Causes Of Folliculitis In Women

Folliculitis indicates inflammation of the hair follicle, the structure which contains the root of a hair. When hair follicles become infected, the body's immune response causes clusters of small, red, pus-filled, itchy, bumps to form. Dr. Larry M. Baddour, of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, writes in the medical database UpToDate that areas of frequent shaving are particularly prone to developing folliculitis, so a woman may develop this infection on her legs, underarms or bikini area. There are several possible causes of folliculitis in women.

Swimming in Contaminated Hot Tubs, Swimming Pools or Whirlpools

Women who spend time in improperly, or incompletely chlorinated tubs or pools are at risk for developing folliculitis due to a bacterial organism called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This organism is found commonly throughout the environment, but is especially likely to be found in bodies of water such as hot tubs. Folliculitis due to Pseudomonas tends to be seen as clearly demarcated areas of inflamed follicles in the areas of skin exposed to the contaminated water. Also, according to the dermatology textbook "Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy," the bumps associated with Pseudomonas folliculitis tend to be larger, around 3 centimeters in diameter.

Shaving the Legs, Underarms or Bikini Areas

Women who shave may also develop folliculitis. In the case of folliculitis due to shaving, the organism responsible is most frequently the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, sometimes known as "staph." This is an organism found all over the skin; when the skin is shaved, this broken skin is now a point of entry for the bacteria. So folliculitis may develop, and if a sample of the pus from one of the inflamed follicles is examined under a microscope, the bacteria "staph" will often be found.

Epilating the Legs, Underarms or Bikini Areas

The term "epilating" simply means "plucking." Removing hair with tweezers, threads or devices are all ways of epilating, and are an alternative to shaving as a method of hair removal. While the hair takes longer to regrow, the procedure, according to Dr. Donald W Shenenberger of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, is both time consuming and puts women at risk of folliculitis. Similarly to the situation with shaving, the organism responsible will most often be Staphylococcus aureus; if a woman develops folliculitis after having been on antibiotics, she may be infected by the yeast organism called Candida. Candida is an organism that is normally found in the digestive tract and genital regions of humans; however, after taking antibiotics, this yeast may multiply more than usual because the bacteria which normally keep its growth in check have been killed by the antibiotic. Candida is not susceptible to antibiotics, so it is able to reproduce and invade areas in which it is not normally found.