Brief Answer:
Folliculitis: various causes; kindly provide details

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

I can understand your concern for folliculitis.

To tell you simply - This is a condition of inflammation and infection of the hair root and oil gland attached to it.

To explain it medically, we have hair all over our body which have opening of the oil glands attached to it. By many a factors these hair root and oil gland can become inflamed and infected leading to folliculitis.

The reason for the inflammation and infection of the area is due to the fact that our body harbor multiple types of bacteria on the skin which are known as “Normal flora” of the skin.

A bacteria “Staphylococcus aureus” is also a part of that flora, but as soon as there is some break in the skin or trivially also due to bit ups and downs in immunity, the bacteria gets access into the skin and causes the aforesaid process of inflammation and infection.

When it is superficial it heals without any problem, but when it is deep it causes lot of pain and swelling around the area. In general these persist for few weeks and heals without any problem. After a period of time our immunity prevents the further formation and inflammation. The main concern is when it is occurring frequently and regularly.

Before I guide you any further I would like ask certain relevant questions with the condition:

1. Do you apply any kind of oil or use any kind of moisturizing cream on body surface.

2. Any other skin problems or any recent history of any illness.

3. Exposure to heat and humidity in last few months or your job profile.

4. Any previous history of taking some medications especially antibiotics in last 6 months other than Zocef 500 and azitromycin and topical creams.

5. Any history of some systemic disease like diabetes in family or have you gone for your sugar check.

6. Any stressful event in last 6 months. Waiting for your reply so that I can guide you further.

Regards

Dr. Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD (Dermatology & STD)

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Brief Answer:
Folliculitis: various suggestions and guidance.

Detailed Answer:
Dear young fellow,

Welcome back and thanks for your further follow up with all details.

After reviewing all the reports I can get that you are quite healthy and there is no any biochemical or blood abnormality causing the condition of folliculitis.

The only reason which could be deduced is the continuous sitting which causes sweating and thus more proliferation of bacteria causing the folliculitis.


There are certain important tips regarding your problem:

1. Do not pinch, pop or even try to touch any of the area of boils.

2. Kindly avoid scratching any area of normal skin also, as it leads to minor entry points for the entry of bacteria.

3. Wear cotton clothes and cotton undergarments to be changed two times a day.

4. Maintain proper hygiene and take two times daily bath.

5. Avoid any kind of stress, even for this condition also as stress is one of the very important factor playing role in our immunity (making it low) so prone for infections. Yoga, meditations and simple walk do help a lot in improving immunity.

6. For the boils present now, you can do warm saline compresses (1 glass of water and pinch of salt in it) for 2-3 times a day.

7. Do not sit continuously for long hours.

If I were your treating doctor then would have suggested to go for culture and sensitivity test of the affected area. It is test specifically designed to know the most sensitive antibiotic to the causative organism. If at all you take oral antibiotic, then do take proper dose and full course of antibiotics (as improper dosing and schedule leads to antibiotic resistance and then recurrent nature of the situation).

Wish you good health.

Regards,

Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
(MD- Dermatology & STD)

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