What is Folliculitis?
Folliculitis is an inflammation of the hair follicles—the tiny pockets in your skin where hair grows—that appears as small red bumps or white-headed pimples around hair follicles. 1
How It Looks and Feels
Folliculitis typically shows up as:
- Small red bumps or white-headed pimples clustered around hair follicles 1
- Bumps that are about 1mm wide 1
- Areas that may be itchy, tender, or mildly painful 1
- Can appear anywhere on your body where you have hair, but commonly affects the scalp, face, chest, back, arms, and legs 1, 2
The bumps are superficial, meaning they affect only the surface layer of the hair follicle, which distinguishes folliculitis from deeper infections like boils (furuncles) 3
What Causes It
Folliculitis can develop from several causes:
Infectious causes:
- Bacteria, most commonly Staphylococcus aureus (staph bacteria) 3, 4
- Fungi, particularly Malassezia yeast 5
- Less commonly, other bacteria or viruses 2
Non-infectious causes:
- Friction from tight clothing 1
- Shaving or waxing 1
- Blocked hair follicles from oils, sweat, or skin products 1
- Hot, humid environments 5
- Certain medications 1
Interestingly, about one-third of people diagnosed with "non-infectious" folliculitis actually have bacteria present in their inflamed follicles, with Staphylococcus species being the most common culprit 4
When to See a Doctor
Most mild folliculitis clears up on its own within a few days. However, you should seek medical attention if:
- The bumps spread or worsen despite home care 6
- You develop fever or feel systemically unwell 3
- The area becomes increasingly painful, swollen, or warm 3
- You see signs of deeper infection (larger, more painful lumps) 3
- The condition keeps coming back 3
Important Distinctions
Folliculitis is NOT the same as:
- Boils (furuncles): These are deeper infections that extend into the tissue beneath the skin and form larger, more painful abscesses 3
- Carbuncles: These involve multiple connected hair follicles forming a larger infected mass 3
- Cellulitis: This is a spreading skin infection affecting deeper layers, not centered around hair follicles 3
The key difference is that folliculitis stays superficial with pus limited to the top layer of skin around the hair follicle 3