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.
What is the prognosis (outlook) with folliculitis?
The prognosis with folliculitis is very good. Overall, folliculitis tends to
be an easily treated and curable skin condition. Typically, it is a
noncontagious, self-limited condition. Rarely, more widespread folliculitis
may be cosmetically disfiguring and psychologically distressing.
How is folliculitis diagnosed?
The diagnosis of folliculitis is generally based on the appearance of the
skin. In some situations, a small skin biopsy may be used to help the doctor
confirm the diagnosis. Other times, a skin bacterial culture may be taken by a
cotton-tip applicator to assist in detecting an infectious cause of the folliculitis. A few other medical conditions may look just like folliculitis and
need to be examined more closely by a dermatologist.
Usually, no specific laboratory tests are needed in the diagnosis of common
folliculitis. A bacterial culture may be useful to check for bacteria on the
skin. Microscopic skin tests and fungal tests using potassium hydroxide may help
to determine if the folliculitis is caused by yeast or a fungus. Skin biopsy
(surgically taking a small piece of skin using local numbing medicine) with
histopathological (exam of tissue under the microscope) evaluation may be useful
in atypical or widespread cases. Sometimes skin biopsies help to exclude other
possible diagnoses.
Histopathology of folliculitis shows the epidermis
with mild hyperkeratosis (thickening of the skin epidermis), clustering of white
blood cells around the hair follicle, and possible bacteria in the follicles.
The upper dermis (layer of the skin) may have some microscopic inflammation,
referred to as mild superficial perivascular lymphocytic inflammatory changes.
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.
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