Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune blistering disease that commonly involves the scalp. Lesions of pemphigus vulgaris that persist on the scalp for a long period may be accompanied by tufted hair folliculitis.
Disease at a Glance
Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (EPF) is a skin disorder characterized by recurring itchy, red or skin-colored bumps and pustules (bumps containing pus). Skin biopsies of this disorder find eosinophils (a type of immune cell) around hair follicles.
Because childhood eosinophilic pustular folliculitis may be associated with AIDS, lymphoma, leukemia, and other hematologic diseases, a thorough systemic evaluation is indicated.
You get folliculitis when you damage your hair follicles. Once damaged, it's easy for germs to get inside the follicles and cause an infection. A common source of infection is Staph aureus, which is found on our skin. Other organisms on our skin can also cause an infection.
Severe vitamin A and C deficiency may cause folliculitis. [1] In vitamin A deficiency the skin shows follicular hyperkeratosis, dryness and generalised wrinkling. [11] It requires about 2 months of vitamin C deprivation to produce mucocutaneous signs, including perifollicular petechiae and follicular hyperkeratosis.
In alopecia areata, the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, causing inflammation. Researchers do not fully understand what causes the immune attack on hair follicles, but they believe that both genetic and environmental (non-genetic) factors play a role.
If you know that a condition other than folliculitis is triggering your symptoms, treat that condition. For example, excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) can cause folliculitis. You can try to prevent this by changing out of sweaty clothing, bathing daily and using antiperspirant.
Medications. Lotions, gels or pills to control bacterial infection. For mild infection caused by bacteria, your health care provider may prescribe an antibiotic lotion or gel. Infection-fighting pills (oral antibiotics) aren't routinely used for folliculitis, but you may need them for a severe or repeat infection.
Folliculitis can affect people of all ages. Iron-deficiency anemia is sometimes associated with chronic cases.
Chronic or recurring folliculitis is less likely to clear with just antibiotics. Often this is on the legs of women, but it can occur in any areas of shaving, waxing, hair plucking or friction. These need to be stopped for at least 3 months to allow the hair to grow in healthy.
Herpetic folliculitis (HF) is a rare disease involving hair follicles and sebaceous epithelium, which is caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV) or herpes simplex virus (HSV). These viruses can cause skin or mucosal infections, and thus produce primary and recurrent infections.
Even so, folliculitis may also result from fungal or viral infections, but this does not mean that all folliculitis cases are infectious. Sometimes, folliculitis may be the result of inflammation secondary to ingrown hairs as well as caused by certain drugs such as lithium and cyclosporine.
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.
People are most likely to mistake guttate or pustular psoriasis for folliculitis because all of these conditions can cause patches of small, red or yellow spots on the skin.
Some research suggests that avoiding foods made with wheat can ease your symptoms. Give up the grease. Unhealthy fats, low-fiber foods, and processed products can all lead to flare-ups.
Folliculitis causes a rash with clusters of red bumps or whiteheads, each with a hair in the middle. These can become itchy or sore, and there may be pus. It can occur anywhere on the body where there is hair. If an infection is more severe or deeper under the skin, you may feel feverish or unwell.
If folliculitis goes untreated it may result in serious or deep infections that may spread or cause permanent scarring, cellulitis, or even enter the bloodstream and become life-threatening.
What causes alopecia areata? Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease. This means that your immune system mistakenly attacks a part of your body. When you have alopecia areata, cells in your immune system surround and attack your hair follicles (the part of your body that makes hair).
Vitiligo Can Cause Light Patches of Skin
In some cases, a person's skin may lose all its pigment and turn completely white, according to the Vitiligo Research Foundation. The condition can also affect hair, the inside of the mouth, and the eyes. Certain methods can make vitiligo patches less obvious.
Scalp psoriasis (sore-eye-uh-sis) is a long-lasting (chronic) autoimmune disease (caused by your own immune system) that causes your skin cells to reproduce too quickly. It creates thick, discolored patches of skin (plaques) on your scalp and other areas around your scalp. These areas may include: Your hairline.