Depending on bacterial culture results, your physician may recommend the following treatments: Prescription-strength antibacterial wash, such as chlorhexidine gluconate. Topical antibiotic lotion or gel, such as erythromycin or clindamycin. Oral antibiotic pills, such as cephalexin, erythromycin, or doxycycline.

What is the best antibiotic to treat folliculitis?

Depending on bacterial culture results, your physician may recommend the following treatments: Prescription-strength antibacterial wash, such as chlorhexidine gluconate. Topical antibiotic lotion or gel, such as erythromycin or clindamycin. Oral antibiotic pills, such as cephalexin, erythromycin, or doxycycline.

How do you treat deep folliculitis?

Deep folliculitis is best approached with warm compresses, followed by incision and drainage once a conical pustular head develops. For recurrent and recalcitrant folliculitis, in addition to oral antibiotics, a search for a bacterial reservoir is important.

What is folliculitis caused by?

Folliculitis is most often caused by an infection of hair follicles with Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria.

How do you treat bacterial folliculitis?

Treatment

1. Creams or pills to control infection. For mild infections, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic cream, lotion or gel.
2. Creams, shampoos or pills to fight fungal infections. Antifungals are for infections caused by yeast rather than bacteria.
3. Creams or pills to reduce inflammation.

What does folliculitis look like on legs?

In most cases, the main symptom of folliculitis is red bumps that look like pimples on your skin. These could also look like they’re white-filled bumps or they could be filled with pus (pustules). Folliculitis can feel itchy and uncomfortable. Many people feel the need to scratch when they have folliculitis.

How do you treat folliculitis on legs at home?

Home remedies

1. A warm, moist compress can help soothe soreness, swelling, and pain.
2. Aloe vera gel may help heal the skin faster.
3. You can find hydrogen peroxide in the first aid aisle of your local pharmacy.
4. Over-the-counter antibiotic creams, gels, and ointments may help clear up a small patch of folliculitis.

Can poor hygiene cause folliculitis?

Folliculitis is an inflammatory condition affecting hair follicles. It appears as a small red tender bump occasionally surmounted with dot of pus surrounding a hair. It is generally caused by an excess of bacteria, and poor hygiene, even for a short time.

What does a folliculitis bump look like?

Is folliculitis an STD?

Folliculitis isn’t considered a sexually transmitted infection, though in some cases it can transfer via close skin contact. However, the herpes simplex virus is spread through sexual contact. In rare cases, this virus can cause folliculitis.

What autoimmune disease causes folliculitis?

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease. Folliculitis is an infection caused by bacteria. Psoriasis is incurable and flares may be long-lasting. Folliculitis is curable and usually heals within a few days.

What happens if you leave folliculitis untreated?

Boils and carbuncles If folliculitis is left untreated, boils (or skin abscesses) can develop. As the hair follicle becomes deeply infected, the boil will come to a head and may drain. The boil may be painful and red. A large cluster of boils may also appear as many follicles become infected.

Can B12 cause folliculitis?

A type of acne induced by vitamin B-12 deserves a special place among acneiform eruptions. The eruption is monomorphic and of a particular type. It consists of voluminous folliculitis lesions which develop acutely after the first injections of vitamin B-12 and disappear rapidly when treatment is discontinued.

Is cellulitis contagious?

Cellulitis isn’t usually spread from person to person. Cellulitis is an infection of the deeper layers of the skin most commonly caused by bacteria that normally live on the skin’s surface.

What foods to avoid if you have folliculitis?

Brooks also advises avoiding diets high in carbs and sugars or with a high glycemic index, which can cause fluctuations in your glucose levels. “Rising glucose levels increase hormones in your skin, leading to oil production, which can cause folliculitis [inflammation of hair follicles],” he says.

Why is my immune system attacking my skin?

On a basic level, autoimmune disease occurs because the body’s natural defenses — the immune system — attack the body’s own healthy tissue. Researchers have several ideas about why this happens. When the body senses danger from a virus or infection, the immune system kicks into gear and attacks it.