What is the difference between furuncle and folliculitis

Furuncles and folliculitis are two diseases with very similar onset. Both are skin diseases with similar symptoms, such as clogged hair follicles that turn into bumps, inflammation, redness and swelling, etc. Therefore, many people cannot tell them apart. As a result, they do not prescribe the right medicine or delay diagnosis, which delays the disease and makes it worse. This article will briefly introduce the differences between furuncle and folliculitis and the related treatment methods.

Folliculitis refers to inflammation of the hair follicles, which may be papules, pustules, or papules first and then pustules. There are many causes of disease, bacterial infection is only one of them. And the pathogens are not limited to Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. The papules or pustules of folliculitis can be more or less, large or small, deep or shallow, but they must grow in the hair follicles. The folliculitis rash is generally small, often ranging in size from a mung bean to a match head. The pustules are also relatively shallow, so they are not painful or only slightly painful. It is more common on the hairy areas of the scalp and face, the front chest, upper back, and the extensor sides of the limbs. Folliculitis is a common skin disease, and its occurrence is closely related to Staphylococcus aureus and other microorganisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Back folliculitis is a high-risk area for folliculitis, and its occurrence often causes various discomforts in the back and also affects work and life.

Furuncle, also known as furuncle or furuncle, is an acute suppurative deep folliculitis and perifolliculitis caused by Staphylococcus invading hair follicles. It initially appears as a red nodule and quickly becomes purulent nodules or pustules. It is located deeper, so the pain and tenderness are more intense. The predilection sites are the same as folliculitis, but the distribution can be very widespread. A typical boil has a pus head in the center, which can discharge yellow-green pus plugs (this is not the case with folliculitis) and pus and blood, and leaves scars after healing.

Antibiotics can be used as appropriate for treatment. 1% neomycin ointment, mupirocin ointment, fusidic acid ointment or 2% iodine tincture can be applied topically. Ultraviolet light can also be used. For patients with recurrent attacks, autologous vaccine or polyvalent staphylococcal vaccine can be used.

The above is some information about the difference between folliculitis and furuncle and how to treat them. I hope it will be helpful to everyone.

The author introduces several drugs that can effectively treat folliculitis, hoping to be helpful to everyone:

Clindamycin metronidazole ointment: used for acne vulgaris, and can also be used for seborrheic dermatitis, rosacea, and folliculitis.

Compound Pian Zai Huang Ointment: clears heat, detoxifies and relieves pain. Used for herpes zoster, herpes simplex, impetigo, folliculitis, and acne.