What causes hair follicle inflammation?

Inflammation of hair follicles can easily manifest as red papules or pustules on the skin. The problem of hair follicle inflammation should not be taken lightly. Pay attention to skin cleanliness and prevent trauma, because these traumatic areas are prone to invasion of some pathogens and cause inflammation of the hair follicles.

1. Except for the skin on the palms and soles and around some mucous membranes, the rest of the human body has hair that is long or short, thick or thin, and there is a hair follicle in the inner part of the skin of each hair. If the hair follicles are infected by Staphylococcus aureus, red papules and pustules will appear on the surface, which is called folliculitis.

2. Folliculitis is an inflammation caused by pyogenic cocci invading the area around the hair follicle opening and is limited to the upper part of the hair follicle. It is divided into two types: purulent and non-purulent. It is more common in people with low immunity or diabetes, and is prone to occur on the head and neck. Folliculitis initially presents as red, solid papules, which rapidly develop into papular pustules, which then dry up and form scabs, leaving no trace after the scabs fall off. The rashes are numerous but not confluent. Folliculitis is more common in adults. It is common on the head, neck, buttocks and vulva. The patient feels itching or mild pain, but generally has no systemic symptoms. The rash initially appears as pinhead-sized red follicular papules, which gradually turn into miliary-sized pustules with hair running through the center and an inflammatory red halo around them. Most pustules appear in batches and do not merge with each other. After the pustule bursts, a small amount of pus and blood is discharged and a yellow scab is formed. The disease will heal once the scab falls off without leaving any scars.

3. Minor folliculitis may not seem to be a big deal, but if you take it lightly, you would be wrong. Folliculitis can recur and form chronic folliculitis; if it occurs on the scalp, it can cause permanent hair loss; if it occurs on the neck, the skin lesions will show papillary hyperplasia or form scar nodules, which are difficult to cure; if folliculitis develops deeply, it can cause perifolliculitis, called furunculosis. Multiple and recurrent furuncles are called furunculosis. In severe cases, there may be swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, and even sepsis or septicemia; if the furunculosis located in the nose, mouth and lips is squeezed, the bacteria can enter the skull through the blood, causing suppurative thrombophlebitis or brain abscess, which can lead to death.

4. The prevention and treatment of folliculitis mainly focus on paying attention to skin cleansing, enhancing the body's resistance, preventing trauma, and actively treating itchy skin diseases and systemic chronic diseases. Patients with scalp folliculitis should pay attention to keeping the scalp cool at all times, improve the habit of excessive washing, get enough sleep and relieve stress; patients with folliculitis on the chest, back and buttocks are mostly related to humidity, heat, sweating and personal constitution; patients with thigh folliculitis are mostly caused by friction between pants and leg hair follicles; and patients with upper arm folliculitis are mostly the result of keratinization of pores.