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.
Razor-burn folliculitis is very common on women's legs and is caused by shaving. It
may also be seen on the faces and necks of men. Typically, repeated tiny cuts
caused by the razor on the skin often create small openings. The minute openings
may then allow bacteria to enter the skin and invade the deeper hair follicles.
Additionally, excessively close shaving may cause trapping of small hairs
beneath the skin surface, causing more inflammation.
Treatment involves stopping shaving with a razor for a few days to a few weeks and
using antibacterial washes and topical antibiotics. Additional treatments
include laser hair removal, electrolysis, electric razors, or cream depilatories
like Neet or Nair.
What is pseudofolliculitis barbae?
Pseudofolliculitis barbae is a very common ingrown hair condition on the
beard area (lower face and neck) of men. Typically, there are groups of five to 40
small red bumps on the beard area that may flare with repeat shaving. Pseudofolliculitis tends to be worse in darker skin or African skin. The repeat
tiny cuts caused by overly close shaving create possible ingrown or trapped
hairs. These trapped hairs may cause irritation and inflammation at the hair
follicles. Generally, this condition is not caused by bacteria.
Treatment goals include avoiding overly aggressive shaving, trial of the
"bumps-free razor," and antibacterial benzoyl peroxide shaving gels. Other
treatment options include professional laser hair removal, electrolysis,
electric razors, or cream depilatories like Neet or Nair.
Is folliculitis curable? Is folliculitis contagious?
Most cases of folliculitis are completely curable. There are very uncommon,
long-standing cases of folliculitis that may not be curable. Often these more
resistant cases may be controlled with proper treatment and medication.
Folliculitis sometimes clears completely by itself without treatment. It usually improves after the teen years and young adulthood. Most
patients may expect a short course with easy clearing.
Although most cases of folliculitis are not contagious, cases caused by an
infection may be transmitted through person-to-person skin contact, shared
razors, or through Jacuzzis or hot tubs. Folliculitis may be sterile
(noninfectious) or caused by a fungus, bacterium, or virus. It is possible to
give it to someone else through close skin contact. Some people are simply more
prone to developing folliculitis because of their overall health, possible
altered immune status, exposure history, and other predisposing skin conditions
like eczema or severely dry skin.
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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