Acne.org Products
Wow!!!
what a great forum,i'd like to thank everyone for sharing such a useful info and so many great tips, I used to suffer from zits myself,luckily no more, but i know couple ofpeople who would jump all around it,just sent them an email with links.
Thanx again to all of you! [Edited link out]
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So it's been a little over a week, and the alumblock hasn't made a real drastic improvement, but i do notice somewhat of a difference. Unfortunately I'm on antibiotics right now due to a UTI that seemed to come out of NOWHERE, so I know that can't be helping things on the folliculitis end.
But again, recommendations that I've read is to stick with it for 3 weeks then reduce usage to just once a day after that instead of twice a day. So I figure it's still a little too early to tell. At any rate, I'd say it's definitely worth a shot for anyone that's interested in looking for a new treatment option.
shazam said:Hey I just wanted to let everyone know;Do NOT order from betterhealthyskin!
They are a fraudulent company and definitely fooled me when I made my purchase. The site looks legit, but it's NOT. I made an order about a month ago now and have yet to receive any kind of confirmation of shipment, and they don't reply to emails, and the phone msg always says you're not calling during normal business hours even throughout the entire day.
Upon doing some further research into the company it looks like a lot of people have had the same issue and never got their shipments.
Just wanted to forewarn anyone shopping for the same skin care stuff I was!
Happy Holidays
It's funny you mentioned this site. I was looking up Vivant skin products and saw that they were refusing to sell to anyone who didn't have an evaluation by a "licensed" Vivant consultant or something... and also discovered that they were filing lawsuits against tons of people/vendors who were selling their products.. This site was one in particular that they named. Vivant itself was invovled as a defendant in a lawsuit involving Exuviance/Neostrata products.
Thank you SO much for pinning this. Immediately after reading the first post, I went to Google it. Found that it's called Malassezia (Pityrosporum) Folliculitis since Pityrosporum is no longer use in current medical literature it appears.
I do have a very oily skin, and suffer from acne, but I believe I have Malassezia due to the following reasons:
- Did kidney transplant 14 years ago and to this day I'm on immunusuppresent medications.
- Take 5mg predispose (steroids) daily
- Almost every cm^2 of my chest and back has little "bumps". There seems to be a "sea" of balls underneath my skin surface. Most of the time, when I try to squeeze, solid pus-like thing comes out.
It seems that I might have Malassezia Folliculitis, and I _think_ it also affecting my face as well. Of course, I have the regular acne, but I couldn't at all control it with anti-biotics and topical solutions no matter how hard I tried. My appointment with my nephrologist is next week and I'll ask him to check it out. I gave up on my dermatologist!
I really do hope this is it. Will update you guys later.
Does anyone that have this constantly have pustules on your face? I have an abnormally large amount, in my opinion, that sprout up from already inflamed pustules or out of nowhere and they usually for pretty quickly. These are constantly itchy and it went away with benzoyl peroxide for about a month and then came back( which I read on these message boards that this is what usually happens). I am going to get nizoral or head and shoulders soon and am hoping this will help. I used to have just regular acne but I know now that this itching definitely isn't normal.
Hi guys,
I'm wondering if I have PF.
I used to have a problem with body acne on my chest and back, and after a course of roaccutane (which was hell), it subsided.
Fast forward a few years and I got my chest waxed, badly, by a few drunken friends. I'm a hairy guy and my, what I see as excessive and random, chest hair has caused me similar insecurity problems as the body acne did when I was younger.
Obviously, my chest flared up and I got red spots everywhere. The redness eventually somewhat subsided, so that I didn't look like a lobster, but the spots never truly went. I waited. And I got my chest waxed a further 3 times over a course of a couple years - and the spots never went away. I'm never waxing again, by the way. I trim instead.
I've been on courses of antibiotics - oxytetracycline, flouroxycilin, the works - but to no avail.
I also occassionally take penicilin for tonsilitis, which I am prone to.
I did use ketoconazole shampoo for a little while, but it never seemed to have a major effect. But perhaps I didn't use it for long enough? I have a bottle I've been using for just under a week now and I can't tell if it's improved or not as the redness changes throughout the day! So I might wake up and feel it's better, but it looks so different after a shower, or later on in the day.
The spots vary - sometimes they flare up and become whiteheads, a few are not raised at all, just red.
My greatest fear is that I have a variety of conditions in which case it's hard to treat them all simultaneously! I can't tell if it's return of the acne, bacterial folliculitis, fungal folliculitis or ingrown hairs - or all of them!
Any help would be much appreciated! I'm going mad about this!
Hi guys!
I really need your help. I am suffering from folliculitis. It developed when I shaved my chest because I had to go for a laser hair removal treatment. And now I have these red boils all over my chest and shoulder and a few boils on my neck.
I am very confused whether it is bacterial folliculitis or fungal? How can I know what it is? My derm gave me an antibiotic ointment containing sodium fusidate.
However, I used it 2 times and then thought I may be having fungal folliculitis so I started using Nizoral shampoo and ketoconazole tabs. I have taken 1 dose of the tab and applied the shampoo once. But now i am scared that if it is not fungal and it is bacterial, then I might be going in the wrong direction.
I am very confused. Please, can someone tell me how I can differentiate between the two.
Thanks.
So glad I found this thread!
I'm 30 and have been diagnosed with this for some time. I've found that doxycycline on a regular basis and ketaconozole for the flare ups has worked the best. Now the dermatologist has me off the doxycycline permanently and on one month's worth of ketaconozole, plus the ketaconozole body wash and a conozole cream. The idea is that if it worked for the flare ups, maybe I just need to use it longer to completely cure it.
It's been two weeks and I think it's gotten worse??? Usually the ketaconozole works like a charm. Maybe my body is reacting to getting off the doxycycline--I have no clue???
Thoughts or advice?
Tips on back regimen?
Any lotions I should try?
Head and Shoulders shampoo?
Just a heads up for those who are wondering if their body acne is pityrosporum (fungal) folliculitis or not, I've been doing a good bit of research on the diagnosis methods used by doctors for this condition, and it appears a common one is to shine a Wood's lamp (ultraviolet lamp) on the lesions. Fungal lesions tend to fluoresce a blue or white color under ultraviolet light. In theory this means you could analyze the lesions while in a tanning bed, although using a focused, high powered UV lamp like a Wood's lamp appears to be more dependable. You can actually get decent Wood's lamps off Amazon.com for US$25-50, that appear to be as good as the US$300 models.
I'm going to do this analysis later this week and see what happens.
I have had the same trouble and after a year of Misdiagnosis and treatments for those the Dermatologist finally figured out that I have Pityrosporum Folliculitis.
We started treatment about one month ago and things are looking really good.
This is what we did:
Prescriptions:
Fluconazole 150 MG (take 1 pill 1 time per week for 4 weeks). (Discontinue after 4 weeks)
Extina (topical cream to apply at bedtime)
Non-Prescriptions:
Zinc Vitamin (225 MG per day - I suggest not taking all at once as it can be hard on your stomach)
Wash with Head & Shoulders type of Shampoo (make sure it is not a shampoo/conditioner combo)
When you wash use the shower gloves that help exfoliate.
Apply Tea Tree Oil to the skin after showering. (This will feel tingling, but it is good for your skin)
Before bed rub a bit of Hydrogen Peroxide on the skin and let dry for about 15-20 minutes before applying Extina (if you get this prescription).
If you get the Fluconazole prescription my doctor suggested taking it at bed time, it must be taken the same day of the week during the four week period.
Extina is not a life long treatment, just to get the skin to its normal conditions.
I have noticed tremendous improvement and I am very happy as I was on the verge of tears when nothing was working before as my arms and shoulders were horrible. Now my body is looking like its youthful self again 
Also, I started everything listed above prior to the prescriptions so you could try those without prescriptions and see if this works.
Also, I changed my diet to eating tons of fruits/veggies and grilled (healthy cut) chicken, meats. I've noticed an overall improvement with my skin since doing this as well.
I hope this helps anyone else out there suffering from this.
After suffering with this for (wait for it) 3 years, I think I've finally found something that is clearing me almost 100% (I hope to be at 100% in a week or two). The idea that I might be able to wear low cut shirts with my hair up again is like a whole new world, and I'm so excited!
Anyway, I can't give myself full credit for this because I've picked up my tips from various threads of this forum, but I am so grateful that I found this place, otherwise I could have lived with this forever, thinking it was acne.
So, when I first came on here and realized I had PF, not acne (what a great derm I had... agreeing it was acne all of those years and giving me antibiotics 
), I did a lot of research. I started with a 1% nizoral shampoo. I got a little bit of improvement. Some of my spots dried up, and the area where it covered decreased a bit. (Just for reference, I have (had?) it on my chest, back, a bit on my upper arms, and a couple on my neck... wow I sound gorgeous, don't I? hah)
Still, it wasn't enough, so I ordered a Noble Formula 2% Zinc Bar. I was kind of just barely wetting my skin and rubbing it on my hands and then rubbing my hands over the area... (which is why I don't think I got great results at first). A little bit more improvement but not great.
So, then I was reading a bit more on here and heard about Propylene Glycol. I figured it was cheap, so why not? I started applying it twice a day. This is when the real improvement started. Unfortunately, I hit a plateau a few weeks in. I had been using the nizoral and zinc bar a few times a week also. So, I decided to try something different. I still did the prop glycol, but started using the zinc bar every night. Instead of lathering it on my hands first, I got the areas really wet and scrubbed on them with the bar and THEN got a really good lather a rubbed it on. For whatever reason, this made all the difference. I'm now about 98% clear on my chest, 99.5% clear on my neck (I have two little bumps on the side of my neck), and 85% of my back (haven't been as faithful with using the zinc on my back as I have on my chest which is why I'm not more clear).
But I thought I'd share my story in hopes that it can help someone else!
Condensed version (I'm wordy today): Propylene Glycol twice a day, zinc bar at night, every night. Make sure you scrub it on good!
^ Wow congrats on the clear skin! I used to have a mix of acne and PF. Although why do you believe that scrubbing is better? Sometimes it can cause irritation.
Thanks! Honestly, I'm not sure. I don't scrub very hard, of course, but I do scrub a bit. I think it might help with exfoliating the skin a bit to speed up the process? I have no idea. Haha, but I am by no means advocating scrubbing your skin raw or anything! It could just be a coincidence, and I might be just getting a better coverage now than I was before.
^ Wow congrats on the clear skin! I used to have a mix of acne and PF. Although why do you believe that scrubbing is better? Sometimes it can cause irritation.Thanks! Honestly, I'm not sure. I don't scrub very hard, of course, but I do scrub a bit. I think it might help with exfoliating the skin a bit to speed up the process? I have no idea. Haha, but I am by no means advocating scrubbing your skin raw or anything! It could just be a coincidence, and I might be just getting a better coverage now than I was before.
I see what you mean, scrubbing as in exfoliating
As an update, the Wood's lamp diagnosis did indeed show the lesions on my chest as fluorescing white under the lamp, likely indicating a fungal cause for the lesions.
I recently started going to a new dermatologist who has successfully treated the condition before. One of the things she prescribed me was Loprox Shampoo, a (very expensive) prescription strength anti-fungal shampoo. I have to say, this stuff is miraculous. It seems to dry up and kill the lesions overnight. We will see how it progresses.
As an update, the Wood's lamp diagnosis did indeed show the lesions on my chest as fluorescing white under the lamp, likely indicating a fungal cause for the lesions.
I recently started going to a new dermatologist who has successfully treated the condition before. One of the things she prescribed me was Loprox Shampoo, a (very expensive) prescription strength anti-fungal shampoo. I have to say, this stuff is miraculous. It seems to dry up and kill the lesions overnight. We will see how it progresses.
Great, keep us posted with your progress.
Hey everybody I've been dealing with folliculitis for some time now. All on the scalp mostly on the back of my head. They are painful sores that are really itchy and sometimes drain with a clearish substance mixed with blood. Gross I know. Anyhow been to the doctors they keep trying to give me antibiotics.
I went on a round of doxycycline for 10 days, 100mg twice a day, which healed them while on it but returned shortly after I was off the meds.
I 've tried all kinds of different shampoos...I was using head and shoulder classic clean for some time and that's when I developed this condition. i believe that the head and shoulders shampoo may have caused my folliculitis.
Anyhow I've tried switching to all natural products containing no SLS or ALS, also tea tree oil shampoo, burts bees, aubrey orgaincs, TSal, Tgel, and nizoral.
I get temporary relief but nothing sing about. I am at my wits end with this issue. The only thing that has helped me is using listerine the amber color one. My head was sore beyond belief and I searched the net and you tube and found a video on using listerine for scalp issues. Within a few hours the itchyness was relieved and the sores went down within days. I apply the listerine after I shower and shampoo my hair.
If ANYONE and i mean anyone who knows how to cure this horrible issue please message me or post the solution. I've read through so many blogs my mind is exhausted.
I hope this helps someone who is suffering.
may God be with us all.
Hey everybody I've been dealing with folliculitis for some time now. All on the scalp mostly on the back of my head. They are painful sores that are really itchy and sometimes drain with a clearish substance mixed with blood. Gross I know. Anyhow been to the doctors they keep trying to give me antibiotics.
I went on a round of doxycycline for 10 days, 100mg twice a day, which healed them while on it but returned shortly after I was off the meds.
I 've tried all kinds of different shampoos...I was using head and shoulder classic clean for some time and that's when I developed this condition. i believe that the head and shoulders shampoo may have caused my folliculitis.
Anyhow I've tried switching to all natural products containing no SLS or ALS, also tea tree oil shampoo, burts bees, aubrey orgaincs, TSal, Tgel, and nizoral.
I get temporary relief but nothing sing about. I am at my wits end with this issue. The only thing that has helped me is using listerine the amber color one. My head was sore beyond belief and I searched the net and you tube and found a video on using listerine for scalp issues. Within a few hours the itchyness was relieved and the sores went down within days. I apply the listerine after I shower and shampoo my hair.
If ANYONE and i mean anyone who knows how to cure this horrible issue please message me or post the solution. I've read through so many blogs my mind is exhausted.
I hope this helps someone who is suffering.
may God be with us all.
Hey there!
I suffered with follicultis for years - and it's the worst illness I have ever had. Also, most doctors are useless!!! The antibios they gave me only helped while I was taking them; as soon as I finished the problem came back worse than ever. I finally cured it with a combo of medication + diet + supplements. Here's what I did (now fully cured) -:
1. 2 Nizoral tablets (200mg each) every night after dinner for 2 months. This will smash down the excess yeast/candida in your bloodstream. Topical shampoos/ soaps will not get into your bloodstream, so they are useless for chronic, recurring folliculitis.
2. No sugar, dairy, grains, bread, alcohol for these 2 months. They all feed the yeast. Eggs for brekky and meat/fish/chicken + salad/veggies for lunch and dinner. Drink only water. Yes, it's boring but it's only for 2 months. You can handle it! What's more important: going out with friends and eating the wrong foods or fixing yourself up forever? Just do it - your health comes first.
3. must take good quality, expensive probiotics (refrigerated). Most expensive you can get! The cheap stuff is useless!
4. Do colon cleansing if you can afford it, because a lot of undigested food causes candida/yeast to multiply.
My problem was caused by long term antibios for acne (tetracycline). They wiped out my good bacteria (and bad), which caused my candida-yeast to proliferate like crazy. My derm did not tell me this! So I had to find out the hard way.
Best doctors are Dr Jacob Teitalbaum and Dr Sherry Rogers - they both suffered from candida so they know what they are talking about. Google them. Most doctors have no idea at all!!!!!
Please do a liver function test (LFT) before taking nizoral, because it can be pretty hard on the liver. I took milk thistle + alpha lipoic acid tablets every morning after breakfast, because they regenerate and protect the liver. (research this yourself - very important to understand what you're doing and why! If not, you'll be another ignorant fool running from one doctor to the next - exactly what I was until I found the above 2 doctors).
Diet - Bee Wilder (healing naturally by bee). She is a legend! But, she advocates an all-natural approach. I don't because it takes too long; medication speeds up the healing process. Who wants to stay on a super-restrictive diet for 2 years?
If your doc won;t give you nizoral then ask for diflucan because it is easier on the liver. For me, it didn;t work so well, so I had to go for the "big gun" (Nizoral). If your doc is a moron then keep going until you find a normal, down to earth human being who is more concerned about helping people than making money. (I know it's rare but they do exist).
Make sure that your follicultits is NOT bacterial, by having swab cultures taken and a biopsy. If they are negative for bacteria (staph/ strep) then it's most likely candida/yeast/fungus. It looks like bacterial/acne type BUT IT ISN'T! Most docs are too lazy to take a culture and too arrogant to admit that they could be wrong - get out of there and find a better doc! Who cares how long it takes.
This is what helped me. Don't muck around with this illness - be practical and get to it right away! Conquer this shit! Get back to living a normal life.
NB: My former illness only confirms that the system of medical education is useless!!! Docs only know how to prescribe antibios. We must become our own doctors and naturopaths! You need to know both. Medication is important, but you need to use it in a very nuanced way - the same with natural therapies (herbs, vitamins, probiotics, etc). We all must educate ourselves and then help others around us! Share your knowledge.