Laura Skin Care

A common condition that causes breakouts on your skin which you might not be aware of, is pityrosporum folliculitis. It manifests under your skin and in the follicles of your hair due to a buildup of yeast bacteria. While it is often mistaken for acne, it is more likely to occur with people who are also susceptible to conditions including seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff.

What to Do If You’re Suffering From Pityrosporum Folliculitis

How Do I Know if I Have It?

Pityrosporum folliculitis typically shows up on the face, particularly along the hairline, and on upper arms, the back and the chest areas. All these areas of the skin have a reputation for being more oily than are others, and the resulting bumps (pustules) produced, can itch and be extremely uncomfortable. In some people, these bumps tend to congregate in one specific area of the body while, in others, there may be multiple outbreaks.

Though it is a definite annoyance, pityrosporum folliculitis is considered a benign condition and not indicative of a more serious medical condition. Because it so closely mimics acne, it can be hard to diagnose. For this reason, if you have been treating these pesky bumps as acne, and your medication or natural treatments are not responsive, contact your dermatologist to have yourself screened for pityrosporum folliculitis. Your dermatologist will need to extract a cell sample from the afflicted area by gently scratching your skin and examining the cell sample through a microscope.

It is also possible to have pityrosporum folliculitis in conjunction with other skin conditions like acne and keratosis pilaris, so you might have symptoms of multiple conditions, different areas may react differently to different treatments, and bumps may occur in areas not consistent with pityrosporum folliculitis because they are in fact a different condition. That does not mean that pityrosporum folliculitis is not present.

What Is the Treatment for Pityrosporum Folliculitis?

There are a couple of options your dermatologist is likely to recommend:

• Itraconazole, an antifungal drug taken orally which has been demonstrated to produce good clinical outcomes.
• For those who suffer from both pityrosporum folliculitis and acne, a prescription cocktail is recommended. This cocktail contains topical anti-acne ointments that includes steroids. This cocktail drug may be prescribed in conjunction with Itraconazole.

For those more inclined to home treatments, whenever possible, a shampoo containing selenium sulfide, like Head & Shoulders, or Neutrogena can be applied on the head and in the hairline. For areas of the skin, pityrosporum folliculitis may be treated with topical creams that contain econazole, such as Spectazole.

Most anti-fungal and anti-yeast topical treatments are okay to use, like Selsun shampoos and Lamisil.

Are Natural Treatments Available?

A good natural home treatment involves applying tea tree oil that has been diluted with another carrier oil to the afflicted area several times a day. In addition, daily baths in sea salt have been known to help the infection through the drying out of the skin. Using anti-fungal soaps and shampoos may help keep pityrosporum folliculitis from recurring, and including a probiotic in your diet whenever you have to take antibiotics may also aid the body against the infection.

Feel free to discuss concerns about pityrosporum folliculitis with your esthetician. We can give helpful skin care advice and many of our treatments are safe for and beneficial for skin conditions such as pityrosporum folliculitis. If one is not suitable for the condition, we’ll let you know.