Are You Born With HS?

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease characterized by painful lumps and pus formation in the areas with higher friction, such as:

• Under the arms
• In the groin
• Between the buttocks
• Between the thighs
• Under the breasts
• In the folds of the stomach
• On the nape of the neck
• Behind the ears

In its initial stages, HS appears as painful, recurrent pimples or cysts in the sensitive areas. It may be misdiagnosed as:

• Ingrown hairs
• Folliculitis
• Staph infection
• Cellulitis
• Sexually transmitted disease or STD

However, unlike these conditions, HS is incurable, and the lesions will:

• Often refill.
• Not be healed.
• Leave scars.

Some of the common misconceptions about hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) are:

• It is contagious.
• It is acne.
• It is caused due to poor hygiene.
• It is an STD.

All the above claims are baseless and do not have any scientific evidence to support them. People with HS tend to live a regular life with some difficulties.

Scientists have identified some risk factors that may induce hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), including:

• Family history of HS
• Female gender
• Age between puberty and 40 years
• African American, Hispanics, or biracial
• People with psoriasis