Is Folliculitis Contagious? Types, Causes, and Prevention

Complications

Folliculitis can lead to the following complications:

• Spreading or recurrent infection.
• Skin boils (furunculosis).
• Permanent skin damage, such as scars or dark patches.
• Hair follicle destruction and permanent hair loss.

References

• Berger TG (2012). Dermatologic disorders. In SJ McPhee, MA Papadakis, eds., 2012 Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, 51st ed., pp. 93–163. New York: McGraw-Hill.
• Habif TP (2010). Bacterial infections. In Clinical Dermatology, A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy, 5th ed., pp. 335–381. Edinburgh: Mosby Elsevier.
• Hall JC (2010). Dermatologic bacteriology. In JC Hall, ed., Sauer’s Manual of Skin Diseases, 10th ed., pp. 202–219. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
• Korman NJ (2016). Macular, papular, vesiculobullous, and pustular diseases. In L Goldman, A Schafer, eds., Goldman-Cecil Medicine, 25th ed., vol. 2, pp. 2671–2682. Philadelphia: Saunders.
• Pasternack MS, Morton NS (2015). Cellulitis, necrotizing fasciitis, and subcutaneous tissue infections. In JE Bennett et al., eds., Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases, 8th ed., vol. 1, pp. 1194–1214. Philadelphia: Saunders.
• Folliculitis. American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/folliculitis.html. Accessed July 12, 2017.
• Folliculitis. Merck Manual Professional Version. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec11/ch129/ch129e.html. Accessed July 12, 2017.

• Hot tub rash (pseudomonas dermatitis/folliculitis). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/rwi/illnesses/hot-tub-rash.html. Accessed July 17, 2017.
• Pseudofolliculitis barbae. Merck Manual Professional Version. https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/dermatologic-disorders/hair-disorders/pseudofolliculitis-barbae. Accessed July 17, 2017.