to be multiplying over my face and neck. There's nothing like having a big zit on your nose to really make your day!
I upped my liquid intake -- consuming lots of water. I washed my face morning and night with Oxy face wash (it had always worked for me in the past). I was already eating lots of fresh, organic fruit and vegetables. Surely that would fix it?
No, the spots kept coming (red ones, whiteheads, crusty ones ... the complete pizza menu!).
I went to Google and started searching ... acne, adult acne, skin infections. Oh my gosh, there was a whole world of nasties out there. The worst is if you click on image search results and get hit by the absolute extreme cases. I was scared when I saw how bad some people get hit by skin infections. I looked at hives, scabies, impetigo, psoriasis, ecsema (how do you spell that?!), and a host of things that I have now deliberately forgotten. Somewhere in the mix I also read about folliculitis. But to be honest I didn't know what I had. Follicultis sounded like the most likely -- but there were many different types of folliculitis.
I get medical folliculitis treatment
Taking my folliculitis face to the Doctor!
I really hate medical intervention and avoid medicines and pharmaceutical products as much as I can. So I started looking for natural cures to get rid of it and at the very least control it. These worked to some extent but it felt like a real battle that has just stretched on week after week. I did go to the Doctors after about 3 weeks of this. She told me it was folliculitis and prescribed antibiotics. I got my prescription and went home. For the next two days I was elated, the spots were clearing. Yay!
...But then they came back. Before the course of antiobiotics had finished. Oh-my-god! No-ooooooo-oooooooo!
Well, I didn't know what to do then. I had read of certain types of hardcore acne that resulted from taking too much antibiotics. And that there were types of folliculitis that didn't respond to antibiotics. It was all so confusing. So I just kept going, getting different types of supplement, trying different cleansing regimes, natural cures, supplements and so on.
Finally, just this last weekend, I looked a real mess. In trying to treat and fight the spots, my skin had dried up and it started sloughing off my chin and upper lip. I felt hideous. :-) My wife and son were completely non-judgemental and supportive as they had been all along. But I just felt like hiding in a dark cupboard somewhere. So I finally booked another doctor's appointment and just this morning went back to see her.
Turns out the pharmacy had given me the wrong type of antibiotic (a general kind called Amoxicillin instead of one for skin called Flucloxacillin). She gave me another course of antibiotics (making sure it was the Flucloxacillin kind this time) and a fungal cream in case it is fungal like folliculitis barbae. She also prescribed an anti-fungal medication (miconazole nitrate) but we decided I would go on that following the antiobiotics -- just in case the side affects of taking both medicines simultaneously were too much. If the antibiotics and cream don't work completely, I will go and get the anti-fungal meds too.
...But then they came back. Before the course of antiobiotics had finished. Oh-my-god! No-ooooooo-oooooooo!
Well, I didn't know what to do then. I had read of certain types of hardcore acne that resulted from taking too much antibiotics. And that there were types of folliculitis that didn't respond to antibiotics. It was all so confusing. So I just kept going, getting different types of supplement, trying different cleansing regimes, natural cures, supplements and so on.
Finally, just this last weekend, I looked a real mess. In trying to treat and fight the spots, my skin had dried up and it started sloughing off my chin and upper lip. I felt hideous. :-) My wife and son were completely non-judgemental and supportive as they had been all along. But I just felt like hiding in a dark cupboard somewhere. So I finally booked another doctor's appointment and just this morning went back to see her.
Turns out the pharmacy had given me the wrong type of antibiotic (a general kind called Amoxicillin instead of one for skin called Flucloxacillin). She gave me another course of antibiotics (making sure it was the Flucloxacillin kind this time) and a fungal cream in case it is fungal like folliculitis barbae. She also prescribed an anti-fungal medication (miconazole nitrate) but we decided I would go on that following the antiobiotics -- just in case the side affects of taking both medicines simultaneously were too much. If the antibiotics and cream don't work completely, I will go and get the anti-fungal meds too.
Folliculitis Info
Symptoms, treatments and cures for the various types of folliculitis
Folliculitis can be a very distressing skin infection particularly when it attacks your face, causing spots, whitehead papules and crusting zits.
Types of Folliculitis
There are two forms of folliculitis: superficial and deep/recurring folliculitis.
Superficial folliculitis sometimes clears by itself within a few days and includes the following variants of folliculitis:
* Pseudomonas folliculitis (hot tub folliculitis)
* Barber's itch
* Tinea barbae
* Pseudofolliculitis barbae
* Pityrosporum folliculitis
* Herpetic folliculitis
Deep or recurring folliculitis includes the following:
* Gram-negative folliculitis
* Boils and carbuncles
* Eosinophilic folliculitis
To read a concise description of the symptoms of each of these, see:
http://edition.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00512.html
Types of Folliculitis
There are two forms of folliculitis: superficial and deep/recurring folliculitis.
Superficial folliculitis sometimes clears by itself within a few days and includes the following variants of folliculitis:
* Pseudomonas folliculitis (hot tub folliculitis)
* Barber's itch
* Tinea barbae
* Pseudofolliculitis barbae
* Pityrosporum folliculitis
* Herpetic folliculitis
Deep or recurring folliculitis includes the following:
* Gram-negative folliculitis
* Boils and carbuncles
* Eosinophilic folliculitis
To read a concise description of the symptoms of each of these, see:
http://edition.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00512.html
Medical treatments for folliculitis
What your Doctor or Dermatologist will likely give you to cure folliculitis
Medical treatments for folliculitis seem to focus on antibiotics and antifungals.
Antibiotics might be topical (creams or lotions you put on your skin like Neosporin) or oral (pills you swallow). I've been prescribed a course of 500mg Flucloxacillin capsules to be taken 4 times a day for a week.
Antifungals again can be topical (like the miconazole nitrate cream I was prescribed today) or oral.
Your doctor may also prescribe an anti-pruritic medication to help you control itching if that is a problem. I find my skin does get itchy, around the jawline, especially at night in bed.
The Mayo Clinic website summarizes treatments for the different types of folliculitis here:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/folliculitis/DS00512/DSECTION=8
Antibiotics might be topical (creams or lotions you put on your skin like Neosporin) or oral (pills you swallow). I've been prescribed a course of 500mg Flucloxacillin capsules to be taken 4 times a day for a week.
Antifungals again can be topical (like the miconazole nitrate cream I was prescribed today) or oral.
Your doctor may also prescribe an anti-pruritic medication to help you control itching if that is a problem. I find my skin does get itchy, around the jawline, especially at night in bed.
The Mayo Clinic website summarizes treatments for the different types of folliculitis here:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/folliculitis/DS00512/DSECTION=8
Natural and alternative treatments for folliculitis
Searching for natural folliculitis cures?
Folliculitis Removal
Natural treatments are always my first choice. Sometimes that is a good thing and sometimes it just prolongs my suffering! There are times when hardcore proven science will have to rescue you from the fuzzy-thinking, anecdotal world of alternative health!
That said, here is what I have been using to cope with folliculitis.
During the times when I thought I might just have acne, I tried a host of natural acne remedies which included:
* 3 day apple diet cure for acne. Result: no significant change... and hunger!
* Manuka honey applied topically on my face (for 30 mins and also overnight). Result: very limited improvement. Better off swallowing it.
* Salt and baking soda face scrub as recommended in an online acne cure book. Result: no obvious improvement. Ouch!
* Lemon juice on spots. Result: slight sting with no obvious improvement.
* Tea tree oil and tea tree moisturiser. Result: Good. Seemed to control and dry-up spots. Kept them in check. Stings though and can dry out skin too much.
* Vitamin B5. I read this was good for acne. Result: psychological comfort that I was taking something that would help. No obvious improvement.
* Propolis capsules. Read great things about propolis' antiobiotic-like affects. Result: Don't know.
* Vitamin E 1000 iu. Result: seemed to exacerbate whitehead spots.
* Vitamin C 500mg chew tablets. Result: I have great confidence in Vit C support for skin, but don't think chew tabs are that great because of sugar content.
* Vitamin A oil drops. Result: Oil based Vit A seemed to trigger whitehead spots.
Natural treatments are always my first choice. Sometimes that is a good thing and sometimes it just prolongs my suffering! There are times when hardcore proven science will have to rescue you from the fuzzy-thinking, anecdotal world of alternative health!
That said, here is what I have been using to cope with folliculitis.
During the times when I thought I might just have acne, I tried a host of natural acne remedies which included:
* 3 day apple diet cure for acne. Result: no significant change... and hunger!
* Manuka honey applied topically on my face (for 30 mins and also overnight). Result: very limited improvement. Better off swallowing it.
* Salt and baking soda face scrub as recommended in an online acne cure book. Result: no obvious improvement. Ouch!
* Lemon juice on spots. Result: slight sting with no obvious improvement.
* Tea tree oil and tea tree moisturiser. Result: Good. Seemed to control and dry-up spots. Kept them in check. Stings though and can dry out skin too much.
* Vitamin B5. I read this was good for acne. Result: psychological comfort that I was taking something that would help. No obvious improvement.
* Propolis capsules. Read great things about propolis' antiobiotic-like affects. Result: Don't know.
* Vitamin E 1000 iu. Result: seemed to exacerbate whitehead spots.
* Vitamin C 500mg chew tablets. Result: I have great confidence in Vit C support for skin, but don't think chew tabs are that great because of sugar content.
* Vitamin A oil drops. Result: Oil based Vit A seemed to trigger whitehead spots.
More natural folliculitis cures I tried
Experimenting on my folliculitis filled face!
Continuing on the list of my experiments with natural cures for folliculitis...
* Raw garlic in meals. Result: I think this helps attack whatever is causing my folliculitis. I just felt good for having it in salads. Libido picked up too (which is a bonus!). Anyone fancy a romp with a spotty, garlic-breathed 'horndawg'?
* Apple Cider Vinegar: 2 tablespoons of this in a glass of water first thing in AM. Result: hair looks much shinier, unaffected skin looks good.
* Baking Soda: eighth of a teaspoon mixed in with Apple Cider Vinegar drink. Supposed to even out the pH. Don't understand the 'science' behind it, but I feel good on it.
* Hydrogen Peroxide 3% solution. Just got this to apply topically to whiteheads. Result: Too soon to say, but maybe helps shrink whiteheads faster.
* Visualizing healthy clear skin. Result: I would say this is one of the single most important aids to recovery. Seeing yourself where you want to be. Check out Psycho-cybernetics (the Matt Furey updates).
* Affirmations. I used Louse Hay's book 'You Can Heal Your Life' for insights into psychological factors that might cause skin infections. Result: Insightful, comforting.
* Turmeric powder (1 teaspoon mixed with a little water and swallowed 3 or 4 times a day). Result: I believe this helps.
* Blackstrap Molasses (1 teaspoon mixed in with warm water and the turmeric mentioned above). Result: I believe this helps too.
Best source of information I found on natural cures for skin disorders is http://www.earthclinic.com They have a page dealing specifically with boils and staph and MRSA infections. Reading this was a little scary ...and enlightening.
Here in the UK, national newspapers like the the Daily Mail indulge in periodic rants at the state of British NHS hospitals where so-called superbugs like MRSA are said to be rife because of poor hygience conditions. Reading those stories has always made me think that MRSA is just in hospitals but of course it isn't! And reading the personal stories on earthclinic.com shows how many people are getting MRSA infections and being misdiagnosed.
Anyway take a look and hold your nerve. There are some very good superhealth recommendations on there. And one or two scary sounding cures. Use discernment.
* Raw garlic in meals. Result: I think this helps attack whatever is causing my folliculitis. I just felt good for having it in salads. Libido picked up too (which is a bonus!). Anyone fancy a romp with a spotty, garlic-breathed 'horndawg'?
* Apple Cider Vinegar: 2 tablespoons of this in a glass of water first thing in AM. Result: hair looks much shinier, unaffected skin looks good.
* Baking Soda: eighth of a teaspoon mixed in with Apple Cider Vinegar drink. Supposed to even out the pH. Don't understand the 'science' behind it, but I feel good on it.
* Hydrogen Peroxide 3% solution. Just got this to apply topically to whiteheads. Result: Too soon to say, but maybe helps shrink whiteheads faster.
* Visualizing healthy clear skin. Result: I would say this is one of the single most important aids to recovery. Seeing yourself where you want to be. Check out Psycho-cybernetics (the Matt Furey updates).
* Affirmations. I used Louse Hay's book 'You Can Heal Your Life' for insights into psychological factors that might cause skin infections. Result: Insightful, comforting.
* Turmeric powder (1 teaspoon mixed with a little water and swallowed 3 or 4 times a day). Result: I believe this helps.
* Blackstrap Molasses (1 teaspoon mixed in with warm water and the turmeric mentioned above). Result: I believe this helps too.
Best source of information I found on natural cures for skin disorders is http://www.earthclinic.com They have a page dealing specifically with boils and staph and MRSA infections. Reading this was a little scary ...and enlightening.
Here in the UK, national newspapers like the the Daily Mail indulge in periodic rants at the state of British NHS hospitals where so-called superbugs like MRSA are said to be rife because of poor hygience conditions. Reading those stories has always made me think that MRSA is just in hospitals but of course it isn't! And reading the personal stories on earthclinic.com shows how many people are getting MRSA infections and being misdiagnosed.
Anyway take a look and hold your nerve. There are some very good superhealth recommendations on there. And one or two scary sounding cures. Use discernment.
Reader Feedback
Have YOUR say on folliculitis...
Here's where you can comment on this folliculitis lens, relate your story or give a tip for an effective folliculitis cure that you have used....
Many thanks,
Wily
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- Cris Cris Nov 27, 2009 @ 12:23 pm
- I am experiencing folliculitis in the pubic area thanks to brazillian waxing. Don't know what to do, since it is such a sensitive spot...does anyone have experience with this?!?!
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- J m r J m r Oct 20, 2009 @ 6:26 pm
- Hey guys is thete really a cure for this thing , i have been suffering from it for 5 long years on my legs and bottom and i neeed heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp.
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- Michael Michael Sep 19, 2009 @ 1:55 pm | in reply to colin
- What dosage did you use for the sulphur pills? Was it 300mg every 5 days? I read if you use too much there can be side effects.
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- Dion Dion Sep 16, 2009 @ 2:14 pm
- Anyone try pineapple /bromelain enzyme?
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- colin colin Aug 23, 2009 @ 11:53 am
- folliculitis travels through the bloodstream and, of course, affects hair follicles. it is painful, and the hair follicle, when pressed, comes out of the skin like a thorn. when it clears, the staph infection moves to another hair follicule. i had this for 2-1/2 years, and was incorrectly treated by my dermatologist. he put me on amoxacillin, dysicillium, and a powerful acne drug minocycline. the results: better then worse, better then worse, better then worse, respectively. finally, after spending all of that money and time, i went to a second dermatologist. i told him to tell me what i had. well, he said that because of the mistreatment for 2-1/2 years, i was a carrier of follicutis. so, it took 2 years of sulphur pills (sulphoxide??) to clear up this mess. the pils were very inexpensive. sulphur works in the bloodstream. folliculitis, "the farmer's disease," is caused by the staph in the soil, etc. don't waste your money on topical solutions. use sulphur!
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- Vishal Vishal Aug 4, 2009 @ 12:17 pm
- Hi All,
I too am infected with folliculitis (in head and in face, around nose, chin and the shaving area) since i was 17 ( now i am 27), I ate a lot of antibiotics, applied a variety of creams, face washes, naturopathy, diet changes but noting seemed to make these red puss filled pimples vanish. Really I hate this folliculitis from the bottom of my heart :) They come back as soon as i stop the antibiotics ( and sometimes even when i am still taking then). They are Maximum in the July-Aug time (when it's rainly, humid time here in India).
The only reason i feel i got it is due to my week immune system ( i get cough and cold quite often) or can also be because i shuffle a lot between hot (15-40deg cel) to very cold (-10 - 25deg cel) places very frequently ( my hoemtown and my workplace) or dust and pollution in the city whichi i was not used to in childhood.
I also feel Neem capsules and balm keeps it in check but does not eliminate the disease. Yoga (pranayam) also helps a lot.
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- corey smith corey smith Jun 24, 2009 @ 10:26 pm
- oops too many words in my last post. Anyway the neem balm from www.auromere.com has cleared my face up completely i use it every night, is great for the skin and when i break out now i put it on my face and my zits go away. Much luck to everyone battling this. Oh and I definately think there is a connection to internal yeast and high acidity levels and these condtions.
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- Corey Smith Corey Smith Jun 24, 2009 @ 10:19 pm
- Hello fellow folliculitis sufferers. I have suffered from folliculitis on my scalp since 2000. I also interestingly enough , had been on acne antibiotics from the time i was 15 until my mid twenties, I am now 40. I was also on Accutane twice. During the past 9 years i have tried numerous dermatologists and doctors from internal medicine to skin specialists and have been on many different courses of antibiotics. Most of which worked while taking them, but the folliculitis was back as soon as i finished them. In the past several years it had spread from my scalp to all over my face. I was told again that i had adult onset acne, only this time they would turn into large cysts that would last for months. I now live for the most part with my scalp symptoms under control from taking Miracle Mineral Solution which i found on the internet 6 drops at night and 6 drops in the morning as a maintenance dose after going through their program seems to work, and using Auromere Neem Balm at
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- Caroline Caroline Jun 5, 2009 @ 9:35 pm | in reply to Lisa
- Hi Lisa, I too have been on Accutane, for a long time actually. I have recently woken up and decided to get off this toxic drug. I now have recurring follculitis in the same areas you described. I am so angered by this because the entire reason I was taking Accutane was for a skin disease, now the staph infection I am experiecing is causing the skin disease to flare up. Have you had any luck since this post? Ive been on antibiotics none of which seem to help.
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- Sze's buttocks Sze's buttocks Apr 29, 2009 @ 10:50 am
- hey guys, good to see that i'm not the only person out there infected with folliculitis. i'm 22 this year and i've been suffering from this condition for 6 years now and i have it on my butt cheek, and it hurts whenever i sit on something without a cushion. i have consulted numerous dermatologist and they all have prescribed me different kinds of antibiotics but none of them works for me. just so you know that potash alum or shaving alum might help for some people. go to this site if you wish to read more about it.
http://flarekit.blogspot.com/2008/10/folliculitis-found-cure-that-atleast.html
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Hey there! Thanks for stopping by fellow folliculitis sufferer!
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