inflammed hair follicles

My son in part african-american and he has these red bumps all over his buttocks and thighs that get inflammed and then comes to a white head.  They hurt him really bad.  His doctor suggested to soak him in some bleach water 3 x's a week and use Amalactin cream.  He also gave him some antiobotics to take for a bacteria infection.  The results were unchanged.  My son also has Down Syndrome and he will not allow anyone to get close to the bumps to examine them.  He is very strong.  Do you have any suggestions what this may be?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
If your son is not sexually active then it can be an infected hair follicle or a boil. Apply warm compresses and keep the area clean. Also apply a topical antibiotics cream like Neosporin or Mupirocin. Drainage of the boil is done only when it becomes soft and forms a head. Take some over the counter pain reliever and consult a doctor for examination and antibiotics prescription. If you are sexually active then herpes should be ruled out.
It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.