On-going folliculitis for 6 years but finally something to control it!!

Skin, nail and hair health
1

Hey All,

I've had scalp folliculitis since the age of 14, literally been given evey anti-bitotic you could possibly imagine and literally NONE of them did anything. I went on accutane for 6 months as i had severe acne on my face and this miraculously got rid of my folliculitis for like 6 months and then about 3 months post accutane the folliculitis started to come back and I cannot tell you how upset i was. I did not want to go down the route of taking more antibiotics 1) They oftern just mask the problem don't solve it 2) I don't want to become reliant on antibiotics to try and control something as it get's very expensive. So i started doing some digging around health and well being forums specifically around inflamation of the skin etc etc.  To cut the story short i've been taking Tumeric tablets, a really good probiotic and applying raw cold pressed coconut oil to my scalp and the results are AMAZING!!!!! I literally thought i was going to have to live my whole life in misery just scratching and scratching and infecting my scalp - i hope this isn't just a one month resolution and it comes back but this has honestly really worked for me and my case was pretty severe.

I will give you an update in a month, but if you're someone who suffers from scalp folliculitis and wants to go down the more natural route i really recommend trying this combination i hope it works for you!

2

I have the solution! After years of spending thousands of dollars going to dermatologists and taking a ridiculous amount of medications, it's ridiculous that something so cheap could solve my folliculitis issue within 2 weeks. Do yourself a favor and follow these steps every night before you go to bed:

Buy something to scrub the area. An exfoliating scrub or sponge or one of those shower back scrubs. (i used a back scrubs with the wooden handle) Buy youself antibacterial face soap. Use the soap and scrub the affected areas. After the shower, dry yourself with a clean towel. Buy A&D baby rash cream (or similar) and rub it all over the affected areas before you go to bed. Trust me. After three days i saw improvement. After a week it was almost all gone. Two weeks later there was nothing left. No bumps, no red marks, no folliculitis.

3

Any news? I've been doing this before you I saw your post minus the Tumeric tablets but I just got some and I was wondering how it's going for you? Also if you've lost any hair has it come back? I've lost a lot of my hair and have some bald spots and just want to be hopeful that it'll grow back!

4

Hi Emily,

i have been been suffering with folliculitis for over a year now and the anti biotics the dermo put on failed to rid me of it. I have done tons of research and tried all sorts. I have come across something which has eased it tremendously and although not totally gone yet, I still itch at times, the spots are massively reduced on my scalp and the relief I feel is awesome. The main ingredient for me is the tea tree oil. I have tea tree shampoo and add some tea tree drops to it, shampoo my hair then leave it for a while before I wash out. I back this up on a night by using a mixture of water and either white or cider vinegar with added drops of tea tree oil. Honestly the improvement is fantastic. Not out of the woods yet but I have only been using for 2 weeks. Give it a go and good luck

5

Hi Lily:

I have been dealing off and on with this horrific scourge for the past 2 years since after I had a major surgery.  I have been on a low dose of Doxycycline for the past year but have had a breakout recently.  My little dog (a Westie) has come down with something that looks like it and itches like it.  I have had him at the vet twice for it and we must return again tomorrow.

I am excited about the Turmeric.  I have been reading about a lot of things they are discovering it helps with.  I will buy the pills tomorrow at a health food store.  Is that also where you got the cold pressed coconut oil?

Please keep us informed of your progress.

6

Hi,

I'm really surprised Accutane didn't work for you. I've never got around to resorting to Accutane, at least not for now. Perhaps Accutane is only for facial acne and not scalp acne? Anyway, I'm glad to hear that you've come across something that is proving to be more effective.

7

I've heard that peppermint works for this. I've never had it personal mail but it might be work th researching as peppermint is both a natural antibiotic and virucidal

8

Hi Lily!

I just joined the forum....out of desperation and read your post. Wondered if you still think the tumeric and cold pressed coconut oil is working?  When do you apply the coconut oil to your scalp? at bedtime?

   I came down with this exactly Sept. of 2013 and cannot get rid of the cycling of sores, itching and tender spots.  I have an underlying disorder, a chronic leukemia that is not requiring treatment but my Oncologist said...because of my immune system I cant get rid of it.  My blood counts are stable so I cant go on Methotrexate...which is a drug used for RA and blood disorders/cancers.  In May tho I am going to beg my Dr. to let me go on it to see if it helps.  I've read individuals with underlying conditions (diabetes, HIV/leukemias, etc) are more prone to this.  I am also "older" at 67 and never....have had a skin condition in my life so having "scalp acne" at this age is frustrating.  My derm has done biopsies, scalp scrapings and I've been on so many meds.  Tomorrow am starting another round of low dose Doxyciline.  I did 2 months of that a year ago.  I used to get a 2 months break from this but now its one flare after another.    I also have Tea Tree Oil shampoo and literally let it sit on my scalp as its so soothing. I will add the drops maybe now to the shampoo. I also have Nizoral 2% prescription shampoo, T-Sal by Neutrogena and T-gel. None of it works.  My dermatologist told me with a sad face "yes you have folliculitis.....its hard to treat".    They must get frustrated from hearing from us!  Thank you!

9

Here is what worked for me.

BACKGROUND

As a teen I had very bad face and back acne which cleared up pretty well by age 18. About 35 years ago at age 35, I noticed small pustules on my scalp, especially in the lower back area. I spent many hours scratching at these and their subsequent scabs, a practice which of course led to further pustules. I couldn't stop scratching though even though I often found difficulty in going to the barber. In desperation, I went to a dermatologist about 30 years ago, and she prescribed a course of antibiotics for six months during which time my infection seemed to disappear. However, in time it reoccurred. Occasional doses of antibiotics would clear the infection but only for a short period.

Once again, last year, I sought guidance from a dermatologist. He said not to use antibiotics as they are a temporary solution. He suggested I should not pick the scabs and keep my fingers away from scalp altogether. He felt the likely cause of my pustules was staph which I transferred to my scalp, likely from my nose, where most people have this bacteria. He prescribed a sulfur solution to apply to the scabs so they would dry, peal, and heal more quickly. This solution works well.

COMPONENTS OF MY CURE

1 per cent sulfur in dilusol solotion prescription (This I just mentioned.)

1 per cent clyndamycin solution prescription

Head and Shoulders shampoo or any shampoo containing zinc

Purell lotion (kills staph bacteria.)

Q-tips

Dental floss picks.

Clean towel daily

A fine bristled brush

Hair dryer

METHOD

This is my daily routine. In the morning, I wet my hair liberally with Purell and then brush it through for about a minute. At some point during the day, I'll use the Q-tips to apply the sulfur solution to any scabs, although I have few if any. In the evening, I shower, shampoo with Head and Shoulders, and dry my hair with the clean towel, being certain not to use it for any other body areas. I finish drying my hair using the hair dryer on high heat. Then I again apply Purell using the brush as before. I also apply Purell to the inside of my nostrils using a Q-tip. This last step may be the most important!

I use the topical antibiotic if I feel I may be developing a pustule using a Q-tip as an applicator.

If a pustule develops, I use a dental pick cleaned with Purell to pierce it. I then clean the area with more Purell and apply some antibiotic, even though the last dermatologist said not to use it.

Bottom line there is no cure. However if you can control the staph bacteria, you can control folliculitis to a large extent. My scalp is at least 90 per cent better by my doing what I described.