What is folliculitis, how to treat it and how it affects hair health

What is folliculitis and how can this issue affect the overall health of the hair? The first thing that needs to be said to answer a question of this kind is that when we talk about folliculitis, we mean an acute state of infection of the hair follicles. Specifically, therefore, the infection in question concerns those that are the structures from which hair is born.

What causes the infection? In this case by various bacteria but not only: fungi and viruses can also cause folliculitis.

How folliculitis manifests itself

Before we get into the heart of the matter, we must distinguish between superficial infection and deep infection. These are, in fact, two different things and, therefore, to be treated specifically. If the symptoms are very pronounced, it is probably a deep infection, while in the case of a more contained situation we tend to think it is a superficial infection, more easily manageable.

Among the symptoms of folliculitis are first of all redness of the skin at the base of the hair shaft. But that’s not all. Pus often appears and a strong itching sensation follows.

What is the cause of this? The causes of folliculitis can be different. We speak, without doubt, of excessive sweating, of excess sebum, of skin diseases such as, for example, dermatitis. In these cases, therefore, a breeding ground is created for those that are the vehicles of folliculitis.

In the most severe cases, we speak of decalvating folliculitis. In this specific case, we usually speak of scarring alopecia. There is a strong inflammation of the follicles and the whole thing, in addition, brings with it pustules as well as many excoriations on the scalp. In most cases, the follicles are irreversibly damaged and, therefore, the result is caldness in a short time.

This is usually caused by Staphylococcus Aureus which is the bacteria that, in most of these specific cases, attacks the skin and the follicle. In order to try to solve the situation or, at least, to improve the condition of the skin, it is advisable to cleanse it only and exclusively with delicate products indicated to restore the hydrolipidic balance of the skin. You should not, moreover, subject the skin to mechanical stress. The area should always be kept under control and well cleaned. Moreover, one should never use dirty towels and hands should always be sanitized before coming into contact with the area in question.

All these measures could improve the situation even if, in most cases, it is preferable to go to a doctor who can find a specific solution for the problem that, as you could understand, is certainly not to be neglected if you want to avoid the possibility of losing your hair. You should, therefore, contact a specialist in the field when you notice the first symptoms, so as not to worsen a situation that could already be quite complex in itself.