Hi XXXXXXX

Thanks for posting your query to Healthcare Magic. Myself Dr S K Kanodia and will try to provide you the best of information regarding your query.

It seems from your query that you are probably suffering from the problem of "Folliculitis". This is a condition of inflammation and infection of the hair follicle. To explain it properly, we have hair all over our body which have opening of the oil glands attached to it. By many a factors these oil glands can become inflamed and infected leading to folliculitis. When it is superficial it heals without any problem, but when it is deep it causes lot of pain and swelling around the area.

Before I guide you any further I would like ask certain relevant questions with the condition:
1. Do you apply any kind of oil on you body or use any kind of moisturizing cream on body.
2. Any other skin problem which is worth telling.
3. Exposure to heat and humidity in last two months or your job profile.
4. Any previous history of taking some medications especially antibiotics in last 6 months.
5. Any history of some systemic disease like diabetes in family.

I hope you would not be bothered to reply above. Waiting for your reply so that I can guide you further.

Regards
Dr. Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD (Dermatology & STD)

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Welcome again and thanks for your prompt reply young man.

As per the response given by you, there is no need of worry for you. Now to explain- why I asked you above questions. This condition is frequently seen in persons who are applying some kind of oils or moisturizers which actually blocks the pores and leading to inflammation and infection. Exposure to heat and humidity is also doing the same effect on the oil glands and hair root. Certain skin infections also make the skin prone for the infection by bacteria. If somebody has personal or family history of diabetes, then also due to raised sugar level bacteria have favorable environment to grow. As you do not have any of the factors which are most commonly predisposing to folliculitis or boils, it is not at all a thing of worry for you.

The only reason remains is simple normal phenomenon of the body where anybody like you and me can get the same without any obvious cause. This is justified by the fact that our body harbor so many of bacteria on the skin which are known as “Normal flora” of the skin. A bacteria “Staphylococcus aureus” is also a part of that flora, but as soon as there is some break in the skin or trivially also due to bit ups and downs in immunity, the bacteria gets access into the skin and causes the aforesaid process of inflammation and infection. So I think you should not be stressed by this simple process. For the medications you have taken antibiotics in last 6 months and to be precise, I think at the previous episode of boils 2 months back.

There are certain important tips regarding your problem:
1. Do not pinch, pop or even try to touch any of the area of boils.
2. Kindly avoid scratching any area of normal skin also, as it leads to minor entry points for the entry of bacteria.
3. Wear cotton clothes and cotton undergarments to be changed two times a day.
4. Maintain proper hygiene and take two times daily bath.
5. Avoid any kind of stress, even for this condition also as stress is one of the very important factor playing role in our immunity (making it low) so prone for infections. Yoga, meditations and simple walk do help a lot in improving immunity.
6. For the boils present now, you can do XXXXXXX warm saline compresses (1 glass of water and pinch of salt in it) for 2-3 times a day.

If these boils are not big and painful then can apply plain antibacterial cream such as fusidic acid or mupirocin (latest is retapamulin) under medical advice. If these are enlarging and painful, then along with above mentioned measures you would be needing a course of oral antibiotics (best after culture and sensitivity of pus) under medical advice. If at all you take oral antibiotic, then do take proper dose and full course of antibiotics (as improper dosing and schedule leads to antibiotic resistance and then recurrent nature of the situation). Eat healthy and nutritious food to improve your immunity at its best because is the most important factor in reducing and eliminating any infection form the body.

Hope I have answered your query. If you have any further questions, I will be happy to help or if you do not have any clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer.

Wish you good health.

Regards,
Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
(MD- Dermatology & STD)

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Welcome again XXXXXXX

I beg your pardon to not to suggest you any antibiotic directly from this forum because of the two reasons. The one as we are basically concerned towards advice and preventive aspect of the problem rather than directly prescribing some drugs. The second being it it is quite more important clinically to see the type and grade of infection by a clinician physically and then prescribe you the best drug for the same. Do not forget to take care of rest of the things told previously. Hope I have answered your query. If you have any further questions, I will be happy to help or if you do not have any clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer.
Wish you good health.

Regards,
Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
(MD- Dermatology & STD)

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