Hello. First off, ringworm is generally the same thing as folliculitis - it's yeast. I think you have a systemic yeast infection... Even if I'm wrong and you just have it on the skin, you might want to treat it the same way. The only way to really get rid of something like this is to change your diet ALONG with antifungal topicals. In fact, the diet changes alone will probably do it but the topicals would be an added bonus. I'm currently trying to find some good topicals for this problem myself since I have had trouble sticking to the diet as I was not doing it correctly. Topicals would be oregano oil, tea tree oil, Nizoral (whatever this is). I've heard coconut oil works but that makes little sense as I've heard folliculitis can feed on the oil of the skin so I'm not sure despite coconut oil being an antifungal I wouldn't take the risk. I know what you mean about dry and oily skin. The folliculitis really tears everything up and leaves you with all those dry flakes it's really annoying. I wouldn't really trust doctors...they often don't really look into what is causing these things.

I've been using head & shoulders for my scalp and it seems to be doing a decent job. There are lots of antifungal herbs you can take along with probiotics which help keep the yeast in your body in check. Oh and the diet is the candida diet. It's basically a low carb meat/veggie diet with your main source of calories coming from fat. I'd suggest you try it because you sound like you're feeling a bit hopeless. If all else fails order some lufenuron. I bought some online but I just started taking it so I won't notice anything for a few days. Good luck with getting rid of this little devil!

Thank you soooo much Chey! I have never heard of lufenuron until now. Please keep me updated with your results. Right now I'm on a 30 day supply of fluconazole so I'm hoping to see some improvements. And yes, I have tried the low carb and lean meat/eat more veggie diet. It appears this stuff is real resilient and always comes back. I need to get rid of it for good. Topicals only help for so long. :s

Hi so I've been reading these posts for 2 days now and I think I might have Pityrosporum folliculitis. I just got skin colored bumps on my face and arms and chest (though the ones on my chest and arms are a little more reddish). They don't itch. They're just really dry and kind of rough. I had been using acne medication for 2 years now to no effect and these skin colored bumps appeared in a matter of 2 days or so. I don't know what to do. I've stopped using my acne medication. Please help!

If you try Nizoral and that doesn't help...is it safe to say Head & Shoulders would not either?

How long have you been using Nizoral? I believe it is stronger than H&S so...if it's not working after a period of time I don't know. I have been low carbing pretty much perfectly and it takes a very long time. I remember the only times I cleared up right away after starting the diet was when I had a little push from some topicals. Right now I still have bumps but a lot of them are gone and it doesn't really itch anymore. I should be looking around for antifungal topicals but I'm not sure why I haven't. Maybe I've been focused on my acne which has flared up along with this. I think I will look for Nizoral tomorrow because I still do have a rash and it's not going away. This was a lot easier when I first started low carb/paleo. I guess when you cheat and get all the toxins back in, it screws you up pretty good.

Also, @Sarah, this rash I have right now doesn't itch so I'm not sure if it always has too. I never actually noticed my face itched until I thought about it actually. It sorta tingled and I would get this uncontrollable urge to scratch/pick but I was usually just scratching at dead skin. It's not like I'd walk into the bathroom and have a huge red mark from scratching.

This is kinda off topic but I started using the Clarisonic brush to get rid of some blackheads and I think it might've spread my folliculitis because now I have more bumps than what I had. And the clarisonic was the only different thing I included in my regime. :\ I also tried sterilizing the brush head with alcohol but...I don't think that helped. o.o

Stinks that I think I wasted my money. Or that its just a breakout from the new product. Should I continue?

This is kinda off topic but I started using the Clarisonic brush to get rid of some blackheads and I think it might've spread my folliculitis because now I have more bumps than what I had. And the clarisonic was the only different thing I included in my regime. :\ I also tried sterilizing the brush head with alcohol but...I don't think that helped. o.o

Stinks that I think I wasted my money. Or that its just a breakout from the new product. Should I continue? :think:

I got a clarisonic skin brush at the beginning of this year and use it a few times a week. I dunno if it made my acne worse, I dont think anything could really make it worse at this point lol. Anyway, I wash mine with dial antibacterial soap each time bwfore i wash my face... and I also only use gentle cleansers like cetaphil or purpose. Maybe the brush head u r using is too rough, (they have a delicate brush head too) or maybe u are pressing too hard? It takes a little getting used to not to overuse the brush, as it gets addictive when u first buy it lol.

also - for everyone who has this fungus problem - dermadoctor makes a facewash that has that active ingredient pyrithine zinc (sp?) which is what is in dandruff shampoos and is supposed to help. its called "born to be mild" (haha they give their stuff cute names and that justifies them charging and arm and a leg for it) its $24, but its a pretty big tube and should last a while. hey, ive spent wayyy more on my skin (um $110 md forte kit that burned my skin, yeh, desperate times, desperate times lol)

they say its supposed to be as mild as cetaphil... well, I bought it and I dont think it is. I dont think there is ANYTHING milder than cetaphil. But this stuff was still pretty mild. This stuff had a pretty nice consistency and foamed up unlike a cream cleanser (hence less mild thasn cetaphil). it also has that very opaque white look to it very much like head and shoulders.

I didnt stick to it long enough to see it make a difference. I still have it under my sink. I may try to wash with it 1-2x's a week just to help kill any fungus that may be lurking around lol

So starting in the middle of june I was fighting with a cluster of what seemed to be just non inflammed acne. small flesh color bumps. You hear alot of people complaining about them. Ive been getting them for quite a while now just here and there but it ONLY bothers me when they are in these clusters. For me the clusters only happened on the right side of my face where my bangs hung down. I mostly had them on my forehead as well. I was at the derm for another reason and I brought it up to him thinking he would tell me its just mild acne, clogged pores and to try SA or that he would try to give me differin or something. He said I think it isnt acne it is a skin yeast infection or Fungus. I know sounds gross! He said its a fungus that grows on all normal skin BUT when it over grows is when its an issue. It thrives on oily skin (which I have) and is very common in hot humid weather. It mimics small acne. It is specifically called Pityrosporum. SO, he said take these pills for 28 days and if it is Pityrosporum then it will disappear decently quickly. Ive been taking it for 2 weeks and pretty much all my tiny bumps are gone. The ones on my forehead are all gone. Just thought id share this since I know there are many complaining of these bumps on their face and forehead. Im going to try to find out more about it when Im done with these pills like,, does it come back.. do I need to do something to maintain it. Ive found a few articles on it.

here is part of an article.. "Pityrosporum folliculitis is a condition where the yeast, pityrosporum ovale/orbicularis spp. (also called Malassezia furfur), gets down into the hair follicles and multiplies, setting up an itchy, acne-like eruption."

Most article mention it itches sometimes. Ive read it does not have too, mine did not, but once I started taking the meds I felt like it did some, although I dunno if it was my imagination because I knew that is can itch LOL!

anyway, hope this can help someone.

hi

so what was the name of the pills you were on to clear those small bumps up? i think that sounds like my problem along with adult acne and my derm. just keeps giving me all creams and stuff and doesnte even tell me what she thinks it is!!!:(

Great info thanks dear

can these bumps cause pitted scarring?

I'm not sure if the bumps are caused by fungus or not, but can I still use Nizoral occasionally on face so as to sort of get rid of them?

If Nizoral is very drying to me..

They are spreading!

Bump bump bump

Hi, I was wondering if I also have pityrosporum folliculitis.

You see, I suddenly got these little bumps about a year or two ago, and acne medication just irritates my skin. I tried Differin--no luck. Salicylic acid--within light doses, it exfoliates, but doesn't help. Benzoyl peroxide--no help.

I've got some clogged pores on my cheeks, not-so-good-looking cheeks, and a lightly pimpled forehead. I don't have severe acne by any means; my acne is just the non-inflamed type with a pustule or two, but those darn bumps just won't go away! At times I get a bit itchy.

I have Head & Shoulders Intensive shampoo, which has selenium disulphide, so if I apply it for, say, 5 minutes a day and then increase the dosage, would it get rid of my problem?

Hi, I was wondering if I also have pityrosporum folliculitis.

You see, I suddenly got these little bumps about a year or two ago, and acne medication just irritates my skin. I tried Differin--no luck. Salicylic acid--within light doses, it exfoliates, but doesn't help. Benzoyl peroxide--no help.

I've got some clogged pores on my cheeks, not-so-good-looking cheeks, and a lightly pimpled forehead. I don't have severe acne by any means; my acne is just the non-inflamed type with a pustule or two, but those darn bumps just won't go away! At times I get a bit itchy.

I have Head & Shoulders Intensive shampoo, which has selenium disulphide, so if I apply it for, say, 5 minutes a day and then increase the dosage, would it get rid of my problem?

YES! Try Head and Shoulders shampoo. I just posted a little something about that onto the end of my post here:

I'll post this as a new topic in case people don't read 9 pages into the thread 😉

I would just like to thank you a million times! I randomly came across this post feeling hopeless and came to find it 100% applies to me. Thank you so so much. I feel like such a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and I can finally address my problem accurately. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

Yup....I only had periodic inflammatory acne and after a 2.5 month stint on 150mg of doxy a day, I began getting alot of these on my forehead. Super super super ugly in the sunlight! Btw my skin is oily. In fact I think the periodic inflammatory acne I get under my jawline is follicular. Anyhow, just a few questions if anyone can help I'd appreciate it.

- should I stop putting the dkr treatment and lotion on my forehead? I know jojoba is a really heavy oil and the bp isn't working on it anyhow. I figure I can spot treat inflamed zits if they come up.

- my h&s shampoo has sls in it which is highly comodogenic. Still ok for washing the forehead with? Or is there a non comodegenic anti-fungal topical or wash I can use instead?

I saw on the FAQ that SAlicylic and tea tree are ok but are they preferrable?

- can this fungus make your skin more oily?

Try 2 years on doxy for me and I am getting these things majorly bad perhaps it is an infection I have. I have even tried accutane and since then my pores have just been trapped with #%&@ that I cannot fully remove no matter how much I squeeze. Stringy pus like stuff comes out but its not like a blackhead or pimple where they go away for good. After stopping doxy this wasn't to much of a problem because I could extract blackheads and these lumps would disappear but after accutane my pores seem trapped with stringy puss that comes out my pores like play doh would, many pimples/lumps I get seem trapped with a blackhead or something because often they dont go away unless I somehow fully extract whatever is in my skin but not many of them have a head or allow me to do so. What's confusing is I still get the normal acne which is easily extracted (cheers for nothing accutane) leading me to believe I may have an infection.

Am I stuck with Closed Comedones(blackheads) or is this sounding like an infection?

God bless anyone who can help me anymore my skin is much more scarred now due to this.

holy crap i have been plagued by this for the last 2 yrs and i have been on and off doxy too!!! I have tons of stringy shit that will shoot out if I gently press on these. my chin is loaded with them and they look like little milia? I swear doxy makes them worse....Its like, if you dont get the core when you extract it, it will never heal and just keep coming back..I cant keep hacking up my face

Try 2 years on doxy for me and I am getting these things majorly bad perhaps it is an infection I have. I have even tried accutane and since then my pores have just been trapped with #%&@ that I cannot fully remove no matter how much I squeeze. Stringy pus like stuff comes out but its not like a blackhead or pimple where they go away for good. After stopping doxy this wasn't to much of a problem because I could extract blackheads and these lumps would disappear but after accutane my pores seem trapped with stringy puss that comes out my pores like play doh would, many pimples/lumps I get seem trapped with a blackhead or something because often they dont go away unless I somehow fully extract whatever is in my skin but not many of them have a head or allow me to do so. What's confusing is I still get the normal acne which is easily extracted (cheers for nothing accutane) leading me to believe I may have an infection.

Am I stuck with Closed Comedones(blackheads) or is this sounding like an infection?

God bless anyone who can help me anymore my skin is much more scarred now due to this.

holy crap i have been plagued by this for the last 2 yrs and i have been on and off doxy too!!! I have tons of stringy shit that will shoot out if I gently press on these. my chin is loaded with them and they look like little milia? I swear doxy makes them worse....Its like, if you dont get the core when you extract it, it will never heal and just keep coming back..I cant keep hacking up my face

Sounds like you're talking about sebaceous filaments. These are not the products of infection; they're actually pretty normal. The best thing to do is leave them alone, rather than squeeze them out.

What was the medicine the doctor gave you?

Wonderful news to everyone!

So my advise to everyone who has chronic acne is this, go to your nearest diagnostic center, extract a sample specimen from your pore (prick it safely) and submit it for culture and sensitivity to determine the main culprit. From there, you could proceed to the treatment that will kill the causative agent..

Are there "diagnostic centers" that would actually do this? If so, where are they located? Is it extremely expensive to get done? Just curious.

Also-- could someone possibly post a picture of a facial fungal infection? I try to google the topic but end up with adverts and photos of models... :shifty:

Here's a few good picture of a mild case.

[Edited links out]

and of moderate:

[Edited link out]

When I found this picture (the moderate one), that's when I knew I had it. My forehead looked exactly like that, with a bit more redness and a few tiny whiteheads. My derm later told me that she didn't consider fungal folliculitis because of those few whiteheads. Acne and folliculitis can coexist though- and folliculitis can aggravate acne.

akko said:

Here's a few good picture of a mild case.

[Edited links out]

and of moderate:

[Edited link out]

When I found this picture (the moderate one), that's when I knew I had it. My forehead looked exactly like that, with a bit more redness and a few tiny whiteheads. My derm later told me that she didn't consider fungal folliculitis because of those few whiteheads. :rolleyes: Acne and folliculitis can coexist though- and folliculitis can aggravate acne.

Thanks for the reply/ image links! I definitely have something similar to the second picture, although I also get it along the front of my ears, down the sides of my jaw, and my neck. Tiny little bumps-- usually start out as non-inflamed but stay there FOREVER. Difficult to resist picking them out, although they really refuse to budge.

I have always felt like I have a form of folliculitis but the area that plagues me the most is my chin area. I never get bumps in the places that folliculities usually affects, the forehead, hairline, etc. The white bumps I get I thought were always comedomes because I can usually extract a hard or soft substance. The bump will then go away but they always refill at some point. Very few are raised and above the surface as most are so tiny and seed like. They seem to be located in the corners of my mouth and lip line. I've tried Dermadoctors Born To Be Mild cleanser and it did make the area a bit more smooth and not so grainy feeling it did nothing to prevent them and did not make them go away. Im due to start a low dose of accutane in two weeks as I'm hoping it will break this cycle of picking and extracting these plugs. I need something to calm down my sebaceous glands. Does anyone know if you an extract something from a folliculities bump? Also, would a perscription like an anti fungal med like Nystatin get rid of this?

I completed a course of Accutane about two years ago-- this he!!ish outbreak of pimples seemed to plague me shortly after I ended it. I wonder if it's a side effect of the medication, or a side effect of the many useless antibiotics most of us "lifelong" acne sufferers have taken?

Does anyone else have these kinds of bumps in these particular areas (?): mine are extremely bad on my temples, the sides of my face close to my ears, at the jawline below my ears, and on my neck. I also began getting acne on my scalp not too long ago, which I never had a problem with in my youth. The scarring is horrendous-- granted, I tend to pick them, but they NEVER GO AWAY even if I leave them alone. In my teens, a completely popped zit would heal for me. Nowadays, even if it seems as if I completely extract one of these little f@$%ers, it miraculously comes back the next day. The centers are harder and deeper than I had in high school....

Do any of you confirmed PF posters have experiences like this?

just wondering JMTM if anyone responded and I guess not...Im so desperate for my sebaceous glands to stop pumping out shit that I'm considering low dose accutane on monday when I see my derm. She suggested it last month as an option for me as nothing has worked to help my situation in the last two years and its consuming every part of me.