Folliculitis – what is it and how to treat it?

Inflammation of hair follicles is a common skin disorder. It is not difficult to guess that it more often affects women than men. After all, women want to make sure that their body is smooth and that even the shortests hairs are removed. However, frequent shaving can lead to inflamed hair follicles. Check how to deal with this issue.

What are hair follicles?

Hair follicles are narrow cavities in which the hair grows. Sebaceous glands that produce sebum are attached to them. It creates a lipid coat that protects the skin from irritation.

What is Folliculitis?

Folliculitis appears when the hair follicle or the lipid coat is damaged. It may happen due to some micro-injuries or the use of some cosmetics. The symptoms of the inflamed hair follicles include: white-headed pimples often with a hair inside or red bumps. It most commonly affects the face, armpits, chest, back and legs.

Folliculitis – causes

Those include:

• bacterial, viral or fungal infection;
• chronic irritation or mechanical injury (for example caused by wearing too tight clothes);
• taking some medicines;
• contact with oils and tar;
• occlusive dressings;
• shaving (in this case we are talking about keratosis pilaris).

Folliculitis – treatment

To treat this skin disorder, it is necessary to take antibiotics and follow the rules:

• try not to shave for some time,
• try not to pop your pimples,
• frequently disinfect the area.

To protect yourself from folliculitis, you should:

• choose cosmetics that suit the type of skin and its needs;
• disinfect the razor before each use;
• disinfect the skin before and after shaving;
• often exchange accessories for hair removal.

Ingrown hair – what is it?

This condition is often associated with folliculitis. Ingrown hairs often happen after using epilator or waxing. The hair curls back or grows sideways into the skin. The causes involve: the type of skin and its thickness, which is also inappropriately exfoliated, and the fact that the hair is too weak to break through the skin. Treatment of ingrown hairs is based on: scrubs, balms, the appropriate method of hair removal and antibiotics in the case of bacterial infection.