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What Are the Causes of Scalp Folliculitis?

Scalp folliculitis is often called hot tub folliculitis or barber's itch, but in actuality these two activities generally have little to do with the actual onset of the infection. Folliculitis is brought on by damage to the follicles of the scalp that can be brought on by a number of external factors.

  1. Friction

    • The most common cause of folliculitis is friction. Shaving your head opens up your scalp to contracting a mild case of infection. That's because shaving causes undue friction on the scalp. The same can be said of wearing tight head coverings. They also cause friction to the scalp and can impact the hair follicles.

    Sweat

    • Whether it's a function of your occupation, exercise or just overactive sweat glands, perspiration is another common cause of folliculitis. The reason behind this form of folliculitis has to do with the follicles' need to breath. Clogging up the pores on the scalp lends to a higher chance of getting the infection.

    Acne

    • A history of skin conditions could inevitably make you a candidate for a folliculitis infection. Because of the skin's propensity to produce exorbitant amounts of oil, the pores stand a greater chance of becoming plugged up with these excretions and thus a higher chance of getting folliculitis. This is why, with some forms of the infection, physicians will prescribe acne medication to treat it, like Retin-A.

    Coal Tar, Pitch and Other External Factors

    • People who work in roofing or in an automotive capacity also have a higher propensity to contracting folliculitis. That's because not only are these occupations hot and thus cause the person to sweat at a higher level than, say an office worker, the substances that they work around like tar and automotive lubricants are high in oil contents, thus clogging the pores of the scalp.

    Weak Immune System

    • Diseases such as diabetes or HIV are good indicators of a potential risk to folliculitis. That's because these diseases, much like folliculitis, thrive in people with a weak or weakened immune system. Such an immune system has less of a defense against infection in the first place. And while it's not necessarily a cause, it's an important factor in the infection's ability to show up.

    Hot Tubs

    • The name hot tub folliculitis is not totally unfounded. Folliculitis can breed in hot tubs and pools with an insufficient amount of chlorine. The infection thrives on bacteria and there is no better petri dish for bacteria than a poorly maintained tub.

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