folliculitis and cysts

Is it common to get folliculitis even without shaving or friction?  What can cause folliculitis even without friction if possible? Can folliculitis last for weeks, even months?
Can a single pimple (i.e. the same pimple; not folliculitis last for weeks even months?
Lastly, what causes (sebaceous) cysts?  Can cysts last for weeks or even months?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Folliculitis is the inflammation of one or more hair follicles. The condition may occur anywhere on the skin.

Folliculitis starts when hair follicles are damaged by friction from clothing or blockage of the follicle.Bloackage of the follicle can occur even after application of greasy creams, petroleum jelly, or blockage of the hair follicles by dandruff.in most cases of folliculitis, the damaged follicles are then infected with the bacteria Staphylococcus (staph).

Folliculitis does not last for months but sebaceous cysts can last for months ,even years. Blocked sebaceous glands, swollen hair follicles and excessive testosterone production will cause such cysts.
I hope that helps. Please do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional queries. Kind regards.

[summertime75]

So cysts you can pretty much get randomly at any time? Or are there certain things that facilitate the formation of such cysts (friction maybe?)?

Folliculitis does not typically last for months, but I've heard about stubborn cases... can those last for months or at most a few weeks?