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Folliculitis Symptom

When most people think of a skin infection, they usually imagine some sort of bacteria infecting a wound on the skin. But, there's also the potential to develop another sort of skin infection, one that actually involves the follicles of a person's skin. While it may seem hard to believe that these little pockets of cells can be prone to infection, folliculitis is a real and sometimes uncomfortable condition, prompting a number of obvious symptoms.

  1. Rash

    • The most common symptom of folliculitis involves the formation of a rash on the surface of the skin. This rash normally takes the form of small, circular bumps that develop right around the follicle of the hair, appearing pink, red or white in color. Sometimes the inflammation is so great that bumps actually grow into what would appear to be a mass of raised skin.

    Blisters

    • For some people, folliculitis may cause the skin surrounding the infected follicle to blister. These will typically be round in appearance and white in color and filled with a small amount of pus. After a time, these blisters can eventually break open and develop into small scabs along the skin.

    Pustules

    • For others, folliculitis may prompt the formation of pustules or nodules. This deep inflammation caused by the infection prompts raised, round bumps to develop on the skin. Usually, this condition occurs on the face, neck, shoulder, chest and back. And much like blisters, these pustule or nodules can also break open, spilling its contents and causing a scab.

    Boils

    • Sometimes folliculitis can cause the development of boils. With this type of condition, the follicles become infected with the staphylococcus bacteria. As soon as the bacteria invades the follicle, a pink-to-red bump forms, fills with pus and spreads an irritation out into the surrounding skin. Over time, the boil continues to grow in size until it breaks open.

    Irritation

    • Many times the rash, blisters and pustules are accompanied by some level of skin irritation, usually taking the form of itchiness around the area of infection. This may run anywhere from a relatively mild irritation, where discomfort is periodic, to a fairly severe irritation, where this itchiness is persistent. It is also possible for the skin itself to become quite tender and uncomfortable to the touch.

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