What should you know about friction folliculitis?

Friction from tight clothing, sports equipment, straps, shaving, or prolonged pressure can irritate follicles. Heat and trapped sweat make the area more likely to stay inflamed. The spots may be red, itchy, sore, or centred on a hair. Some resemble Pimples or Ingrown Hairs, and the scalp can also develop itchy follicle-based bumps. Folliculitis has several possible causes, including bacteria, yeast, shaving irritation, and occlusion, so the appearance alone does not identify the cause.

Pause shaving or waxing over the affected area, wear loose breathable clothing, and change out of sweaty clothes promptly. Clean gently without scrubbing or squeezing the bumps, and wash items that repeatedly touch the skin. If symptoms continue, a clinician can examine the area and decide whether Topical Antibiotic Therapy or Antibiotics For Skin Infection is appropriate. Do not share towels or apply leftover prescription medicine, because the wrong treatment can irritate skin or delay the correct diagnosis.

Arrange a review if bumps keep returning, spread, form painful boils, leave scars, or fail to improve after friction is reduced. Seek prompt care for rapidly spreading redness, warmth, severe tenderness, fever, or drainage. A scalp eruption with hair loss, extensive crusting, or marked pain also needs assessment. People with diabetes, reduced immunity, or recurrent skin infections should seek advice earlier.

Ask whether the bumps fit Folliculitis, Ingrown Hairs, or another rash; whether a swab is useful; how to alter shaving and clothing habits; and whether treatment should be topical or taken by mouth. Ask how to prevent recurrence in the same friction-prone area.