Folliculitis in women: Genuine Cosmetic Issue

Unhygienic habits in daily life are among the commonest causes of many skin conditions. Folliculitis, for one, can easily develop due to same reason.  Using old blades for shaving, not showering regularly are some of factors for folliculitis to allow microbes invasion and flare up. Although  folliculitis does not have any predilection to sex or age but women can become more prone. This is because there are factors apart from common ones,  which predispose to folliculitis in women. In  women cosmetic procedure can become an added risk.

There are common factors like hot weather, using common swimming pool which is being used by some infected individual, hot tubs, sharing towels at ladies gyms, even sharing common cosmetic items can make women more prone to get folliculitis.

The distribution of hair follicles is generally same in men and women. But other than hidden body areas normally a woman does not have visible hair on exposed parts, particularly face, neck, legs and chest region. If this occurs, it gives the picture of female hirsutism. this condition is hormone dependent. Either there is excess of or increased sensitivity to normal amount of androgens. That causes undue thickness and faster growth rate of hair, specially at the facial area.

For a female the situation is quite embarrassing. The method adopted generally to get rid of unusual and prominent hairs are plucking, shaving and waxing. These procedures can cause damage to hair follicles pretty easily. Once that happens, it can give rise to folliculitis in women. The procedure has to be repeated quite often and that becomes an added risk for spread and complication of folliculitis in women.

Rash of folliculitis in women is same as in other groups. So are the general protocols of treatment. Immaculate hygiene with regular baths using anti-septic soap is a good idea. Cleaning the effected area of skin with benzyl peroxide and drying it with a warm damp cloth cleans the debris too.

Shaving and other methods adopted to get rid of unwanted hairs should be meticulously cared for. When the folliculitis has set in, leg shaving should be stopped until measures to clear the infection have been done. Meanwhile unwanted hair of  folliculitis in women can be removed by electrolysis and laser techniques. Both involve using tools to remove individual hairs.

Causative bacteria is commonly staphylococcus aureus. When  isolated from cultures of infected skin lesion, proper anti-biotics are given. The choice can be made from cephalexin, flucloxacillin and dicloxacillin in a dose range of 250-500mg three times daily for 10 days. Women regularly using common hot tubs have greater chance of getting pseudomonas infection. Benzoly peroxide wash is required in mild infection which clears folliculitis in women. The parts effected parts  of body in hot tub folliculitis in women are belwo the trunk. In more exuberant cases of ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice daily for 5-10 days may be needed.

Other than the aforementioned conventional and non-conventional methods, specific drugs have to be used in folliculitis in women who have hormonal imbalance. They include use of anti-androgenic medicine as well as oral contraceptives. The effects are though slow but ultimate results are quite rewarding for thickness as well dark unwanted hairs disappear. This itself minimizes chances of folliculitis in women.