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Dermatology (Expert Forum)
folliculitus
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center
Brookline - MA
Welcome to the DERMATOLOGY FORUM! Questions in this forum are answered by Dermatologists from St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, under the direction of Andrew Alexis, M.D., M.P.H.
folliculitus
by julielefkowitz, May 31, 2003 12:00AM
I got a cyst? on my face a year and a half ago and my internist sent me to a dermatologist to get injected. It didn't go away, but just got worse, until one year ago it was "removed". Yet, it came right back and got worse. I was on minocycline for 7 months, and doxycycline for years before that, yet neither helped. In march, a dermatologist said he could fix my acne scaring, and performed two things: stuck a toothpick with facial acid in my "ice pick" scars, and then did undermining all over my face. The result was a massive infection; My face blew up 1/4 inch at least everywhere. The swelling was so massive near my jaw to my ears that I had ear aches. I had some yellowish stuff coming out of my face, but a lot of white stuff in strings. I went on emergency to a plastic surgeon who said I had a staff infection and put me on 1000 mg of keflex- told me sometimes it takes months to go away. Well, the keflex not only cured the never ending once removed cyst, but rid me of acne like things on my bikini area, and I have found many areas on my chest, arms, legs, hands that seem to be draining or to have drained some fluid. I have been on keflex for two months now.
My current dermatologist suggests accutane, however, I have been reading all I can and wonder about folliculitus (folliculitis). I had scarlet fever as a child, which is staff. I have had alopecia areata occasionally throughout my life since about 10 yrs. old. I have had itching eyelids and missing eyelashes also since that age occasionally. I also bought an epilator about 6-7 years ago and used it on my arms and legs, as well as waxing parts of my face. It is difficult for me to find enough information on folliculitus (folliculitis). My internist "plainly saw" that the dermatologist had spread an infection all over my face by piercing me everywhere...but I would like to resolve this after all these years (I am now 41.) All of these things seem to indicate, to me at least, a staff infection in my hair follicles which has been exacerbated by waxing, epilating, surgery, and puncturing. If it is "folliculitus (folliculitis)", how does that differ from acne, how long should I stay on the keflex for, is it possible to cure it with antibiotics, and thus avoid accutane? Also, is accutane a drug to use for folliculitus (folliculitis)? What, too, about topical medications? I never, I will add, had acne as a teenager. I have been for blood work (because of the huge swelling of my face) and my white blood count just checked out fine. Hoping you can help me put this to rest somehow before I have somthing else done which is inappropriate and ends up harming me more. Thank you in advance for your consideration. I have found your site very informative. Julie
My current dermatologist suggests accutane, however, I have been reading all I can and wonder about folliculitus (folliculitis). I had scarlet fever as a child, which is staff. I have had alopecia areata occasionally throughout my life since about 10 yrs. old. I have had itching eyelids and missing eyelashes also since that age occasionally. I also bought an epilator about 6-7 years ago and used it on my arms and legs, as well as waxing parts of my face. It is difficult for me to find enough information on folliculitus (folliculitis). My internist "plainly saw" that the dermatologist had spread an infection all over my face by piercing me everywhere...but I would like to resolve this after all these years (I am now 41.) All of these things seem to indicate, to me at least, a staff infection in my hair follicles which has been exacerbated by waxing, epilating, surgery, and puncturing. If it is "folliculitus (folliculitis)", how does that differ from acne, how long should I stay on the keflex for, is it possible to cure it with antibiotics, and thus avoid accutane? Also, is accutane a drug to use for folliculitus (folliculitis)? What, too, about topical medications? I never, I will add, had acne as a teenager. I have been for blood work (because of the huge swelling of my face) and my white blood count just checked out fine. Hoping you can help me put this to rest somehow before I have somthing else done which is inappropriate and ends up harming me more. Thank you in advance for your consideration. I have found your site very informative. Julie
Doctor's Answer
by Alan Rockoff, MD, May 31, 2003 12:00AM
, May 31, 2003 12:00AM
Julie:
First, your history of scarlet fever and alopecia areata have nothing to do with your current situation.
Second, the severe facial staph infection you had also has nothing to do with you current condition.
Third, folliculitis, manifest as pimply bumps all over, is common and hard to cure. Accutane works for acne, but what you have sounds more like follicultis than acne.
Your doctor may want to consider culturing some pimples to be sure that some germ other than staph isn't involved. Other measures that sometimes help are washing daily with PhisHex and applying Bactroban cream to the nostrils, to suppress colonies of staph that sometimes hang out there.
In other words, you should deal with the folliculitis, but consider it an annoyance unrelated to your previous troubles, because I see no connection.
Take care.
Dr. Rockoff
First, your history of scarlet fever and alopecia areata have nothing to do with your current situation.
Second, the severe facial staph infection you had also has nothing to do with you current condition.
Third, folliculitis, manifest as pimply bumps all over, is common and hard to cure. Accutane works for acne, but what you have sounds more like follicultis than acne.
Your doctor may want to consider culturing some pimples to be sure that some germ other than staph isn't involved. Other measures that sometimes help are washing daily with PhisHex and applying Bactroban cream to the nostrils, to suppress colonies of staph that sometimes hang out there.
In other words, you should deal with the folliculitis, but consider it an annoyance unrelated to your previous troubles, because I see no connection.
Take care.
Dr. Rockoff
Member Comments (1)
by rohinisekhri, Sep 02, 2008 06:08AM
A related discussion, scalp problem was started.
