Ah it's cool to see someone else share such a similar situation to what I dealt with I had done MSA nasal swabs for two classes as a student, and no one had plates as yellow as mine. As an instructor, I've now seen a fair share of heavy ear/nose Staph colonization among students. Knowing I was Staph aureus positive was what led me to putting TAO into my nostrils to combat nose pimples. I never even thought that the acne on my face was from the same bacteria until I suddenly stopped getting acne breakouts after application.

 

Putting TAO on your active blemishes should do a great job at reducing the severity of the pimples. I've recently reacquired Staph http://imgur.com/NdPRRUR (I think it was from handling my students MSA plates) in both my ears and nostrils and I subsequently started developing cystic acne. Putting TAO on my acne has sped up the healing process faster than I've ever encountered before. I'm in the process of getting rid of it once again http://imgur.com/Z9trBhE with TAO into my nostrils and ears and while it appears to be more resilient than the initial Staph that I had, I'm getting close to full eradication.

 

Frequently changing pillowcases should definitely help minimize spread. I've gotten cysts on parts of my cheeks that I know were pressed onto the pillow while I slept. I've been very diligent in cleaning my earbuds just in case some Staph are hanging out there. Nasal Staph has made me more prone to sneezing and that's probably contributing to the spread as well.

 

Awesome that you have pictures of your MSA plates. I wish I had a picture of mine prior to TAO to give people a feel for just how heavy a carrier I was. I look forward to your progress pics and hopefully soon your pustules will forever be a thing of the past

Hi Healthyalmonds,

So I have been going through the exact same breakouts like some people on here. Its filled with pus around my mouth lips and nose. Very rarely I get some pus filled acne inside my nostrils and inside my ears maybe once every 2 months. I also get acne inside my ear lobes sometimes which is painful.

Something else that I have noticed is that the corners/sides of my nose have some sort of yellowy crust develop sometimes overnight.

I used to be on antibiotics (minocycline and doxy) for almost a year and a half and remained clear but got resistant to them and they stopped working. After that I eliminated all types of sugar from my diet and am usually 90% clear.

I just have two questions about this now. Do you think I have a staph infection as well and that TAO will help me out based on the symptoms I have described? Do you think there is a relationship between ingesting sugar and this infection because as soon as I removed sugar from my diet, I have been quite clear. However, when I eat something sugary, I breakout.

It would be great if you could help me out here. I think you may have finally helped me out in solving my skin issues.

Great post!

Wow very interesting post, I'm learning a lot on this page. Thank you so much for sharing !!!

http://www.livestrong.com/article/263412-how-to-avoid-sugar-if-you-have-staph-infections/

I guess there is a link between sugar and staph infection based on this article..

 

 

Hi Healthyalmonds,

 

So I have been going through the exact same breakouts like some people on here. Its filled with pus around my mouth lips and nose. Very rarely I get some pus filled acne inside my nostrils and inside my ears maybe once every 2 months. I also get acne inside my ear lobes sometimes which is painful.

 

Something else that I have noticed is that the corners/sides of my nose have some sort of yellowy crust develop sometimes overnight.

 

I used to be on antibiotics (minocycline and doxy) for almost a year and a half and remained clear but got resistant to them and they stopped working. After that I eliminated all types of sugar from my diet and am usually 90% clear.

 

I just have two questions about this now. Do you think I have a staph infection as well and that TAO will help me out based on the symptoms I have described? Do you think there is a relationship between ingesting sugar and this infection because as soon as I removed sugar from my diet, I have been quite clear. However, when I eat something sugary, I breakout.

 

It would be great if you could help me out here. I think you may have finally helped me out in solving my skin issues.

 

Great post!

Based on the description of your symptoms it seems likely that the bacteria causing your acne is living in your nostrils. Staphylococcus aureus would be the most likely bacteria to cause that acne as they are a pimple-causing bacteria that are relatively common in our noses. It is possible that it is in your ears too since you get occasional ear pimples. Triple Antibiotic Ointment works against Staph as it contains three antibiotics and an all-at-once attack should prevent any resistance from developing.

The Livestrong article is incorrect in stating that the sugar a person eats is used by Staph to fuel an infection. Food sugar gets broken down in your intestines and would never make its way to your skin to feed bacteria. With that said, I am not sure about the relationship between sugar and acne. The only thing I can think of where sugar could contribute to acne is if sugar ingestion leads to increased sebum production. More sebum would mean a greater chance that the bacteria get trapped in your pores and cause a pimple. But I haven't read anything that talks about that relationship.

Bacteria is the cause of pimples developing and if you prevent that bacteria from getting on your skin (say by killing them with TAO) then you can eat all the sugar in the world and you'll never break out

Thanks fo your information.

 

 

Hi Healthyalmonds,

 

So I have been going through the exact same breakouts like some people on here. Its filled with pus around my mouth lips and nose. Very rarely I get some pus filled acne inside my nostrils and inside my ears maybe once every 2 months. I also get acne inside my ear lobes sometimes which is painful.

 

Something else that I have noticed is that the corners/sides of my nose have some sort of yellowy crust develop sometimes overnight.

 

I used to be on antibiotics (minocycline and doxy) for almost a year and a half and remained clear but got resistant to them and they stopped working. After that I eliminated all types of sugar from my diet and am usually 90% clear.

 

I just have two questions about this now. Do you think I have a staph infection as well and that TAO will help me out based on the symptoms I have described? Do you think there is a relationship between ingesting sugar and this infection because as soon as I removed sugar from my diet, I have been quite clear. However, when I eat something sugary, I breakout.

 

It would be great if you could help me out here. I think you may have finally helped me out in solving my skin issues.

 

Great post!

Based on the description of your symptoms it seems likely that the bacteria causing your acne is living in your nostrils. Staphylococcus aureus would be the most likely bacteria to cause that acne as they are a pimple-causing bacteria that are relatively common in our noses. It is possible that it is in your ears too since you get occasional ear pimples. Triple Antibiotic Ointment works against Staph as it contains three antibiotics and an all-at-once attack should prevent any resistance from developing.

 

The Livestrong article is incorrect in stating that the sugar a person eats is used by Staph to fuel an infection. Food sugar gets broken down in your intestines and would never make its way to your skin to feed bacteria. With that said, I am not sure about the relationship between sugar and acne. The only thing I can think of where sugar could contribute to acne is if sugar ingestion leads to increased sebum production. More sebum would mean a greater chance that the bacteria get trapped in your pores and cause a pimple. But I haven't read anything that talks about that relationship.

 

Bacteria is the cause of pimples developing and if you prevent that bacteria from getting on your skin (say by killing them with TAO) then you can eat all the sugar in the world and you'll never break out

 

That sounds really interesting. But is it possible for this infection to develop a resistance to antibiotics? I fear that the fact that I used minocycline and doxycycline and got resistant to both of them might cause TAO to not work on my infection. Or does it not work like that?I'm just a bit scared to go back on to antibiotics again because coming off them is really hard. Both the times i tried going off doxy and mino, I had severe breakouts and it took 2 months for those breakouts to go away. I just dont want my skin to get addicted to TAO, and when I think its all good and stop using it, I break out like crazy.

Were you ever on any oral antibiotics and did you get resistant to them?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11083183

This gives me some hope

 

That sounds really interesting. But is it possible for this infection to develop a resistance to antibiotics? I fear that the fact that I used minocycline and doxycycline and got resistant to both of them might cause TAO to not work on my infection. Or does it not work like that?I'm just a bit scared to go back on to antibiotics again because coming off them is really hard. Both the times i tried going off doxy and mino, I had severe breakouts and it took 2 months for those breakouts to go away. I just dont want my skin to get addicted to TAO, and when I think its all good and stop using it, I break out like crazy.

 

Were you ever on any oral antibiotics and did you get resistant to them?

 

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11083183

 

This gives me some hope

It is definitely possible for bacteria to become resistant to an antibiotic, but what makes me comfortable with Triple Antibiotic Ointment is that it has 3 separate antibiotics acting at the same time. If Staph becomes resistant to one antibiotic they would still be killed by the presence of the other two, thus preventing that antibiotic resistance from spreading.

I mentioned before that I've reacquired Staph and have been treating my ear/nose with TAO for over a month now. I struck out my acne-causing bacteria on a plate and exposed them to a number of different antibiotics.

My Staph show a complete resistance to kanamycin (K 30) and erithomycin (E 15) while it is susceptible to all of the other antibiotics. It is even killed by Penicillin (P 10) meaning I do not have MRSA, thankfully Also, interestingly, it is susceptible to neomycin (N 30). Neomycin is one of the three antibiotics in Triple Antibiotic Ointment. Even after over a month of daily TAO application my Staph have not developed a resistance to neomycin.

Prior to putting TAO in my nose, my primary form of acne management was benzoyl peroxide cream and acne face washes. I only took oral antibiotics once for acne and it was over a decade ago. I didn't stick with the prescription and stopped taking it so I don't have experience with taking antibiotics that lost effectiveness over time.

 

 

That sounds really interesting. But is it possible for this infection to develop a resistance to antibiotics? I fear that the fact that I used minocycline and doxycycline and got resistant to both of them might cause TAO to not work on my infection. Or does it not work like that?I'm just a bit scared to go back on to antibiotics again because coming off them is really hard. Both the times i tried going off doxy and mino, I had severe breakouts and it took 2 months for those breakouts to go away. I just dont want my skin to get addicted to TAO, and when I think its all good and stop using it, I break out like crazy.

 

Were you ever on any oral antibiotics and did you get resistant to them?

 

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11083183

 

This gives me some hope

It is definitely possible for bacteria to become resistant to an antibiotic, but what makes me comfortable with Triple Antibiotic Ointment is that it has 3 separate antibiotics acting at the same time. If Staph becomes resistant to one antibiotic they would still be killed by the presence of the other two, thus preventing that antibiotic resistance from spreading.

 

I mentioned before that I've reacquired Staph and have been treating my ear/nose with TAO for over a month now. I struck out my acne-causing bacteria on a plate and exposed them to a number of different antibiotics.

 

My Staph show a complete resistance to kanamycin (K 30) and erithomycin (E 15) while it is susceptible to all of the other antibiotics. It is even killed by Penicillin (P 10) meaning I do not have MRSA, thankfully Also, interestingly, it is susceptible to neomycin (N 30). Neomycin is one of the three antibiotics in Triple Antibiotic Ointment. Even after over a month of daily TAO application my Staph have not developed a resistance to neomycin.

 

Prior to putting TAO in my nose, my primary form of acne management was benzoyl peroxide cream and acne face washes. I only took oral antibiotics once for acne and it was over a decade ago. I didn't stick with the prescription and stopped taking it so I don't have experience with taking antibiotics that lost effectiveness over time.

That makes a lot of sense. You're lucky you get to test your samples and keep a record of your progress. I would definitely do that if I had access to a lab.

Have you thought about testing these plates with anything natural? Just to see if they have the same effects as antibiotics? I heard garlic is a natural antibiotic, which when crushed and left for around 60-90 minutes produces an enzyme called allicin which works great in killing staph infection. Some claim they have treated MRSA using this method. A lot of people even talk about combining tea tree oil crushed garlic.

It would be great if you are able to look into this! It would be really interesting to see if all these claims are just myths or if they actually do have an impact on S. aureus. Let me know if you actually decide to test this out. I would love to know the results!

Just came across this

I have removed Staphylococcus aureus from my nose using Triple Antibiotic Ointment and that has eliminated my nose sores and cured me of what I thought was acne but really was folliculitis.

 

 

I am a microbiology graduate student and the lab I teach has a Mannitol Salt Agar experiment where we differentiate S. aureus from Staphylococcus epidermidis. S. aureus can ferment the mannitol sugar and that causes a yellowing of the plate. I have known for years that I am a heavy nasal S. aureus carrier; akin to the right side of this MSA plate:

Fed up with semi-monthly noses sores I looked into treatment and came across a publication http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23377521 suggesting that Triple Antibiotic Ointment is an effective means of removing Staph from the nose.

I bought the Walgreen's generic brand and applied it 1-2 times a day to both nares using a cotton swab. I tracked S. aureus presence by swabbing my nose and plating it on MSA. After 20 days, I no longer had S. aureus in my nose. Plate one is after 5 days from my left nostril. Plate two is 10 days from my right nostril and plate three is after 20 days from both nares. The Staph was gone and replaced by what I assume is S. epidermidis.

I did that experiment over 3 months ago and no amount of nose picking has given me a nose sore. I haven't gotten a single folliculitis boil since stopping the experiment. I've gotten those boils semi-regularly since high school, and I incorrectly thought it was acne.

My nose has never felt better and my face has never been clearer. Google 'face folliculitis' and see if you are potentially mistaking a Staph infection for acne. Google 'neosporin/triple antibiotic ointment' and you will see people rave about its benefits in dealing already-popped pimples. I've tried that and it worked wonders on reducing redness.

Hormones, genetics, oils, etc. all contribute to pimples, but it is bacteria that causes it. Maybe your nose or ears are reservoirs for Staph that is making a bad situation worse.

A couple months ago I posted a more detailed, cited

account that you can check on Reddit. http://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/comments/2a29pg/triple_antibiotic_ointment_applied_to_my_nasal/

 

 

I wanted to say thank you for your post and hard work. I believe this really is a hidden issue that people do not think twice about as it appears to have little relevance, but when put to thought it actually makes perfect sense and you have proved it.

As a nurse, the way we swab for MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus,for our patients is through nasal swab as that is the place where it is cultured . Once cultured, the patient is put in an isolation if positive. The staff are instructed to wear specific garments based on source though mostly it means us just wearing a plastic gown and gloves-mask if applicable.

It is no surprise that healthcare works be at greatest risk for this and not even know it. Even me. I suspected it one day while realizing that hey, i do find my finger in my nose more often then I should. Usually as a result of dryness or the occasional nose bleed. Fingers nails are a breeding ground for bacteria and add in the unconscious touch to the face and you just transferred bacteria to your face. I started applying triple antibiotic ointment (that's the closest thing to the prescription treatment) in my nose for about 3 months now. I will say my cystic acne is less and inflammatory acne around my mouth/jaw/nose is nonexistent. I do not apply it everyday, but at least a couple times a week as I feel for me it is necessary given my exposure. I've been in healthcare almost 10 years now.

So, again, thanks for confirming this.

Happy to help.

I've noticed that, amongst my microbiology students, those who work in the medical field are more likely to be heavy Staph carriers in their nose or ears.

Thanks for discussing your progress as I am hopeful that all of the information here is reaching more and more acne sufferers.

I am interested in trying this.

My problem is small pus-filed bumps around my mouth and nose (probably folliculitis). I don't get any cystic pimples (I probably had two). I also noticed that I have recurring pimples in my nose, I don't get nose sores, but my nostril is a little red. This leads me to believe that my problem is caused by staph. What are your thoughts? Will this work even if I don't have cystic pimples? Does it matter if I use Neosporin or the Walgreens brand?

I am interested in trying this.

 

My problem is small pus-filed bumps around my mouth and nose (probably folliculitis). I don't get any cystic pimples (I probably had two). I also noticed that I have recurring pimples in my nose, I don't get nose sores, but my nostril is a little red. This leads me to believe that my problem is caused by staph. What are your thoughts? Will this work even if I don't have cystic pimples? Does it matter if I use Neosporin or the Walgreens brand?

It's possible that Staph is present in your nose and is causing the acne around your mouth and nose. You can ask your doctor to check to be sure.

Before I started the TAO treatment, when I skipped a day of benzoyl peroxide application, I was more prone to whiteheads around my lips and chin. With my nasal Staph gone I was significantly less likely to develop white heads but it wasn't eliminated like my cystic acne was.

My nose sores were nothing like the images one would find from a google search. They were essentially painful and recurring pimples inside my nostrils. They looked like this except I usually popped them from picking.

I've used Walgreen's and Walmart's TAO and they work equally well.

Hey healthyalmonds! Thanks so much for the work you've put into this potential solution. I started my regimen tonight and I'm interested in hearing how you're progress has been since your last post. Has your face cleared up since your second flare up and if so have you been able to stop the TAO treatment completely again?

On 9/1/2015 at 12:46 PM, FondTuna said:

Hey healthyalmonds! Thanks so much for the work you've put into this potential solution. I started my regimen tonight and I'm interested in hearing how you're progress has been since your last post. Has your face cleared up since your second flare up and if so have you been able to stop the TAO treatment completely again?

Awesome that you have started. I am very optimistic that you will soon start noticing a difference

I haven't been able to completely stop the TAO treatment. I seem to have gotten rid of Staph from my nostrils , but it still persists mildly in my ears . My pimples were almost exclusively on my cheeks and the last pimple I got was one month ago (on my left cheek) and it was when I eased on cleaning/TAOing my ears. That cheek pimple was the only one I've gotten over the past couple of months and my old cheek scars are fading but noticeable.

My acne routine consists of daily 10% benzoyl peroxide cream to my face and ears, washing my ears with soap in the shower, and a few times a week I apply TAO to my nostrils and ears, usually before bed, to play things safe. I believe I was rubbing ear Staph onto my pillowcase while I slept and transferred the bacteria to my cheek when I shifted around at night. I've also been covering my ears with earbags [Edited link out] before I go to bed. That overall routine seems to prevent acne for me.

It appears to me that not all pathogenic Staph are created equal. My original nasal Staph was gone in 20 days with TAO. It took about two months before I got rid of my nasal Staph this second time and that was after I started focusing exclusively on TAOing the front of my nostrils as opposed to further back. I wish I could say why my ear Staph persists. It's possible that it lingers in my ear canal in areas I can't reach with TAO. My mother was positive in her ears and she was able to get rid of it in one week with Neosporin ?1. Her plate is on the right. It does seem possible to get rid of ear Staph with Triple Antibiotic but it may depend on the location of the bacteria as well as the strain.

If it is Staph causing your acne, hopefully you will have one of the milder strains in an easy to reach area. Best wishes and I look forward to reading about your progress

Thanks for the response! I'm actually using it to treat chronic folliculitis which I have had for the last 8 years (mostly on the back of head near the neckline and in my beard, chin, and mustache area) and have tried to treat it with basically everything else:

• Doxycycline, Tetracycline, Minocycline, Bactrim, Accutane, Benzyl Peroxide, Sulfur Cleansers, oral steroids, and anything over the counter that was claimed to be a cure.

For the most part Bactrim has worked the best for me if I stick with it for at least a month, but reading about building up a resistance to it has caused me to steer clear of it at all costs and the folliculitis always resurfaces after a few weeks of being off Bactrim anyway. The oral steroid worked really well in clearing my skin quickly, but my folliculitis came back a few weeks after my course was finished as it didn't treat the cause of the issue. Accutane worked well in completely drying me up while I was on it and for the most part clearing up my folliculitis (although there were still some very deep under the skin bumps that were present during the Accutance course though they didn't itch or flare-up at the time), but 2 months after my course finished the folliculitis was back.

I have a history of sensitive skin and had eczema flare-ups frequently when I was younger. After searching for a cure, or at least a better way of managing, for my condition for years I had always known that the bacteria in my nose were causing my problems from the research I had done but never thought to apply TAO directly to it. Excited to see how things turn out over the next few weeks!

If you don't mind I do have a few questions for you:

1. When applying TAO to your ear are you applying it within the ear canal or just around the outer portions of the ear? If you have a demonstration video or gif that would be very helpful.
2. Also, as with any use of an antibacterial treatment the remaining bacteria can develop a resistance to the treatment, do you think this is already being demonstrated with your current staph situation or do you think it is a different strain of staph and if so are you able to test that type of thing at your lab?

Thanks again and feel free to let me know if you have any questions for me!

 

Thanks for the response! I'm actually using it to treat chronic folliculitis which I have had for the last 8 years (mostly on the back of head near the neckline and in my beard, chin, and mustache area) and have tried to treat it with basically everything else:

• Doxycycline, Tetracycline, Minocycline, Bactrim, Accutane, Benzyl Peroxide, Sulfur Cleansers, oral steroids, and anything over the counter that was claimed to be a cure.

For the most part Bactrim has worked the best for me if I stick with it for at least a month, but reading about building up a resistance to it has caused me to steer clear of it at all costs and the folliculitis always resurfaces after a few weeks of being off Bactrim anyway. The oral steroid worked really well in clearing my skin quickly, but my folliculitis came back a few weeks after my course was finished as it didn't treat the cause of the issue. Accutane worked well in completely drying me up while I was on it and for the most part clearing up my folliculitis (although there were still some very deep under the skin bumps that were present during the Accutance course though they didn't itch or flare-up at the time), but 2 months after my course finished the folliculitis was back.

 

I have a history of sensitive skin and had eczema flare-ups frequently when I was younger. After searching for a cure, or at least a better way of managing, for my condition for years I had always known that the bacteria in my nose were causing my problems from the research I had done but never thought to apply TAO directly to it. Excited to see how things turn out over the next few weeks!

 

If you don't mind I do have a few questions for you:

 

1. When applying TAO to your ear are you applying it within the ear canal or just around the outer portions of the ear? If you have a demonstration video or gif that would be very helpful.
2. Also, as with any use of an antibacterial treatment the remaining bacteria can develop a resistance to the treatment, do you think this is already being demonstrated with your current staph situation or do you think it is a different strain of staph and if so are you able to test that type of thing at your lab?

Thanks again and feel free to let me know if you have any questions for me!

I've always been curious about how certain antibiotics are effective while on them but problems return once off them. It suggests that while the antibiotics are killing the bacteria causing folliculitis, it isn't killing all of them. Here's a great article on biofilms and how it can contribute towards Staphylococcal antibiotic resistance http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/fall-2009/biofilms-bacteria%E2%80%99s-elixer-of-survival#.Ve9MNPnBzRb . A low presence of Staph, protected by a biofilm, may give them a head start on recolonizing an area wiped out by antibiotics.

1. I apply the TAO to both my canal and outer portions. I've tested both areas previously and both tested as positive for Staph. I put some TAO on my fingers and rub it in and around my ears. I use my left hand for my left ear and right for right and I'm very diligent about washing my hands both before and after application.

2. I have tested for antibiotic resistance with my current strain of S. aureus. The picture is on the third page but here is the link . Antibiotic N 30 is neomycin, which is one of the three antibiotics in TAO/Neosporin. I ran that test after a couple months of regular TAO use. My Staph did not develop a resistance during that time. I believe my current problem is that either the antibiotics are not reaching parts of my ears that are colonized by Staph (I believe in my canal) or the ointment itself isn't able to 100% penetrate the biofilm. I can say that when I keep up with TAO use my ear Staph levels are low, but when I don't apply there is a greater amount of growth when I streak it out on a plate. I think that my current TAO use is more for minimizing growth as opposed to complete eradication but it seems like I have successfully gotten rid of it again from my nostrils.

Recently, I dabbed cotton balls in rubbing alcohol http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ear-canal-problems-swimmers-ear-prevention and kept them in my nose and ears for 10 minutes at a time. I'm hoping that constant contact with an antimicrobial agent will kill any remaining Staph that persist on the upper parts of my ear lobe/canal because gravity forced the antibiotic down. I struck out a couple of plates last night and will upload the photos soon.

Best wishes and hopefully you have noticed progress with your treatment so far

Hey healthyalmonds!!

Thanks for sharing some much of relevant info.. Whatever you've shared in this article makes so much sense..

I had one query...

Do you think a nasal and ear staph infection could lead to scalp boils and folliculitis.I mean I've been suffering from these red push filled red bumps on my scalp for about an year now.

Now the infection seems to have moved on to my forehead and lower face.. My scalp is a little better than before but my face has become really messed up. I get these push filled pimple every now and then around my lips and forehead...

So coming to the question-does staph from nose and ears affect scalp as well..

P.S- I sleep on stomach invariably which I assume could be making the matter worse.

Thanks in advance. Cheers!!

Hey healthyalmonds!!

Thanks for sharing some much of relevant info.. Whatever you've shared in this article makes so much sense..

 

I had one query...

Do you think a nasal and ear staph infection could lead to scalp boils and folliculitis.I mean I've been suffering from these red push filled red bumps on my scalp for about an year now.

Now the infection seems to have moved on to my forehead and lower face.. My scalp is a little better than before but my face has become really messed up. I get these push filled pimple every now and then around my lips and forehead...

 

So coming to the question-does staph from nose and ears affect scalp as well..

P.S- I sleep on stomach invariably which I assume could be making the matter worse.

Thanks in advance. Cheers!!

Happy to help

Yes, I believe it's possible for ear or nasal Staph to be the cause of folliculitis on the scalp and face. Like you mentioned, bacteria transferred from the pillow may be a cause. Do you find yourself itching your nose and ears with your fingers? Do you touch the areas where you break out? It's also possible that you are transferring the bacteria over to your scalp with your fingers where they can get into the hair follicle and cause a boil.

If it is ear/nasal Staph causing your scalp folliculitis, Triple Antibiotic Ointment or other topical antibiotics should be effective treatments. Best wishes and I hope you find your solution soon

Thinking of trying this regimen. do you have an exact run through of what do and what to get! Thanks

i have always had acne. Most noticeably around my chin and lips. However I have noticed recently I have quite a lot on the back of my neck. And prone to developing some just below the ears.

Sure. Here's a copy paste from earlier in the thread.

Best wishes 🙂

Great thread, a few questions here:
Considering everything mentioned, the implications of a staph infection put it on first priority in the battle with acne, but I wouldn't want to comlicate my life unnecessarily, and hence the first question: is there any way to test for staph at home, or should one refer to lab testing?

Secondly, assuming there's an infeciton, to what extent should I sanitize the environment? Changing the bed and pillow sheets daily is already quite inconvenient (not to mention the linked earbags)but what about headphones? The underlying question is how much time should pass for staph to die off, given it has nothing to feed on?

Thirdly - garlic. There's a doctor who cured herself of MRSA,to whomsilverlight22 was probably referring to - Rhonda Patrick. She talks about it in her podcasts withTim Ferriss, andJoe Rogan, and the treatment seems to have consisted of some combinationof garlic, ginko boloba, grapefruit seed extract and tea-tree oil as a topical, and garlic & grapfruit seed extract taken orally (podcast notes - crtl+F "MRSA"). There's also an article about it on BBC.
What I'm alluding to obviously is, to second silverlight22, would you be able to test one or more of these ingredients the next time you do the staph tests, as you did with the antibiotics? This would actually be very useful, as, aside from giving or taking substance from the aforementioned natural treatment, it could potentially save a lot of time and money for those using it.

You could buy MSA plates online to test for Staph. All else you would need is sterile swabs. The bacteria grow slowly at room temperature but eventually they'll grow. Otherwise, the only definitive way that I know about would be through lab testing.

Daily pillow and bed sheet changing wouldn't be necessary. Cleaning headphones or wearing them when sleeping? Cleaning wouldn't need to be frequent, except maybe if they're in-ear. Wearing them while sleeping should be fine so long as they stay in their position overnight. I couldn't give a specific date of death but so long as the focus is on cleaning the nose and ears, the other environments should have less acne-causing bacteria..

I don't have the capabilities to test those ingredients for effectiveness. The antibiotics disks I used were company-made and contained specific antibiotic concentrations. Also, the media I used was specific for an antibiotic disk-based test. To get appropriate concentrations of those extracts and expose them to Staph bacteria is a different pay grade

This is a very interesting and informative post. My acne is currently at its worst so far in my life, but the cysts are predominantly on my jawline, chin and forehead.

Do you think I should do swab testing first or just start treating my nose & ears with TAO? What would the side effects be if I didn't have MRSA in both areas?Do you think using tea tree oil,diluted hydrogen peroxide or manuka honey (separately, not together)instead of TAO would provide the same effect if I did have MRSA?

I'm currently taking oral doxycycline and as per previous experience, topical clindamycin and oral antibiotics didn't help clear my chin, jaw & forehead acne as much as combination of topical clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide.

If you go to my blog, I am also very terrified that I might have gram negative folliculitis. I'm so sick and tired of my skin. I just want relatively clear skin.

You may be best off by putting the TAO (Neosporin) into your nose and ears without getting tested for Staph first. You can patch test the TAO by putting it on a small piece of skin. If there isn't immediate inflammation, there likely wouldn't be negative side effects by putting it in your nose/ears. The combo you mentioned may help kill Staph, but I can't speak for its safety or efficacy. 

Topical BP and Clindamycin is a pretty effective combo. Daily application of benzoyl peroxide made a HUGE difference for me when I was dealing with severe acne. Is there a chance you can get back on BP while trying the TAO method?

Best wishes getscwifty, I am hopeful that you will soon see improvement in your acne by attacking the bacteria in your nostrils/ears

Triple Antibiotic Ointment is the generic name for Neosporin. Neosporin and TAO work equally well and should be available in drug stores in the US.