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Up until last year my acne was fairly mild on my face (thanks to Differin) and on very rare ocassions I would break out on my back or chest. A few months ago my face went haywire and I began getting cysts on my chin. So, my Derm put me on 100mg Doxycycline which I've been taking for the last 3 weeks. My face is much better. But, my chest is filled with these tiny red bumps that sometimes itch (especially when I get out of the shower) and my back is a total wreck, as well. I'm wondering if it is Pityrosporum Folliculits or just acne. I'm scheduled to go back to the derm next week. Should I ask for a biopsy? It's difficult to see the detail in this pic. But, does anyone have an opinion on what this could be? I'm so frustrated!!!
My chest looks exactly like that! Did you find out if it is indeed Pityrosporum Folliculitis?
Does anyone have it on their abdomen? I have a lot of these tiny red bumps there. There are also just some red marks with no bump at all.
Also, I notice that if I touch/rub the bumps, the whole area stays red for a while. This is really weird. Also before, I checked my chest because it has been under my jacket for a while and there was this marble-patterned red rash all over my chest. What the hell is this?!?!
Yep that's what my chest looks like, too.
The Metronidazole (sp?) didn't do anything for my seborrheic dermatitis, but it did keep any acne away, which is nice. I haven't had a huge problem with that anyway since I came up with a decent regimen and ended my dairy intake (it gives me cystic acne at random on the chest, arms, shoulders, face, neck, and back).
I now have Ketoconazole Cream, 2%. It was prescribed for jock itch (awesome, huh?), but I will be using it in the fight against the malasezzia as well. Wish me luck...
Oh and I don't remember if I posted about this, but I tried the Metronidazole on my chest a few times. I broke out in folliculitis.
from wikipedia:
"Pityrosporum folliculitis[1] or Malassezia folliculitis is a skin condition caused by infection by pityrosporum yeast.[2]:314
The skin of the upper trunk area like the back, upper arms and sometimes the neck is often affected and this condition is often seen in young to middle aged adults. Its diagnosis is based on the pruritic (itchy) papulopustules found in a follicular pattern in these regions. "
Up until last year my acne was fairly mild on my face (thanks to Differin) and on very rare ocassions I would break out on my back or chest. A few months ago my face went haywire and I began getting cysts on my chin. So, my Derm put me on 100mg Doxycycline which I've been taking for the last 3 weeks. My face is much better. But, my chest is filled with these tiny red bumps that sometimes itch (especially when I get out of the shower) and my back is a total wreck, as well. I'm wondering if it is Pityrosporum Folliculits or just acne. I'm scheduled to go back to the derm next week. Should I ask for a biopsy? It's difficult to see the detail in this pic. But, does anyone have an opinion on what this could be? I'm so frustrated!!!
My chest looks exactly like that! Did you find out if it is indeed Pityrosporum Folliculitis?
Does anyone have it on their abdomen? I have a lot of these tiny red bumps there. There are also just some red marks with no bump at all.
Also, I notice that if I touch/rub the bumps, the whole area stays red for a while. This is really weird. Also before, I checked my chest because it has been under my jacket for a while and there was this marble-patterned red rash all over my chest. What the hell is this?!?!
I haven't gone in to see my Dermatologist yet. But, I'm scheduled to next week. However, I've been using Phisoderm's Acne Body Wash with Salicylic Acid and it has improved my chest some. (Not to the point where I feel comfortable wearing a tank-top though) I'll let you know when I see my doctor next week!
hi guys,
originally i posted in the 'vitamin D' threads, thinking i had been cured...but after being miserable (a bit less miserable after extra vitamin D intake though) I found out that I have PF.
for those of you who have tried every PF-killing product out there, i wanted to share something that i haven't seen mentioned in this thread yet: if you are taking any kind of oral corticosteroids (especially those related to asthma inhalers), or have gone through chemotherapy, or have taken all kinds of antibiotics that knock the wind out of your immune system, your PF is going to be really hard to get rid of no matter what you do.
this is a really good article.
( http://archpedi.jama...issue=1&page=64 )
i have had PF all my life and have been mistakenly & unsuccessfully treated for acne by every single doctor i've come across. i really wish i had known this at least ten years ago. if you are taking corticosteroids and can't reduce/quit that treatment, then you are going to have to deal with recurring PF. i do agree with one previous contributor regarding correcting yourself from the inside out, eating probiotics to try to balance your pH levels inside. that includes drinking apple cider vinegar diluted with a big glass of water too, and reducing your grains and sugars intake (see MarksDailyApple.com). my advice is to avoid any and all antibiotics as these not only kill the bad guys in your body but the good guys too, thereby weakening you and opening your body to more problems.
in regards to corticosteroids (which i have been taking daily for the past 25 years of my life), long term usage is related to immunosuppression, thinning of the skin, PCOS (polycystic ovary system) and related hormone imbalances, worsening eyesight, loss of bone density, etc. where PF is concerned, the suppressed immune system and thinning of the skin are where it hits you - your body and skin just aren't strong enough to fight off the yeast bacteria.
sunlight + vitamin D are most definitely your friends (sunscreen, oils, and lotions are not) - adding daily vitaminD to my system brought me up to about 50% skin clarity (marksdailyapple also has great reading on vitaminD and sun, and how sunscreen is not necessarily your friend). strengthen your body from the inside so it can fight the yeast that causes PF, and continue your external regimen to aid it. i found that topically applied tea tree oil, vinegar, or salycilic acid creams did not work well because this is just adding moisture to the affected area, which is what the yeast needs to thrive. i have noticed the most dramatic results when i used Nizoral or Head & Shoulders shampoo scrubbed with a loofah into the areas after opening the pores with a hot shower or bath, letting it sit for about 5 minutes, lightly rinsing off and then using a hair drier to really dry out the skin. sounds funny reading this but if your skin is ruining your life like it has been ruining mine, you'd try anything. don't apply any creams or lotions - spend a week just drying your skin out as much as possible to kill the yeast, then consider reintroducing some very light lotions.
i'm still working on my treatment, but i have noticed such a huge change in such a short time. i will update here though in the next few weeks to see how it progresses. (i'm not affiliated with marksdailyapple but it has sincerely changed my life, switching to a no-grain diet has helped me nearly eliminate all asthma medication that i have been dependent on for my entire life)
PS: i love dairy, and switching to goat's milk has also improved my overall skin & health enormously (check out why cow dairy is bad for you: homogenization issues, digestivity) , also substituting full fat coconut milk works like delicious magic.
Guys, read this!
http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/jock_itch.html
I will be heading to the pool soon. There is still hope!
direstr8s, are you suggesting people not use sunblock? You do know you are going against all current medical advice from dermatologists and medical professionals?
I need sunblock or else I burn. I also want to prevent premature aging of the skin and lower my exposure to the rays that promote cancer growth.
One thing I'm not sure of. If I go swimming in a chlorinated pool to attempt to kill a skin fungal infection, will a waterproof sunblock, which stays on the upper layers of the skin, block the chlorine from reaching the infection? I'm not sure if anyone has the answer to this.
well, I'm no doctor, but unless you live in Australia, sun is good for you! People burn when they hang out in the afternoon sun (strongest rays), which are the ones you should avoid anyway. also, going out in the sun after putting on acne lotions/gels, doublecheck if that causes any adverse reactions in your skin, it might weaken your skin and make it easier to burn, or cause PF to scar darker, i've had problems like that before.
check out these links:
http://www.drbriffa.com/2012/04/30/the-dark-side-of-sunscreens/
to MandyF: yes that does look like PF to me, which I bet is a result of you being on Doxycycline (a broad-spectrum antibiotic, which killed all the good cells and bacteria in your body). Try going off the Doxycycline, change your diet for a month (no sugars, no grains, non-cow dairy, yes probiotics, yes raw foods, yes ACV), and you probably won't even need to take Differin anymore. For the time-being, wash your chest and back with H&S or some other anti-dandruff cleanser, leave it on for a few minutes, rinse and then dry off. Don't put any creams or lotions on these areas. Don't scratch/pick these areas and then touch another area of your body because you will transfer the bacteria.
to NothingtoFear: try sterilizing your shaver between shaves (or wipe it with a cotton bud dipped into swabbing alcohol or something), or scrub your cheeks with anti-fungal cleanser after shaving and dry well. maybe because the metronidazole is a gel, it is keeping the area too moist? not sure about that.
myself: tried Nizoral this past week, scrubbing over affected areas, letting sit for 5 minutes before rinsing off. seemed to have the same or bit less effects than H&S, but made me feel way more nauseous for some reason. everytime i have gone in a chlorinated pool, my skin has turned bright red in the PF areas and seems to get worse, almost like i'm allergic - i dont' know why because i used to swim daily with no problems before i developed PF.
I've actually found a couple things that have helped a ton combating PF. I started using a brand new body towel and hand towel every day in the shower. In addition, I change my undershirt halfway through the day. I've been doing this for 2 months and my PF has improved remarkably just from doing this. I think I was "reinfecting" my upper body/torso by using the same body and hand towel 7-8 times in a row before washing the towels in the laundry.
I had a bad run in with sunscreen and PF this weekend. I used some Coppertone SPF 15 lotion on my chest and the PF has flared up extremely badly, the worst in has been in months. I'm pretty sure this was caused by the sunscreen lotion as opposed to the sun exposure. The pool I was swimming in was not chlorinated, although I'm interested in exploring some chlorine treatment of the PF in the future.
What's the ideal time that people have found to leave anti-fungal washes on the skin? I have experimented with 5-10 minutes. 10 minutes seems to be the ideal time.
Well - I tried a chlorine bath yesterday. Not a good idea. I soaked in a bathtub with a very diluted amount of Clorox bleach (50 mL for the whole tub) for about 10 minutes, then thoroughly rinsed.
This morning I woke up and I had a very, very nasty flare of the folliculitis - probably the worst I have had in over 6 months. Very disappointing.
I wish more people would participate in this thread. I've been struggling with this condition for 2 years and it is really affecting me.
My skin always had a bad reaction from chlorine water since I developed PF...
Have you tried using Selsun/Head & Shoulders/Nizoral anti-dandruff shampoo as a soap on the affected areas yet? I've had PF for like 10 years (always thought it was acne), and using Head & Shoulders each day in the shower already made such a big difference. You have to really scrub it into the skin really good, not just rub it on - well that's what is working for me so far.
Bleach and the chemicals they use in pools aren't exactly the same - however they should both kill just about anything, including the bacteria on your skin.
Jury is still out on the pool thing, I need some more time. My chest folliculitis had already mostly cleared so it's other areas of the body I'm trying to nuke.
Well - I tried a chlorine bath yesterday. Not a good idea. I soaked in a bathtub with a very diluted amount of Clorox bleach (50 mL for the whole tub) for about 10 minutes, then thoroughly rinsed.
This morning I woke up and I had a very, very nasty flare of the folliculitis - probably the worst I have had in over 6 months. Very disappointing.
I wish more people would participate in this thread. I've been struggling with this condition for 2 years and it is really affecting me.
Sorry to hear about your MF (Malassezia Folliculitis) episode. I'm trying to think what could have caused the breakout. I have a hard time believing sodium hypochlorite caused a flare up. Did you apply any kind of moisturizer after you dried off?
One thing I found really interesting, was in that link I posted, people were saying petroleum jelly seems to seal the area and not let it breathe or get any moisture, and it essentially chokes it to death. Might be worth a try. Of course, apply it after completely drying it out.
I'm having good luck just washing my chest and hair with Nizoral 1% shampoo when I shower. I also alternate Head & Shoulders (zinc) and Regenepure (ketoconazole). This is for both anti-fungal and anti-hair loss reasons (blocking DHT). I'm not doing anything for my face outside of a normal morning/night wash routine. I keep my pillow cases/sheets washed regularly, and I do not wash my face any more with the loufa (sp?) that I wash my body with. I'm trying to avoid cross contamination wherever possible.
I can only guess my 3 months of Lamisil (Terbinafine) 250mg contributed the most. Let's hope I can keep the stuff away.
As for the jock itch...still fighting that battle. Anyone else have fungal infections in areas other than the chest/face? Athlete's foot and jock itch are possibly related and may even be where this whole thing came from in the first place.
omg i cannot even express how happy i am that i found this thread. i've been suffering from "acne" on my back, chest, shoulders, and legs for 10 years now, and all my dermatologists have ever done is prescribe some weak antibiotics and topical creams that would help a little for a short period of time, and then everything would get worse. my skin has its ups and downs, and it's in a pretty bad stage right now, so i've been pretty depressed about it and was doing some research last night. i happened across some info about p. folliculitus and goddamn if it isn't exactly what i have! anyway, i'm going to the drugstore after work to pick up some head & shoulders so i can start washing with that and see how that works out. if this is what i have, is there a chance that washing with the head & shoulders alone might make a difference? i've noticed many of you are combining a lot of treatments, but i don't want to start throwin down $$ on some of this stuff unless i know it's going to do something for me
xx
It's officially called Malasezzia. The fungus was previously known at Pityrosporum.
If you can find H&S regular, sure. If it's the one with the built-in conditioner I would say it's probably too heavy for a full-body treatment. Who knows if that could plug things up and cause acne (I don't trust it).
I would alternate H&S, Nizoral and Selsun Blue until you get it under control. Otherwise everything else has been covered, such as:
Wash bedsheets regularly
Wear shirts, socks, underwear only once
Stay dry!
I also have been using Glytone 2% Salicylic Acid back acne spray every night after my showers, seems like a good product.
I don't know if this thing just happen to me, but every time I use H&S regular, it makes my scalp folliculitis coming back. I'm now using selsun blue for my scalp and it's keeping my folliculitis at bay.
@NothingToFear, I thought you've used AmLactin before to treat your folliculitis. Am I right? Is it working? I have one and I'm considering to use it.
Still free of folliculitis. Just washing my chest/underarms with Nizoral and I haven't had any recurrences.
I do believe keeping your scalp clean is one of the keys. Anything you wash out of there can find a new home on other areas of your body. Anti-dandruff shampoos like Nizoral, Head & Shoulders, Selsun, will be very important.
I am still struggling with this. I haven't been able to find anything that is effective and I have gone through 2 dermatologists who refused to prescribe me serious anti-fungals, or even perform biopsies/cultures on the lesions to figure out for sure what they are.
If nothing else I am pretty pissed off at the medical profession over this. Yes, it's cosmetic, it's not like I have something life threatening like skin cancer, but I'm tired of hearing "Oh it doesn't look that bad!" every time I see a doctor. Really, it doesn't look that bad? These idiot doctors have no idea what it feels like when you are getting intimate with a woman and she asks if you have measles or bedbugs while looking at your chest.
Bunch of drooling idiots. Some of the dumbest smart people I know.