20 hours ago, healthyalmonds said:Hair on the scalp can also be colonized by S. aureus. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC472824/ That may explain your persistent neck and back acne.
I carry the bacteria on my scalp. https://www.reddit.com/r/Staphacne/comments/7rveo3/the_scalp_can_be_colonized_by_staphylococcus/ I bought a chlorhexidine shampoo (pet formulated) from Amazon and have seen positive results in ridding the scalp Staph.
Thanks for the reply. I can't see any shampoos on amazon, so I might wash my head with the same thing I have been using for the rest of my body with good success. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hibiscrub-Health-Care-500-ml/dp/B001AV4C20/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1517850649&sr=1-1&keywords=chlorhexidine+shampoo
Nice. Keep us updated with how it goes!
Good Evening everyone!
Hope all is seeing positive results.
I'm dealing with these like "Razor bumps" on my cheeks both sides that seems to take ages to go away, I've just recently been using oxy10 and applying to my cheek area than I put on a mosturizer 15 minutes later. I'm just not sure whether it's due to staph or because of the shaving. I would get a bump and the colour would be bright red to pink as time goes it gets darker. But it never flattens out.
Any help or advice please!
Hey everyone.
Just posting to say I started applying 70% rubbing alcohol to my nose and ears tonight. I did buy some Neosporin too but I've read many in this thread so it stops working after a while.
I had traditional acne as a young teen on my face and chest. Used BP religiously for years. It settled a bit in my early 20's but then I started to get large painful inflamed whiteheads around my lower mouth and chin. Over the years they have gotten worse. I'm now 35 and the last few years have been awful. Large weeping whiteheads that continually pop up. Lots of scarring. I have taken Doxycycline and Lymecycline in the past which always helps, but then it comes back.
Since my 30s I've also struggled with Rosacea (type 2) and seb derm...lots of redness and spots on my cheeks and a yellow scale around my nose and mouth. I've been suvessfully treating the rosacea with Soolantra for the past 15 weeks with good results. Sulfur soap seems help seb Derm along with azelaic acid.
So now I've got the rosacea under control I am overjoyed that I found this thread and people describing many similar symptoms around their mouths. I stopped using BP around my mouth and have been using margarite zinc cream to dry out the whiteheads. Its slightly tinted so helps the redness toi. I'm really hoping the swabbing will help with the rest.
Thank you so much @healthyalmonds for bringing awareness of this. I have tried everything over the last 15 years. Creams, washes, gluten, dairy, sugar free. Probiotics. Zinc, omega 3, Vit D, antibiotics... I have my fingers crossed.
Best wishes @Mr. Brownstone.
Please keep us updated with any progress you observed!
On 13/11/2018 at 7:50 PM, healthyalmonds said:Best wishes @Mr. Brownstone.
Please keep us updated with any progress you observed!
Hi
The first week was very good. All the pimples seemed to dry up. Since starting week 2, I have experiened my normal levels of pimples again.
Would you say to continue for atleast 3 weeks or if im already relapsing say this treatment is not for me?
I was using 70% rubbing alcohol for the first few days then switched to hibiclens since.
Many thanks!
@Mr. BrownstoneHere is the specific protocol I follow that has cured my acne and rid my skin of Staphylococcus aureus.
Once a dayI clean my nostrilswith chlorhexidine (Hibiclens). I use one cotton swab per nostril, I dunk it in the chlorhexidine, wipe excess liquid off the swab, then I rub the swab as far back my nose as I can pinch together with my fingers. I let the chlorhexidine sit in each nostril the rest of the day, but you can leave it in for about 5 minutes then wipe it out with a fresh cotton swab. Also, you can dry your nostrils with fresh swabs prior to applying the chlorhexidine
Once a day I thoroughly wipe in and around my ears with a cotton swab soaked with chlorhexidine or with a paper towel wet with >90% rubbing alcohol.
Two times a week I wash myscalpand body, including mygenitalsandbutt,withchlorhexidine body wash.
To stop pimples, I applied 10% benzoyl peroxide cream to my face every day. I applied it with my fingers after I showered and washed my hands. It is very effective at preventing acne for me.
I trim my nose hairsto reduce surface area for bacteria to attach to.
With regular treatment, I am optimistic that you will see similar benefits.
Hi @healthyalmonds.
I've been suffering from either staph or gram negative folliculitis on and off for 3 or 4 years now. I was actually the first person to reply to this thread. It occurs in my moustache and chin area, where I keep a short-ish beard. As well as on my scalp. I can clearly see that the pustules form from my hair follicles, as there's always a hair in the centre of them. Except I also get whiteheads and red bumps and bad texture elsewhere on my skin - I'm not sure if they're related. Anyway, the follicle ones start off as painful red bumps, then form a white orb, which drains, then go flaky/scaly for a while, and then come back either white or amber or green-ish and repeat. I have had sinus issues my whole life, which I've treated as pet and dust allergies or a four-times-yearly cold. But I've begun to suspect that it's just the staph bacteria causing those symptoms. My nose starts running as soon as I enter even slightly cold temperatures, my eyes start to sting, etc.
Minocycline clears up the issue for me within a week each time I take it. But after stopping it comes back within a few weeks and doesn't go away. Here is a list of things I have tried. I am unable to judge the success of each thing because I switch back and forth between them and there are so many factors that I just cannot narrow it down.
Topically: Apple cider vinegar, Jojoba oil, Tea tree oil Physical exfoliation (konjac sponge), Paula's choice BHA liquid, Salicylic acid + alcohol pads (Oxy brand), Simple face cleansers / No cleanser / skipping showers and water altogether for brief periods, Moisturizer / no moisturizer, Triple antibiotic ointment, Mupirocin ointment, Clindamycin solution (watery, I think 1%), Zinc-based sunscreen, Hibiclens, Head and shoulders shampoo, Nizoral shampoo, Selsun Blue shampoo, Simple ingredient all-natural shampoo
Internally:Gluten free, dairy free, low sugar, vegan diet. Apple cider vinegar shot before each meal. Lots of water. Vitamin D3, zinc, vitamin C, Omega-3 pills, probiotic pills. Intermittent fasting
In the past I tried putting TAO and/or mupirocin in my nose after reading this thread but I can't say whether it helped or not and I might try again. Over the past few weeks I have tried several times putting Hibiclens in my nose and ears, but have not seen a positive difference. When I put it in my nose my sinuses become very irritated and quickly flush the Hibiclens out. Then I have nasal drip coming into my moustache area which worries me. I end up washing my hands several times over the half hour as my sinuses flush. And I also seem to be getting painful, large sores on the outside of my nose and embedded within the bottom rings of my nostrils as well. Which I don't normally get. They seem to be tied to the Hibiclens use but I cannot say for sure.
I want to try skipping more showers, taking cold showers, and when I do with water only. Something inside me is screaming that that's the answer. That my skin is having trouble because I keep stripping the moisture barrier and good bacteria away in the shower. But I use a waxy hair product every day which is hard to get out with just cold water. And everything I read online says folliculitis requires good hygiene. I've always had excellent hygiene, though. I wash my hands a hundred times a day. Another big part of me believes that it's all due to stress and placebo effects. I am considering meditation and hypnotherapy to try to tap into my body's self-healing mechanisms.
Anyway... I guess I don't have any specific questions, except maybe whether you have some insight into the chronic sinus issues, and the flushing and irritation that happens when I use Hibiclens. Or if you have any other ideas/suggestions that could help me.
Thank you very very much.
Wow my nostrils were more irritated this time than ever, I spent an hour blowing it after applying the Hibiclens. On sort of a whim I went and applied some TAO as well, and it seems to be reducing the irritation. It's funny - my dermatologist once told me that TAO is useless, except as a moisturizer. The reason it's effective for wounds is that moisture helps wounds heal faster, and keeps bacteria out as a barrier. I wonder if my sinuses are just frequently dried out, by warm showers, the constant nose-blowing I do, etc. And then Hibiclens makes it even worse. So if TAO can help with staph it might be at least partly due to the moisturizing effects.
God I am suuuch a mess right now. this is such a brutal condition.
Today I developed several other big, red, hard spots on the outside of my nose. On the bridge and in the seam between my nose and my cheek. I don't ever get these. They are not like the folliculitis, there's no hair or whitehead or anything. I am fully attributing this to the use of HIbiclens in my nostrils yesterday and the several hours of burning and irritation and mucus flushing I had. (The TAO didn't actually help in the end). I even woke up still irritated.
So... I don't know what to do. My scalp has also been getting worse since I stopped shampooing a few days ago.
I feel like maybe of all the things I've tried, ACV in my scalp and beard has been the most effective. But I haven't stuck with it long enough... might not be a full solution, but it seemed to help a bit.
Okay, I figured it out. here's a post I made on Reddit summarizing the whole thing:
I've been suffering from folliculitis and/or staph infections for years in my scalp and beard. It has been on and off, but so has my zinc intake (more on that later).
Doctors had trouble diagnosing exactly what was going on but I can describe it. Painful, itchy, and/or burning. Bulging oozing whiteheads that I would scratch off (didn't have to pop like typical pimples, they were usually very soft and on the surface and ready to go). They would come back either white, or yellow or greenish. They were always at the base of a hair/in the follicle. They would often dry to an amber-y colour. They would eventually flake over and seem to go away, but then come back after a while. At the worst of it I was waking up to 5-10 new spots every day around my mouth. I couldn't count them on my scalp but they were basically everywhere. Super painful and gross. The scalp ones seemed to be more deeply embedded, almost like cysts.
Taking low dose Minocycline always cleared it up, but after quitting it would come back the same or worse within a couple weeks. I don't want to be on antibiotics forever so I quit taking them altogether.
I tried the following things on my scalp and/or face: Nizoral, Head and Shoulders, Hibiclens (also tried it in my nostrils - was extremely irritating), Selsun Blue, all-natural shampoo, Paula's Choice BHA, Mupirocin (also in my nostrils), Clindamycin topical solution, white vinegar and/or apple cider vinegar (topically), tea tree oil, various moisturizers and face washes, avoiding all moisturizers and/or face washes, avoiding shampoo, avoiding hair product (paste).
Internally/diet: gluten free, vegan, apple cider vinegar, garlic, lots of water, lots of fruit and vegetables, avoiding sugar and alcohol.
Of all these things I would say Nizoral and Mupirocin (in nostrils) were the most helpful, but definitely not sufficient on their own. Or maybe they didn't help and I was just imagining it. Nothing else seemed to make any difference at all.
So the doctors couldn't help, but I went to a dentist and apologized for my skin because she was working around my mouth for an hour. She said "there's gotta be something you're eating that's causing it." I told her about my clean diet and denied that diet could be the cause. But then I went home and thought - maybe it's one of the supplements I'm on. I was taking vitamin C, D3, omega-3, and zinc. 100 mg of chelated zinc per day. I have taken zinc for months at a time several times over the past few years, but not consistently. I've also had these skin problems on and off over the same time period, and obviously suspect that the timing lines up. I also stumbled across an old post of mine in which I was already considering a connection (but I forgot I'd ever posted this).
Zinc helps me a lot with digestion, and sort of helps with mood although the folliculitis/staph made too miserable to see that effect. It also seems to help with wound healing and improves my skin on the rest of my face (not follicle-related). So I was hesitant to think the zinc could be the cause.
But I decided to google "zinc and iron deficiency" and found a bunch of research linking the two. I was already low in iron because of my vegan diet. And I found things saying anemia weakens your immune system and can make you prone to skin/staph infections and folliculitis. So I quit the zinc and started taking an iron pill every day. IMMEDIATELY I stopped getting new staph/folliculitis spots. The existing ones cleared up within a week or less - they just dried up and disappeared. I can hardly believe it. I am now trying to restore the rest of my face, after the strong soaps and stuff I was using caused some texture damage. But I am SO relieved. I have been clear of staph/folliculitis for a few weeks now, and changed NOTHING else in my routine. I used to think it was caused by stress but I've actually been more stressed than usual - writing exams, etc.
I am considering re-introducing zinc carefully in a few weeks, but at a much lower dose and in a supplement that also includes copper (because zinc also causes copper deficiency). I forgot to mention that blood tests have always shown me as zinc deficient, so I think I do need it. But I was overdosing and throwing off my mineral balance way too much.
Hope this helps someone! Let me know if you have any questions. I swore I wouldn't make this post very long but I got carried away.
I suffer from folliculitis and i have been trying very hard to solve it. It is very much contained now but recently one or two might come up every week on my face. Always with a hair coming out of it. I used water only regimen and i no longer have acne. however the folliculitis bumps still come up from time to time. I will use fobancort cream which contains fusidic acid, in replacement of TAO ointment to swab my nose and ears. I often have runny nose and stuffs and after reading many posts, i believe this is the staph's doing. Hopefully by doing a nasal decolonisation, my folliculitis will stop. I do not shave my facial hair either. I only trim it with a beard trimmer and have been doing so for almost 3 weeks.
I hope anyone with my problem can share too. I used to be a nose picker and i pick my nose everyday. This might have caused the S aureus to spread to my face. and recently i popped the bumps too so they might have spread. I use fusidic ointment on my skin now on the affected area and the nearby affect area. I stopped picking my nose 2 weeks ago but last saturday i was being complacent and i did it. And yesterday was when i found two new bumps. Not sure if they are entirely linked.
I hope by doing nasal decolonisation, i can come back to share that my facial folliculitis is gone. I hope this thread doesn't die but instead help out many like us!
On 4/18/2019 at 3:33 PM, Exister said:
But I decided to google "zinc and iron deficiency" and found a bunch of research linking the two. I was already low in iron because of my vegan diet. And I found things saying anemia weakens your immune system and can make you prone to skin/staph infections and folliculitis. So I quit the zinc and started taking an iron pill every day. IMMEDIATELY I stopped getting new staph/folliculitis spots. The existing ones cleared up within a week or less - they just dried up and disappeared. I can hardly believe it. I am now trying to restore the rest of my face, after the strong soaps and stuff I was using caused some texture damage. But I am SO relieved. I have been clear of staph/folliculitis for a few weeks now, and changed NOTHING else in my routine. I used to think it was caused by stress but I've actually been more stressed than usual - writing exams, etc.
I am considering re-introducing zinc carefully in a few weeks, but at a much lower dose and in a supplement that also includes copper (because zinc also causes copper deficiency). I forgot to mention that blood tests have always shown me as zinc deficient, so I think I do need it. But I was overdosing and throwing off my mineral balance way too much.
Hope this helps someone! Let me know if you have any questions. I swore I wouldn't make this post very long but I got carried away.
This is very interesting. Everything youve wrote above there mirrors my own struggle for the last 10 years. All the meds/Diiet changes and supplements are identical to my own experience... except ive never tried Iron supplements.
That will be my next purchase for sure.
Any updates?
Hey, i've been suffering acne for 8 years, leading me to take several treatments (tolexine, benzoyl peroxide, cycline, accutane for 2 years, etc). Some of these treatments worked well while I was taking them, and accutane was by far the strongest, but as soon as i stopped, the pimples came back.
Thanks to this thread i just discovered s. aureus and read things about it, and i found my acne is pretty similar to folliculitis, what do you think about it? These pictures were taken in 2016, before my first accutane cycle (sorry if you find them disgusting) :
So i'm wondering if I must start using triple antibiotic ointment. I see there are a lot of different brands on ebay, should i buy a particular one or are they all just the same, as long as they contain Polymyxin B, bacitracin and neomycin? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Perrigo-Triple-Antibiotic-Ointment-0-5-oz-First-Aid-Antibiotic/292495606302?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D58646%26meid%3D8bd08dd1afc4441095b0224d3355e669%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D382503260193%26itm%3D292495606302&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851 is this one ok? Thanks.
Souvlaki (and maybe relevant info for Exister also..)
"you" below = Souvlaki
Polymixin cream/ointment should fix Souvlaki's problem. You can use either neosporin or polysporin but MAKE SURE the cream has polymixin in it. That is critical, as polymixin kills gram negative bacteria which I think are causing your problem, from the photos and the other information that you provided.
I think you have gram negative "acne" - sometimes called gram negative folliculitis. Gram negative follicultis is CAUSED by taking the cycline antibiotics and some other antibiotics (which kill gram positive bacteria and allow gram negative bacteria to proliferate).
The term "folliculitis" does not mean anything on its own, other than the hair follicles are infected. LOTS of things cause follicultis- several different types of bacteria, several different types of fungus, some chemicals etc. The important thing is to know what is CAUSING the follicultis
I doubt that you have staph acne because staph infections are really dangerous and you would have developed other, very serious symptoms if you had a staph infection. Indicators of staph infections are - the area is hot, and the infected area exudes a yellow ooze which forms a toffee like crust. Do you have these symptoms ?
Staph infections are really dangerous as you probably know.
I would apply topical antifungal cream together with the polysporin as you may well have fungal acne combined with gram negative bacterial acne. Often, the two occur together. Fungal acne is caused by taking virtually any antibiotics, and some other meds, possibly including accutane (which can appear to control fungal acne for a short time)
I am happy to provide further information to people on this thread.
Has anyone ever heard or tried phage therapy (Bacteriophages) to treat these bacterial infections?Sounds very interesting and wonder if something like this could cure us. Ive recently learned that theres also topical treatments that utilize the same concept.
[Edited links out]
Hi,
I suffered from what I believe is Folliculitis for a number of years and then in 2017 it suddenly cleared up. I havent seen it again, unfortunately until the past week 
So some hope for everyone out there, mine cleared up and I was completely free for nearly 4 years. i didnt change my diet and used no topical treatments whatsoever.
Now it has reappeared and I have spent the last two week trying to cure it and following the protocol in this forum. I am 4 days into it so far and the results are mixed. My skin is clearing up slowly but just this mornig I got a new pimple (see photo). However my skin is incredibly dry and flaky, which is 1) unsightly and 2) I think could be leading to reocurrence of the folliculits (anyone experience this?) It's depressing me a lot right now and thankfully I can do home office so I can avoid most social situations (which are horrible) I am going on vacation this weekend and I am really hoping it clears up significantly so I can enjoy that.
My daily protocol right now: (4 days in) Thanks @healthyalmonds
- Clean ears (inside and around) with rubbing alcohol or colloidal silver
- Clean nostrils with chlorohexamed gel
- Wash face with a green tea cleanser or Sebamed cleanser in the shower
- Apply 5% BP on problem areas
- Spray face with Colloidal silver
- Moisturize with CeraVe after one/two hours
I would love to shave now to clear away the dead, flaky skin but am sure that will spread the folliculitis further. Anyone know how to get around this?
For the record I am convinced that staph is the cause of this as I have always had a blocked noise and had to pick it regulary to clear it. (So far the chlorohexamed gel seem to help)
I took Accutane briefly when I was younger in failed diagnosis of this. It left me with all the liquid in my body dried up (my joints seized) and my skin was horribly dry. Since then, I vowed never to use it again.
If anyone has any tips or how I could see better results, i would love to hear from you (doctor and anti-biotics are next step i suppose). Also if you have any questions on my routine or results, please let me know
