I am a 53-year-old white male who is dealing with folliculitis for the first time. It started as a few bumps on the right side of my scalp near my ear. It has spread to about 50% of the right side of my head and a few bumps toward the back of my head. The itching is insane! I first thought it was a reaction to a change in shampoo, but after going back to my usual brand and having new bumps continue to crop up over a three-week period, I went to my family doctor yesterday and got this diagnosis. He is treating it with Doxycycline. I also have a yeast infection on my upper thigh/crotch that is itching badly. Because these two things are unusual in a man my age and in my condition, he is going to do blood work to check for diabetes, as he says these conditions could be a signal of that. I'm hoping it's just a fluke! Published: November 10 ::

My African American husband has folliculitis that is constant due to ingrown hairs. He has been taking antibiotics for over a year since he first saw a dermatologist. He also used topical antibiotic creams. Yet, none of this helps because the real culprit is the ingrown hairs. The prescribed treatment is like putting a tarp over a hole in the roof. The hole remains until the roof is fixed. I am presently at the computer 4:57 am because he has been up since 2:00 am. He is constantly trying to pluck the ingrown hairs out. He is irritable, in pain, and frustrated. Is there something that can be done for my husband? He started with laser surgery, it became too expensive. Published: August 14 ::

I have been dealing with folliculitis since an early teenager, going to the dermatologist at first thinking I had gotten something from a toilet seat. Then, as I got older, it got worse, moving from my inner thighs and buttocks to my stomach and now my arm pits. It is so incredibly painful to sit sometimes. Mine tend to be larger than pimple size, almost like boils. Sometimes they open up, leaving a hole and sometimes they just itch and go away. I have a particularly bad flair up right now so I'm heading to the dermatologist yet again. I've been before, getting a wash, cream for morning, another for night and oral antibiotic, but couldn't afford to keep doing all that. Now that I read what they recommend, knowing that it isn't going to be something that will likely be "cured.” I think I'm going to spend the money. It has to be worth it to prevent me from feeling this way when it flares up. I tend to get it more in the summertime which isn't fun because mine always scars, leaving dark spots in my bikini, butt, leg, underarm and breast area. It really sucks to be quite honest, but if this will help anyone who is suffering with the same thing to not feel so alone, then it's worth me writing! I'm going to the dermatologist tomorrow and if my treatment really works this time. I will post again what she recommended. Good luck to those of you out there with this it's no fun to say the least! Published: August 14 ::

I have folliculitis from my waist down (mostly on my buttocks and my hips), and it’s so painful to sit, let alone put pants and underwear on. I am always covered, usually from head to toe (sometimes even wearing sweaters during the summer), as I don’t want anyone to see the pimple-like things on my body. It’s embarrassing, and I wish they would go away, but nothing I have tried has helped. It seems that the more I try, the worse the situation gets. Anyway, I am looking for a dermatologist who would actually listen to me, as I have gone to several and the only thing they tell me is to exfoliate, which serves to no avail. So I hope that this time around I can finally find a doctor who can help me get rid of this nightmare. Published: July 31 ::

My doctor has diagnosed folliculitis. The red lumps are all over my legs. He says it was caused by my using a hot tub at a hotel. He suggested I wash with diluted vinegar twice a day. This does not seem to be helping, and in fact, it appears to be getting worse. Published: July 31 ::

I have discoid lupus with head lesions and thought I was experiencing an outbreak until the itching became more and more intense. Folliculitis feels to the touch worse than it actually looks. The bumps multiply and are pink until they scab from the constant scratching. I have been on oral antibiotics and topical steroids. The process of healing, for me, is very slow. Ice helps the itching. I noticed it is much worse when I am hot and toward the end of the day. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy! It is miserable. Published: May 20 ::

I have suffered from folliculitis since I was a teenager. I am now 31 years old, and it has gotten progressively worse. It started out just on my thighs and occasionally my buttocks, but now it appears anywhere from my buttocks to my forehead. I had surgery when I was around 27 for an outbreak underneath my arm that was so painful I could barely raise my arm to get dressed in the morning. Needless to say the surgery left me in just as much pain, only for the breakout to occur again six months later. Sometimes it gets so bad on my buttocks and bikini area that I become totally uncomfortable with being intimate with my partner. It's embarrassing, and I'm pretty much open to trying anything to make it go away. Published: October 06 ::