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There is so much info here- so let me just ask this- I was on doxycycline for a skin infection from a bug bite back in June for ONLY 15 days. Then I got a rash on my chest and the doc said that the doxy caused it (bacterial rash) and I can use erythomyacin gel to clear it up or it will go away on its own. I was weary of using another antibiotic after the stupid doxy. Anyway I still have the rash on my chest and I want to know what I can use on it to get rid of it. Salts? Alcohol? BP? I am not using anything at the moment because I am just scared it will spread or get worse. Please help!
I am new to these boards, and think there is a lot of great info here. I have had what both my general physician and the local dermatologist believe is folliculitis for almost 2 months now. I cannot pinpoint exactly what caused it, but the doctors believed it was from either my hot tub or the swimming pool. It started on my thighs and genitals (sorry) and over the 2 months it has spread to every part of my body. Most people on here seem to have it just in certain places, so I'm not sure why mine has been so wide spread. It was horrible before, and now it is to the point of beginning to show up on my face. I'm at the end of my rope with this! I have thus far been prescribed a steroid cream, prednisone and a prescription strength version of benydril, and nothing has worked. The prednisone took some of the redness away, and it seemed to slow the spread a little, but now that I'm off it, it's as though the folliculitis has taken a giant leap to places that it wasn't before. The dermatologist told me to put vinegar on it, that was his sage advice. I go back tomorrow and have no clue what to try next. I also have terrible insomnia which was made so much worse by the prednisone that my doctor took me out of work for a week. Is there any cure for this because I can't imagine having this for the rest of my life. I'm a 33 year old male who works with the public, and if I'm doomed to have this forever, it pretty much means I will be celebate, alone and possibly jobless. I am thankful for any advice that you have to offer - at this point I will do ANYTHING to get rid of it. I'm about to have myself doused in holy water!!
Hi everyone. I have read 22 pages about everyones folliculitis, looking for someone who would mention having the same symptoms as my 16 year old son. He has PF. The derm sent a culture out and had it confirmed. The majority of it is in his scalp! No one has this. Little pustuals all over his head! Now there have been some moving to his forehead lately. Is this uncommon?
He was on accutane for 8 months about a year ago.Been completely clear. NOW THIS.He is so upset. Im very upset and not sleeping over worry. Everything I read said it will never go away for good. Then I got scared on websites that said his hair could fall out!!! Is this for real???
Please help us.
Kerry
Hi everyone. I have read 22 pages about everyones folliculitis, looking for someone who would mention having the same symptoms as my 16 year old son. He has PF. The derm sent a culture out and had it confirmed. The majority of it is in his scalp! No one has this. Little pustuals all over his head! Now there have been some moving to his forehead lately. Is this uncommon?He was on accutane for 8 months about a year ago.Been completely clear. NOW THIS.He is so upset. Im very upset and not sleeping over worry. Everything I read said it will never go away for good. Then I got scared on websites that said his hair could fall out!!! Is this for real???
Please help us.
Kerry
Yes, from what I understand, PF can occur on the scalp as welll. Did his derm recommend any particular treatment? You might have him try shampooing with Nizoral Shampoo - the 1% should be available in drugstores and I think you can order the stronger 2% off the nizoral website.
Another option that might work is a mandelic shampoo. Mandelic is antifungal and antibacterial and it has worked better for my body folliculitis than any other treatments. Vivant is the only company I know that makes a mandelic shampoo - its actually really nice, cleans well, doesn't stink or smell medicated.
With either shampoo - I'd have him use it either every day or every other day (maybe start with every day, and see if it clears - if it does, he could reduce it to just a few times a week). Lather, and leave the shampoo on the scalp for 5 min or so, then rinse.
Hey everyone. I've been looking at this thread for a while as I too have pityrosporum.... I first tried using the head and shoulders, and it definitely did help, just not enough. After using it once a day in the morning every morning, I would still have roughly 7 or so spots. I sort of just resigned to that as the best I could get. Rarely, I would take a salt bath, because it does wonders, buuuut, since I don't have a bath tub, it makes this difficult. Anyways, probably about a month or so ago a friend gave me a bottle of a supplement known as turmeric (not because of pityrosporum, but because it's supposed to help your immune system and I was sick). Surprisingly, after taking it for a good week or so I noticed a big difference. I still get a couple of spots every now and then, but considering you can buy a bottle of turmeric from Walmart for a couple of bucks and it's natural, it's definitely worth it. Anyways, figured since it works pretty well for me, I'd share the news with the community... good luck! 
WOW Sorry if my post if long and dragged out but I am so relieved to find the answer to my problem!
It all started when I stopped taking amoxicillin.
I got tiny little bumps on my chest and back of neck.
I treated them with acne products (naturally) and it only got worse.
They would go away but only temporarily and would come back extremely large and red.
My face and body are always itchy - which people said is a symptom.
I am going to try the ZNP bar ( I think I still have samples from when I was prescribed it for my face ages ago)
and I will buy the Nizoral stuff(whatever it is called)
I am so mad I didn't catch this earlier, I feel like it is developing on my face.
Also my mom said she will buy my probiotics because I developed lactose intolerance/intestinal issues (not sure, going to doctor next week) recently aswell.
Hi everyone. I have read 22 pages about everyones folliculitis, looking for someone who would mention having the same symptoms as my 16 year old son. He has PF. The derm sent a culture out and had it confirmed. The majority of it is in his scalp! No one has this. Little pustuals all over his head! Now there have been some moving to his forehead lately. Is this uncommon?He was on accutane for 8 months about a year ago.Been completely clear. NOW THIS.He is so upset. Im very upset and not sleeping over worry. Everything I read said it will never go away for good. Then I got scared on websites that said his hair could fall out!!! Is this for real???
Please help us.
Kerry
Hi Kerrylee,
I'm new to this forum. I was doing a research online for the problem I am facing for a long time now.
I'm 26 year old (man) now and it seems that I have the same thing that your 16 year old son is experiencing/experienced.
I was put on accutane on august 2008 till november 2009 (like 3 full months) by my dermatologist. And 1 month after the treatment I began having a lot of small pustules around my head (at the earline moving backwards to my neck and forward to my forehead) and the more I attacked them (with salycilic acid at the time, on my scalp, trying to "burn" them off ) the more they seemed to get, like a sudden rage. So I returned to my dermatologist 3 months later (after warring/fighting on my own ways) and he told me that maybe I needed another treatment with accutane to finish up, which I then took for like 5 months till end June (during each treatment time I was like acne- & pustules- free on my face, scalp and whole body).
For some reasons the pustules on my scalp began again (after 1 month of finishing the accutane-treatment-> end July), and moving again towards my forehead. And again I went to the dermatologist, and I suggested to him that maybe I had some infection (bacterial or something) so he thought it was a good suggestion, and prescibed me claritromycine for 1 month.. so I was clear whole august and mid sept 2009 till recently they began again; the same rage to my forehead and whole head-scalp and my chest also this time (this is after around 1 and quarter month after finishing treatment with the antibiotic: Claritromycine).
So yesterday 3 October I was doing a research online and it seems more and more clear to me that what I'm having is follicultis of some kind caused by a yeast most likely. Because from right at the end after finishing my treatment with Claritromycine I began taking acidophilus (pro-biotics) to keep the right good bacteria alive and in control.
So Kerrylee I wanted to know if you got some solutions for your son.
Can you let me know ?
Before I go again to my dermatologist ( who also said to me that he didn't want to see me again in a [kidding-mode] 
.Puts me wonder sometimes if they really know what they are prescribing or diagnosing 
)
Greetz,
Joe
Hi guys-
I stumbled onto this forum and thought I would share my experience. I have been living with Pityrosporum Folliculitis for six years on my back and thighs. I am 29 years old now. I always thought it was acne. It wasn't until I found this forum some time ago and learned what it was that I had. I cut out sugar, exercised more (shower right away) started using Tea Tree Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar as well as incorporated sea salt baths. I have almost cut it out completely. If you are not using the shampoo recommended earlier in this thread, you should give it a try because it has done wonders for me. I use it on my scalp and my body as a bodywash. It is called Giovanni Triple Treat and it is cheap, about $7 a bottle. I buy it from [Edited link out] they have a $5 off coupon. Anyways, after washing with this shampoo I put Tea Tree Oil on my skin. Once a week I take a bath in salt water as well. In just under a month, I have almost completely gotten this off my body! All it takes is determination and you can kill this stuff. I found sugar to really be one of the biggest culprits. I am athletic, so for example I switched up Gatorade for naturally flavored water.
I wish everyone the best.
Just wanted to say I also believe in what MissTanya is saying. The combination of Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat shampoo (or any well prepared tea tree oil shampoo) with direct skin application of Tea Tree Oil additionally on affected areas is probably one of the best ways to combat PF.
I've been doing a lot of research on the web, and it seems that tea tree oil, in tests, is probably the best topical agent to combat PF. Only oral fungal medications outdo it. Sadly though the oral fungal meds may affect your liver adversely (i repeat "may").
Noticed on the Target web site they offer the above shampoo (in store also?) and they also have a great Tea Tree Oil (their Origin brand) they offer in their pharmacy area. I'm on my second bottle and am seeing awesome results. Need to get the Tea Tree shampoo too for the best affect.
Initially undiluted Tea Tree Oil may cause redness (goes away usually after 30min or so) and itching, so you may want to consider diluting in the beginning to see how you react. I'm using it "neat" and my skin seems ok with it.
Recently, my PF itching has disappeared and I have no red spots or breakouts. By the way, my belly is where I had my outbreak, nowhere else. My only suggestion, stick with it! It may take awhile to show results. I think it took about 6 weeks for me.
Also, PF is now known as malassezia folliculitis:
http://dermnetnz.org/fungal/pityrosporum-folliculitis.html
Best of luck to all...PF(MF) is a pain in the you know what!
Chuck
Ok question.
I have been on this site for just a little over a month and only recently came upon discussion of this fungus. It has me really intrigued. I'm starting to think that my acne is actually this pirytosporum that people are talking about because I have a couple of clogged pores that have been there for weeks and you can see it when the skin goes taught on my cheek and I think it may be this stuff.
So here's the question. If these spots get irritated or ruptured in anyway, will they become inflamed just like acne does too? Will they balloon up looking like perhapd cystic or nodular acne? Just wondering...if that is what is going on with me I would love to get a solution quick!
Ok question.
I have been on this site for just a little over a month and only recently came upon discussion of this fungus. It has me really intrigued. I'm starting to think that my acne is actually this pirytosporum that people are talking about because I have a couple of clogged pores that have been there for weeks and you can see it when the skin goes taught on my cheek and I think it may be this stuff.
So here's the question. If these spots get irritated or ruptured in anyway, will they become inflamed just like acne does too? Will they balloon up looking like perhapd cystic or nodular acne? Just wondering...if that is what is going on with me I would love to get a solution quick!
Generally, these spots don't flare up into inflamed acne or cysts. They tend to be small, sometimes a little red - but not very inflamed. They are more often confused with noninflamed acne becasue they look very similar. It also usually spreads beyond just a couple of lesions.
I'm pretty sure I have this on my forehead. Out of nowhere I started getting pimples (or so I thought) on my forehead..and it happened right around the time I took a plane ride to a place thats really humid. Now I currently have small pimples that sometimes become inflamed...Do you think I have this? I went to the derm and he thought that maybe it was just an allergic reaction because I had never gotten pimples on my forehead before, so he gave me some kind of steroid cream. It definitely helped with the itching but not so much with the actual bumps.
Would Lamisil work? the anti-fungal cream...i don't have the money to go out and buy stuff and this was in my medicine cabinet.
I'm pretty sure I have this on my forehead. Out of nowhere I started getting pimples (or so I thought) on my forehead..and it happened right around the time I took a plane ride to a place thats really humid. Now I currently have small pimples that sometimes become inflamed...Do you think I have this? I went to the derm and he thought that maybe it was just an allergic reaction because I had never gotten pimples on my forehead before, so he gave me some kind of steroid cream. It definitely helped with the itching but not so much with the actual bumps.
Would Lamisil work? the anti-fungal cream...i don't have the money to go out and buy stuff and this was in my medicine cabinet.
well tbh PF is normally in hairy area's its an inflamation of the hair folicle. so i doubt it very muc if its your forehead tbh.
then again reading about it some people do indeed get PF there
guys i think this is the type of folliculitus i have because after doing weights or doing something where i get hot and sweaty my face in the hair area becomes more red. also when i was skiing my face mask made me sweat etc and my face had never looked so bad before!
But doc has just prescribed me for the bateria type medication. Dont want to take it because a) it may make it worse if it is fungal b) its so light that taking anti biotics seems way to over kill
Nizoral is this an american thing? what is best for me in the uk?
OKay so I'm almost sure I have this, antibiotic use seem to have encouraged PF mostly in my t-zone area but under my eyes and temple regions. Just recently I've noticed some patches on my chest and my thigh areas, I started using Palmer's Coco butter with AHA and it has helped with my body but I'm not gonna put that on my face so I have a few questions?
What are the topical or oral treatments that have shown to best work?
Also, are there some natural remedies for example I've read tea tree oil and rosemary oil are natural anti-fungal; has anyone tried natural stuff with sucess?
Is anyone taking a probiotic while treating PF?
Is PF the same as Candida? It seems like whenever I google "anti fungal" or "skin fungus" candida yeast keeps coming up... I'm confused!
I know I have PF because the area around my regions and under my eyes don't respond to any acne meds. (RetinA, BP, salicylic acid, BHA, AHA) but I just want don't want to spend my money and time on things that don't work so if people could post what has worked for them thanks!
Hey Everybody,
I have been browsing acne.org for at least 7 or 8 years now, but have never made a post. Until now!
So a quick little background. I got acne on my face in early high school, nothing severe, but enough to go to the derm and get put on antibiotics. 3-4 years later I had been switched around to all the different ones and the acne was still mildly hanging around. So I decided to ditch the antibiotics and take the natural route. I tried many different things(this is when I started scouring acne.org for remedies!), but they sadly failed. I do believe whole heartedly though that if you find the right natural treatment/diet/mindset etc. it will work! So once this didn't work it got worse (always on my face, never had a body acne problem) and I resided to Accutane. 4 months and it was gone! And it has stayed gone on my face for years now. An occasional pimple here or there if I don't wash my face after exercise or eating really poorly.
So this brings me to present day. I'd say about 1 and a half years ago I got a bad sunburn on my chest/shoulders/back. By bad I mean I got sunburned, it peeled and then I got sunburned on the freshly peeled skin right after. A couple months after it I started getting little tiny white bumps under my skin. Now I have flat white bumps under my skin and little red bumps. Of course I tried treating it like acne and nothing happened and that led me to think it was something else. Luckily I ended up here.
I haven't been to a derm yet to confirm but I think I have PF. I started using H&S a week ago and that helped it a bit and now I just started using Nizoral, which really cut down on some redness and new bumps, even in just a day! I'm also eating a little bit of fresh garlic each day, taking enzymes and probiotics and am cutting down on sweets as much as possible. I am also eating better... lots of veggies, fiber, yogurt etc.
So really my question to all of you is... Do you think I have PF? Could PF have been caused by my bad sunburn? Here is a picture of my chest....tell me what you think given my history etc. I am going to see a derm soon, but just wanted all of your advice since you've seen PF in person before so I can start treating it now!
Thank you!
I bumped up the contrast and took out some brightness because the flash washed alot of the bumps/redness out. Which kinda looked nice haha 
Hey Everybody,
I have been browsing acne.org for at least 7 or 8 years now, but have never made a post. Until now!
So a quick little background. I got acne on my face in early high school, nothing severe, but enough to go to the derm and get put on antibiotics. 3-4 years later I had been switched around to all the different ones and the acne was still mildly hanging around. So I decided to ditch the antibiotics and take the natural route. I tried many different things(this is when I started scouring acne.org for remedies!), but they sadly failed. I do believe whole heartedly though that if you find the right natural treatment/diet/mindset etc. it will work! So once this didn't work it got worse (always on my face, never had a body acne problem) and I resided to Accutane. 4 months and it was gone! And it has stayed gone on my face for years now. An occasional pimple here or there if I don't wash my face after exercise or eating really poorly.
So this brings me to present day. I'd say about 1 and a half years ago I got a bad sunburn on my chest/shoulders/back. By bad I mean I got sunburned, it peeled and then I got sunburned on the freshly peeled skin right after. A couple months after it I started getting little tiny white bumps under my skin. Now I have flat white bumps under my skin and little red bumps. Of course I tried treating it like acne and nothing happened and that led me to think it was something else. Luckily I ended up here.
I haven't been to a derm yet to confirm but I think I have PF. I started using H&S a week ago and that helped it a bit and now I just started using Nizoral, which really cut down on some redness and new bumps, even in just a day! I'm also eating a little bit of fresh garlic each day, taking enzymes and probiotics and am cutting down on sweets as much as possible. I am also eating better... lots of veggies, fiber, yogurt etc.
So really my question to all of you is... Do you think I have PF? Could PF have been caused by my bad sunburn? Here is a picture of my chest....tell me what you think given my history etc. I am going to see a derm soon, but just wanted all of your advice since you've seen PF in person before so I can start treating it now!
Thank you!
I bumped up the contrast and took out some brightness because the flash washed alot of the bumps/redness out. Which kinda looked nice haha
That's exactly what my body looks like. I believe it's PF and not acne. I've been using H&S now for about 3 weeks. Chest looks better but the back and shoulders show no real improvement.
I hate it and it won't go away!!
Hi Everyone I have had pityrosporum folliculitis for about 25 years. I was first diagnosed at 18 yrs. I got it when I was 16 and it took 2 years and many dermatologist to diagnose it. I wanted to give some info that I know after so many years so that many people will know what causes it and how to control it. First it can be easily diagnosed by a derm. by taking a simple skin scraping and looking at in under a microscope. The fungus has a distinct look and any qualified dermatologist should be able to do this. I said should because it took 2 years to finally find one that did this and diagnosed me. At first they thought it was acne but I knew it wasn't it was like it spread overnight. It looks very much like acne so it can be easily confused for it but like I said a simple skin scape and look will tell them everything. First let me tell you what will make it worse. Humidity is your enemy. It will help the fungus grow so you will need to be on top of it remember once you have it you will always. It is not something you can get rid of fully because it is a normal inhabitant on everyones skin just some of us have just the perfect environment for them. So all you can do is control it. Sitting in hot baths or jacuzzi is not good and sweating is not good. Dont use a humidifier in your house either. If you exercise alot you will have more problems with it. The sweating will also make it grow more. You need to shower after and treat it even if you do this it may still be a bigger issue. . If you take cortisone in any form be it pills or through nasal sprays it will grow and antibiotics will clear you at first but once stopped you will have some issues. The antibiotics kill off the bacteria that keeps it in check and without it the fungus will grow .A diet with alot of sugar is not good and in my case I find eating nuts or seeds avocados and greasy fried foods also make it worse. So eat better and if you can live in a drier climate that is better but not always possible. Dont take long baths the steam will bring it out. Now how to control it besides not doing the things that bring it out. If you are really bad like I was. I had my neck, chest and upper back filled and on my face mostly around the hairline but sometimes all over plus my scalp. You can take nizoral , difflucan or sporanox pills. A dermatologist can prescribe these after diagnosis. Remember these pills are not good for your liver so only use if bad enough and not often. Using selsun blue can help or your dermatologist can prescribe nizoral shampoo in a stronger dose or there are other things they can prescribe. For some women taking birth control pills that are used for people with acne will help since they control the oil on your skin and usually people with this have oily skin. Hormones play a big part in this so keep then in check. Remember try not to use antibiotic and also cortisone which will bring it up. Keep skin dry and dont use heavy creams and sunscreens. I use dermalogica products like special cleansing gel to wash my face neck and chest and back and a little of their active moist lotion. I also use sunforgettable sunscreen which is a powder (probably better for girls) as my sunscreen since lotions ones tend to cause more of a problem. You dont want your skin super moist it will bring it out. I also use differin on my face. This has helped me a lot in the past since it does exfoliate you and you have the extra added benefits of a retinoid. This is the best retinoid and mildest for sensitive skin. Well I hope this knowledge helps someone out there who is suffering with this condition. It supposingly gets better with age because our skin does not produce as much oil so there is some hope out there and until then just keep it under control as well as possible.
Grace11,
Thanks for sharing from your years of having PF. It helps to hear from someone with a long experience.
If you don't mind me asking, do you think that PF is contagious (being that you have had it for so long).
Has anyone living with you ever experiencd PF also?
I am new to the condition and concerned for passing it on to family members.
Regards,
Jim
Grace11,
Thanks for sharing from your years of having PF. It helps to hear from someone with a long experience.
If you don't mind me asking, do you think that PF is contagious (being that you have had it for so long).
Has anyone living with you ever experiencd PF also?
I am new to the condition and concerned for passing it on to family members.
Regards,
Jim
Hi cjaesee- No it is not contagious because everyone already has it. It is a normal inhabitant on the skin but in some people because of having less immunity to it and the perfect skin for it it will over grow. It is not something that can be cured only controlled because it normally lives on the skin. The great dermatologists at ucla dermatology told me all this. so dont worry about passing it . If someone gets it in your house then its not because of you.
Hey guys. I believe I posted in this thread before as I used to go on this forum years ago, but let me update...
So, I have had these "bumps" on my whole body for years, if memory serves me correctly they started out on the backs of my knees and spread. They are now on virtually my whole body... here's a pic of them on my side:
[Edited link out]
They have been diagnosed as acne, keratosis pilaris, folliculitis, scabies, and some obscure "vascular lesions". I really do believe it fits folliculitis to a T. So far the only treatment I have used consistently for them is chemical exfoliants.... hydroxy acids. Both alpha and beta. Also I have mixed tea tree oil in with this treatment. I have had limited results.
I have read some promising things on white vinegar and just yesterday purchased some white distilled vinegar and put it in a spray bottle and plan on spraying my body with it like 3 times a day. Thus far, it stings and itches for a little while when I spray it on.
I am wondering, if this doesn't clear it up, how hard is it to get a doctor to do a test to see whether the folliculitis is bacterial or fungal? I'm surprised this has not been done for me yet. Can a GP do it?
Won't go into the whole drawn out story because you have all been there, but after 6 months and 7 doctors I finally found this site and am almost positive that PF is what I have been battling.
I started using the Nizoral shampoo topically and it really tamed the rash but didn't get rid of it. I saw a derm. today who didn't want to do a biopsy because the rash was so mild, he felt he wouldn't really get good results, but he went ahead and prescribed an oral anti-fungal medication. My question is- he prescribed Lamisil (Terbinafine) for 14 days.
Will this be an effective medication against PF in your opinions, or should I have asked for oral Ketoconazole? I was just so happy to have a possible solution I didn't argue with him.
Thanks for all of the information here. It gave me some hope after a tough 6 months!
Wow, this thread may be the Rosetta Stone to my body Acne.
Here's my history:
I have had a lot of acne in the past and have been on Accutane three times: once in middle school, once in high school, and once in college. (I am not 22 and just graduated).
After my third time on Accutane, my skin (face and body) was completely clear for a year. About 14 months in, I started getting a few breakouts on my face and back, but it was nothing too serious to see a doctor about. Eventually, my body breakouts were getting worse, so I decided to see a doctor, who prescribed me doxycyline. My body immediately broke out with small bumps, but I just assumed that skin conditions get worse before getting better when taking medication.
I believe that the doxycyline cleared up a few large cysts, but 10 weeks later, my chest, back, and arms, are still covered in small red bumps.
I have tried apple cider vinegar, jajoba oil, tea tree oil, Gold Bond powder, and Head & Shoulders (which dried up my skin a lot an has resulted in a lot of scrapes on my body, though I still use it). My body has pretty much had a number of ups and downs in the past ten weeks but never completely clear. I honestly can't remember if it was clearer before or after the doxycyline because there has been so many fluctuations. In any case, I stopped taking it and am seeing a doctor asap. I have ordered the ZNP and dandruff shampoo mentioned in previous posts, as well as some of Dan's AHA lotion to help with scaring.
Here's my current regime for day and night:
Wash with head and shoulders
Apply a small amount of jajoba oil in the shower
Dry off and later apply tea tree oil
Wait 15 minutes to dry and apply Gold Bond
Take zinc, fish oil, vitamin A, C, E, fish oil, flax oil
Once the ZNP bar and new shampoo come in, I will replace the H&S with these
Let me know if there's anything I should change about my regime.
I figure that if I've been on doxycyline for 10 weeks and am not anywhere near clear, I probably have PF. I may be doing everything else right, but the doxycyline is preventing me from improving.
Also, my body breakouts are most definitely aggravated by sweat. I sweat a lot and live in Los Angeles, where it is often hot. I am making huge adjustments to my daily life to schedule my walking patterns (going to class, the grocery story) to times when it is less hot and have made and effort to walk to slower so as not to sweat. I have also stopped wearing all of my tight t-shirts and have started working out shirtless and shower right after my workouts. As far as diet goes, the only meat I eat is fish, and I only eat a little dairy.
Sorry for the long post, but I'll be sure to post my results once the new products come in!
Evening,
I have not posted in a while, but I wanted to give an update / alternate perspective for readers of this thread.
I was really scared when I started having red spots pop up randomly all over my body. After reading and reading and reading all the forums on acne.org I came to my own self diagnosis of PF.
I went through 2 dermatoligists, 1 internist (GP), 1 infectious disease doctor and 1 allergist until I found another (yes, my third) dermatoligist that didn't want to just write a perscription for internal antibiotics (the allergist wrote one for prednisone). Persistance paid off.
I do not have PF, but instead acne bacteria (proprianibacterium) that went haywire (at age 41 with very little acne prior to this event).
I am currently using a prescribed soap (prascion) in the morning and putting benzoyl peroxide (all over body at night). In 3 weeks it has cleared me 95% (now I have a couple occasional isolated red spots like every other adult). Neck is clear, face is clear, arms are clear, back is clear, stomach is clear, legs are clear and chest is almost clear.
Dermo wants to keep me on the wash and Benzoyk Peroxide for about 10 weeks (to clear the acne bacterium) and then have me do the soap 2 days a week thereafter.
This is a much better outlook than the prior 5 doctors, which left me thinking I was either going to have spots or be on internal antibiotics the rest of my life. I was left with little to no hope.
Just wanted to give a different perspective and tell people not to quit searching until you can get an answer you are comfortable with. I did not want to keep taking oral antibiotics and also did not want to have perpetual body wide spots.
Putting on Benzoyl Peroxide body wide isn't exactly enjoyable (plus it burned and itched the first couple weeks) but it is way better than the alternatives the other doctors left me with.
Hoping for a better answer for all,
Jim
Hi all.. so this is more relevant to PF of the scalp and face than body.. but ive had SERIOUS trouble with this fungus and its led to BOAT LOADS of hair loss.. i mean boat loads. i rarely experience it on my body, just my face. my derm. finally diagnosed it after a couple of years of consistently greasy face, tetracylines, and what appeared to be persistent acne. so last summer, i began treating it with beta med beta care shampoo and loprox and the shedding/facial irritation seemed to decrease pretty substantially. however, i eased up on the use (not knowing that this condition was chronic) and the hair started falling out. so i returned to my previously succesful scalp care regimen and have been following it for 6 weeks but NOTHING is helping. in fact, its getting worse.
what im wondering is this-- how much of a problem is it that im in houston (notoriously humid)? i literally never go outside for this reason.. i move from one airconditioned environment to the next and work in a lab (which is FREEZING). i received one of the best opportunities of my life.. working at one of the medical centers here.. but the hair loss has become so traumatic (im an 18 year old girl and starting college next summer.. balding was not on the menu) that im considering quitting and going up to colorado for the summer if humidity plays that large of a role in aggravting this thing.
thanks guys. im so desperate i cant even begin to tell you. any suggested regimens to keep this thing under control would be GREATLY appreciated. also wondering if leaving my hair wet (it's long) and putting it up in a bun is bad for it? its just so hard to dry out..... but is it really affecting the condition that much? would it be worth it to go on an anti-fungal/accutane?
again, thanks. this has been going on for way too long. im so desperate to alleviate the symptoms ASAP but dont want to aggravate it/build up resistance if this is a life long situation. (PS ive always prided myself on my hair.. now ive had people ask if i have androgenic alopecia.. just to demonstrate how severe the problem has become).