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Suggest Remedies For Folliculitis

Posted on Thu, 21 Jul 2016

Question: hello. the other day I started feeling some type of irritation. if I barely touch it it hurts or if my shirt rubs against it when I try to sleep it hurts. on my chest area. I usually don't shave my chest hairs with a razor because I have developed bumps there before. and a few became acne scars. but one day I was in a rush so I use a razor again. but it has been almost a few weeks and my hair started growing back. so just the other day I felt the irritation for the first time Kama if my seatbelt was on or if I was wearing a certain shirt that was rubbing up against it. So I got a hair clipper instead of a razor so I could see the area by cutting the hair down. And it was a red bump there that's the size of the tip of my pinky finger. when I touch it hurts or if my shirt rubs against it. its like it happend over night the other day. i couldnt see an area were a ingrown hair moght be and i cant tell an area of puss. its almost kike the pimple I use to get in my ear that i couldnt pop. And its res color

Answered by Dr. Asmeet Kaur Sawhney (39 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Folliculitis and it's management

Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thanks for being at healthcaremagic
I am Dr Asmeet Kaur Sawhney, a dermatologist.
I have reviewed the attached photographs and you have developed folliculitis.
It is inflammation of the hair follicle usually due to bacterial infection.
If I was your treating doctor I would recommend you to take oral antibiotic like tablet cefixime 200 mg twice daily for 5 days along with application of topical antibiotic like mupirocin cream or fusidic acid cream on this red area twice daily for 5-7 days.
Along with this I would recommend you to take anti inflammatory medicines like tablet ibuprofen for 2-3 days till the pain, swelling and redness subsides.
These medicines are prescription drugs and you need to see a doctor in person to get them.
Regards
Dr Asmeet

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Asmeet Kaur Sawhney (18 minutes later)

thank you. is it anything i can do at home or otc to manage it before going the prescribed itinerary route?

Answered by Dr. Asmeet Kaur Sawhney (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Neosporin ointment, hot fermentation

Detailed Answer:
You can try using neosporin ointment on the affected area twice daily for 3-4 days to see whether it's responding to it.
Otherwise you need to go for oral antibiotics if the response is not satisfactory.
Besides this go for hot fermentation of the affected area 2-3 times in a day.
If these measures don't help then you need to take prescription drugs.
Regards
Dr Asmeet

Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad