Folliculitis is a skin lesion of a purulent nature. The place where pus appears and accumulates is the hair follicle. The cause of the disease is white staphylococcus (very rare), and most often - staphylococcus aureus.
A very important role in the development of folliculitis is played by skin hygiene, as well as the patient’s health status . The fact is that with liver problems or diabetes, the situation is exacerbated.
Types of folliculitis
To date, there are two variations of the disease:
- superficial folliculitis. In this embodiment, abscesses reach a size of 5 mm. Moreover, they are located directly at the mouth of the hair funnels. In the middle of the abscess is hair. Each inflammation surrounds the reddish areola. With a disease it happens that pain is not present at all. In total, folliculitis of this nature lasts no more than 2-3 days. Then the abscesses dry out, becoming covered with a brown crust. As soon as it comes down, for some time the skin will appear pigmented.
- deep folliculitis. This time, dense nodules appear, up to 10 mm in size. They are incredibly painful. After a couple of days, the abscess opens and dries on the surface of the skin. Then a yellow crust appears. This variant of folliculitis may appear on its own. Quite often, it is a consequence of ostiofolliculitis.
Often, completely different types of a disease such as folliculitis can occur simultaneously or one after another. Treatment is carried out individually and lasts at least a week. A multiple ailment of this nature is most often found in men. Folliculitis occurs mainly in those areas of the skin where friction occurs. However, it happens that the head also suffers in the scalp.
Folliculitis treatment
Be sure to contact a dermatologist with such a purulent disease. Only he on an outpatient basis has the ability to sterilize and effectively cope with folliculitis quickly enough. If there is a superficial type of the course of the disease, then the abscesses are opened, their contents are carefully removed with a cotton swab, and then the entire surface is lubricated with green and fucorcin. This procedure takes place not once, but 2 times a day.
If deep folliculitis is observed, the treatment is carried out exclusively superficially. In this case, a bandage with ichthyol ointment is applied to the entire affected area. It needs to be changed twice a day. Thus, the abscesses themselves will open, and their contents will completely come out.
Chronic, constantly recurring folliculitis treatment implies a slightly different nature. It will require the appointment of antibiotics and drugs that will restore immunity. In addition, skin that is susceptible to the disease is rubbed with salicylic acid (of course, a solution) several times a day. In no case should the affected areas be washed with water. Compression dressings are also contraindicated in this case until folliculitis completely disappears.
In order not to aggravate folliculitis, treatment should be started as soon as possible. You can not squeeze the area of the abscess and even more so try to squeeze it yourself. Such actions lead to the formation of large boils.
Prevention
There are a number of measures that will help to avoid folliculitis throughout life:
- Firstly, do not forget about hygiene. You should regularly take a bath or shower.
- It is important to monitor your health and get rid of diseases in a timely manner. This is especially true of ailments, against which folliculitis has the opportunity to develop.
- Lubricants must be handled very carefully.
- You can limit the use of workwear, especially in a hot period of time.
- Ointments, which include mercury or tar, should be used very carefully. At the slightest hint of folliculitis, these medicines are canceled.