Ways to Treat Folliculitis

Author: Monica Porter
Date Of Creation: 19 March 2021
Update Date: 1 July 2024
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Folliculitis | Causes (Bacterial, Fungal, Viral), Risk Factors, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
Video: Folliculitis | Causes (Bacterial, Fungal, Viral), Risk Factors, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment

Content

Folliculitis is a fungal or bacterial infection that manifests itself as itching, pain, blistering, and / or a rash around the infected follicle. Folliculitis is caused by many different causes and can develop with varying severity, so there are many treatment options available. Whether you are mild or severe, there are steps you can take to make your skin look better in a short time.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Treating Mild Folliculitis at Home

  1. Wash the inflamed area periodically with antibacterial soap. Most mild folliculitis clears up on its own, but you can speed the healing process by taking careful care of the area of ​​the infection. Twice a day, use a mild antibacterial soap to clean and kill the bacteria that cause folliculitis. Use water to wash and dry with a towel or cloth clean was completely dried.
    • Remember to gently wipe. Do not use soap that is high in detergent and do not rub your hands vigorously, as this can irritate the infection, worsen redness and swelling.
    • If you have folliculitis on your face, choose a soap with a specific prescription label for your face. They have a lighter consistency than conventional antibacterial soaps.

  2. Wet the skin with warm water and aluminum acetate. Aluminum acetate, also known as Burow solution, is an astringent and antibacterial agent that is often used to treat mild cases of skin conditions, because it is inexpensive and does not require a doctor's prescription. People also use aluminum acetate to kill bacteria that cause folliculitis and reduce swelling, reduce irritation and speed recovery of the skin.
    • To use Burow solution, simply dissolve one pack of aluminum acetate in the indicated amount of water. Use a clean cloth dipped in the solution, squeeze out the water, and dab gently on the infected area. Hold the cloth on the skin for a while, then wet it again in the solution if necessary.
    • Once done, clean the aluminum acetate case and dip the cloth in clean water. You must wash and dry the cleaning cloth completely before using it again next time.

  3. Treatment with oatmeal. Believe it or not, oatmeal has long been used as a home remedy for skin irritation, as it contains an itch reliever. Try getting your body wet (or just the site of the infection) in an oatmeal bath, or covering it with a topical oatmeal. You can then feel the relief of the oatmeal, but don't leave your skin in contact for too long, even if the solution is mild.
    • As well as above, you must use a clean towel or cloth to gently dry the infection.

  4. Use a salt-water pressure bandage. A compress can be a cloth or an absorbent material that absorbs and holds the salt water when pressed against the infected skin, the purpose of which is to reduce irritation and speed up wound healing. Using the salt water soaked in the dressing also has antibacterial (albeit very small) benefits. To create a brine compress, first dissolve a few tablespoons of table salt in a cup or two of warm water. Dip a cotton ball or clean cloth in the salt water and press gently on the infected area.
    • Do it twice daily, morning and evening.
  5. Use general remedies, like vinegar. Mild skin conditions such as folliculitis are the subject of a variety of holistic or "natural" treatments. Proponents are very sure about the use of this method, although not confirmed by medicine. If you are going to use a holistic cure, then use your intuition, do not do anything to aggravate folliculitis or introduce more bacteria to the infection, halt the healing process. Below we describe a common method with vinegar (you can easily find other methods online).
    • Make a solution by mixing one part white vinegar with two parts water. Soak a clean cloth in the solution, then squeeze out the water, then apply it to the infected skin. Hold the cloth in place for 5-10 minutes, and re-wet the fabric occasionally if necessary.
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Method 2 of 3: Treating Folliculitis with Medical Methods

  1. Seek medical attention immediately for severe cases. Folliculitis is normally only slightly itchy (though it hurts), but like all infections there is the possibility that it could develop into something more dangerous if you didn't care. . If folliculitis does not improve gradually, or if you experience severe symptoms such as fever, severe swelling, and itching, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Better to be safe to avoid regrets, getting to the right doctor at the right time can save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
    • You only need to see a "regular" doctor (ie family doctor or general practitioner). Maybe they will then suggest you to see a dermatologist.
  2. Use hydrocortisone for itching and pain relief. Hydrocortisone is a topical cream that helps treat skin irritation and itching. Use 1% hydrocortisone cream applied 2 to 5 times daily (or as needed) to relieve pain. Apply the medication directly to the infected skin, gently rub it with your fingers or use a applicator. If you plan to use your hands, you must wash and dry your hands before applying to avoid spreading bacteria to the wound.
    • Note that hydrocortisone relieves pain and swelling, but it does not kill bacteria.
  3. Use of pain relievers or anti-inflammatory drugs does not need to be directed by your doctor. To relieve the pain and swelling caused by folliculitis you can take one of the many over-the-counter medications. Popular and inexpensive pain relievers such as acetaminophen and aspirin can be helpful for mild pain caused by folliculitis. Anti-inflammatory pain relievers like ibuprofen are a great option because they not only relieve pain, but also provide temporary relief of inflammation, which contributes to pain.
    • Although over-the-counter pain relievers are safe in small doses, if taken too much or prolonged, they can lead to more serious health conditions such as liver damage. Follow the directions for safe use supplied with the medicine.
  4. Use antibiotics in severe cases. When severe folliculitis does not progress with home care and hygiene, you should use antibiotics to treat the bacterial infection as this is the main cause of the illness. Topical antibiotics are available at most drugstores. However, oral antibiotics usually require a prescription from a doctor and are only available for very severe cases.
  5. Use an antifungal if the folliculitis is caused by a fungus. As mentioned in the introduction, folliculitis is not only caused by bacteria, but in some cases by fungi. In that case, you need to take antifungal medications, which are sold by mouth or topical. As with antibacterial drugs, mild antifungal medications can be bought over the counter, but strong antifungal medications may need to be prescribed by your doctor.
  6. Ask a healthcare professional to remove the pus from the boil. In very severe cases, folliculitis produces very painful boils or blisters and contains pus, and you should seek help from your doctor. Although taking pus from the boil helps the wound heal and reduces the likelihood of scarring in the future, you should not do it yourself. Attempting to incision pus without sterile medical equipment inevitably leads to secondary infection. advertisement

Method 3 of 3: Avoid Habits that Causes Folliculitis

  1. Do not shave the inflamed area. Folliculitis occurs due to irritation during shaving, or due to poor shaving habits. If you have folliculitis or any other place that shaves frequently, stop shaving there. Continuously shaving only causes more irritation and spreads the disease to the surrounding areas.
    • If you force right Shave, try to reduce maximum irritation on the skin. You should use an electric razor instead of the conventional one, and shave follow hair growth direction, do not shave back. Remember to clean the razor clean every time.
  2. Do not touch the infected site. The fingers and hands are where bacteria live, they spread the bacteria from place to place like passenger aircraft. Even though the site is often itchy, throbbing and aching, try to bear it not to scratch it. You should consider it a no-contact area, just Touch when you need to apply soap, medicine or apply a pressure bandage.
  3. Do not wear tight clothing. The mechanical impact of continuously rubbing on the skin all day will cause irritation and potentially lead to infection. Skin infections can also occur when tight clothing does not let air contact the skin. If you are prone to folliculitis, wear loose, soft clothing to minimize the risk of skin irritation.
    • Do not get clothes around the infected site getting wet, as wet clothing increases the likelihood of sticking to the skin and worsening the infection.
  4. Do not let skin come into contact with irritants. Everyone has different skin types, some are prone to rashes or rashes, while others' skin is very resilient. If you have folliculitis (or are prone to), try to avoid contact with anything that you know may be irritating (especially those you are allergic to), as irritation can lead to irritation. skin infection, or deviation of the healing process of an infected skin.
    • For example, you should avoid using certain cosmetics such as lotions, topicals, topicals in general.
  5. Do not shower or swim in untreated water. People often call folliculitis a "bath-shower rash" for the same reason. Swimming, bathing, or soaking in untreated water, such as a hot tub, is an easy pathway to folliculitis infection. Some bacteria cause folliculitis like pseudomonas aeruginosa very easy to spread through dirty water. If you are prone to folliculitis, do not come into contact with untreated water, or water in a prison pond.
  6. Don't be overly dependent on steroid creams. When you take certain medications over a long period of time, your skin may become more sensitive to folliculitis. Specifically, topical steroid creams such as hydrocortisone are responsible for contributing to folliculitis infections. The paradox is that hydrocortisone itself is the treatment of mild folliculitis. So if you are taking hydrocortisone to treat your illness but are not getting better then you should see your doctor, hesitating to continue to prolong the time of application only worsens the infection.
  7. Do not let the wound become infected. Hair follicles can become inflamed and infected if the infected area nearby becomes irritated or there is a chance of spreading. So you should handle the infected skin quickly and professionally, not to let the condition go out of control. Small and local wounds are much easier to treat than if they were spread. advertisement