Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffWith common names like hot tub folliculitis and barber's itch, folliculitis may sound more like a bad joke than a skin disorder. But folliculitis, an infection of the hair follicles, is no laughing matter. Severe cases may cause permanent hair loss and scarring, and even mild folliculitis can be uncomfortable and embarrassing.
Folliculitis usually appears as small, white-headed pimples around one or more hair follicles — the tiny pockets from which each hair grows. Most infections are superficial, and they may itch, but on occasion they're painful. Superficial folliculitis often clears by itself in a few days, but deep or recurring folliculitis may need medical treatment.
Symptoms
