Dr. Alai is an actively practicing medical and surgical dermatologist in south Orange County, California. She has been a professor of dermatology and family medicine at the University of California, Irvine since 2000. She is U.S. board-certified in dermatology, a 10-year-certified fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, and Fellow of the American Society of Mohs Surgery.
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Hot tub rash is an infection of the skin (dermatitis) or
of the hair follicles in the skin (folliculitis) acquired from contact with
contaminated water. The infection occurs most commonly after swimming in hot tubs or spas,
but contaminated swimming pools or lakes may also spread the infection.
Most cases of hot tub rash are caused by the bacterium
Pseudomonas
aeruginosa, an organism abundant in
nature and found in soil, water, and on plants. Hot tub rash usually begins with
itchy skin or itchy bumps on the skin,
which progress to form tender red nodules that may contain pus. Pus-containing
sores are also commonly present around hair follicles. The rash
is often worse
under the areas of skin covered by a swimsuit, since the swimsuit can keep the
contaminated water in contact with the skin for a longer period of time. Hot tub
rash appears within two days after contact with contaminated water.
What is folliculitis? What are folliculitis symptoms? What does folliculitis look like?
Folliculitis is a common skin condition that appears as numerous small red or
pink little bumps at hair follicles. It can cause a "chicken
skin" appearance on the skin. Folliculitis can affect any part of the skin,
including the chest, back, arms, legs, buttocks, and cheeks. Often, 10-100 very small, slightly smooth
bumps are scattered in a body area like the back. Some of the bumps may be
slightly red or have an accompanying light-red halo indicating inflammation. Sometimes, scratching off the top reveals a small trapped or coiled hair within. Acne whiteheads, called milia, may also be in the same areas as
folliculitis. Although folliculitis is
primarily a skin condition of teenagers and younger adults, it is also
seen in all ages.
In general, folliculitis is often cosmetically displeasing and otherwise
medically harmless. Many cases of folliculitis may resolve spontaneously without
any treatment. Folliculitis frequently affects otherwise healthy people.
Treatment may typically include one or a combination of antibacterial washes,
antibiotic creams or lotions, and antibiotic pills.
Who develops folliculitis?
Anyone can develop folliculitis wherever hair follicles are present on the
body. The lesions in folliculitis most frequently involve the chest, back, and
legs. Other common locations include the face, neck, thighs and buttocks.
Although possible, it is rare to have it widespread all over the body. It does
not affect the eyes, mouth, palms, or soles, where there are no hair follicles. Folliculitis is estimated to affect more 10%-20% of people at some point
in their lives.
Certain groups of people are more prone to develop folliculitis. People with
diabetes and those with a compromised immune system (such as from HIV/AIDS,
hepatitis, chronic illnesses, cancer, systemic chemotherapy, immune-suppressing
drugs) may be more prone to develop folliculitis.
Acne is a localized skin inflammation as a result of overactivity of oil glands at the
base of hair follicles. This inflammation, depending on its location, can take the form
of a superficial pustule (contains pus), a pimple, a deeper cyst, congested pores, whiteheads, or blackheads. Treatments vary depending on the severity of the acne.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition characterized by high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. The two types of diabetes are referred to as type 1 (insulin dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin dependent). Symptoms of diabetes include increased urine output, thirst, hunger, and fatigue. Treatment of diabetes depends on the type.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a ballooning or widening of the main artery (the aorta) as it courses down through the abdomen. The most common cause of aortic aneurysms is
"hardening of the arteries" called arteriosclerosis.
Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
Keratosis pilaris (KP) is a common skin disorder in which small white or red bumps appear around hair follicles on the upper arms, thighs, buttocks, and cheeks. The cause of KP is unknown. There is no cure for keratosis pilaris, and the condition may resolve on its own. Gentle exfoliation, professional manual extraction, chemical peels, and microdermabrasion, along with topical products, are the best treatments for this condition.
Scar formation is a natural part of the healing process after injury. The depth and size of the wound incision and the location of the injury impact the scar's characteristics, but your age, heredity and even sex or ethnicity will affect how your skin reacts.
Teenagers recognize that they are developmentally between child and adult. Teen health prevention includes maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, preventing injuries and screening annually for potential health conditions that could adversely affect teenage health.
Acne (acne vulgaris, common acne) is a disease of the hair follicles of the face, chest, and back that affects almost all males and females during puberty; the only exception being teenage members of a few primitive isolated tribes living in
Neolithic societies. It is not caused by bacteria, although bacteria play a role in its development. It is not unusual for some women to develop acne in their mid- to late-20s.
Acne appears on the skin as...
congested pores ("comedones"), also known as
blackheads or
whiteheads,
tender red bumps also known as pimples or zits,
pustules, and occasionally as
cysts (deep pimples, boils).
You can do a lot to treat your acne using products available at a drugstore
or cosmetic counter that do not require a prescription. However, for tougher cases
of acne, you should
consult a physician for treatment options.
Hot tub rash is an infection of the skin (
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