Folliculitis!

**yellow** · 05-20-2005, 11:42 AM

OK, I did a search on "ingrown hairs" (fancy term: folliculitis) and didn't find what I need so here goes.

I've got a giant one. Not just a little bump. Mayo Clinic and WebMD aren't helping me out here. I've had little ones before but not like this. I've been able to tolerate it for the last couple of weeks but it doesn't seem to be getting better in spite of my religious application of the recommended home treatment. And it HURTS! It's right where my leg meets my crotch (I'm not sure how to otherwise describe it).

Do I continue to wait for it to go away? Go to the doc? I can't believe there aren't others that have suffered through mega-folliculitis.

Needless to say, I don't think I'm going to do any more hair removal after this incident. Having the hair is better than having the bump.

yell-OW!

**CorsairMac** · 05-20-2005, 12:35 PM

ummm......are you sure it isn't a boil? either way you could try lancing it with a sharp instrument (like a sterilized pin).

**snapdragen** · 05-20-2005, 01:14 PM

Hmmm, boil was gonna be my guess too....... Tried sitting in a warm bath?

**Irulan** · 05-20-2005, 01:17 PM

the folliculitis I've had is systemic and required the use of antibiotics.... what you get when a hot tub is not maintained. Yes, you can say, "ewwwwwww".

Irulan

**slinkedog** · 05-20-2005, 01:24 PM

Yellow... I'd try warm compresses. My daughter used to get boils on her legs sometimes and it seemed to help a lot. You may want to let a doctor do the lancing, if it comes to that. Make sure you watch it and if you see red streaks coming out from it get to the doctor FAST... the infection is going systemic at that point.

**Technotart** · 05-20-2005, 02:19 PM

From a nurse.... Antibiotics!!!! If left alone, it will create a little pocket of infection which could spread to your bloodstream and infect your entire body! This is called sepsis when this happens and people end up in the ICU for months over sepsis! GO TO THE DOC!!!!!

**RoadRaven** · 05-20-2005, 04:39 PM

We deal with ingrown hairs with a needle and tweezers and dig it out, then smear liberally in an iodine based cream.

If the infection is getting bigger/more... def get antibiotics - the groin is too close to arteries - you don't want it becoming blood poisoning.

Good luck

**yellow** · 05-20-2005, 04:50 PM

Well, I did lance it but I think there is a big ingrown hair in there, and it doesn't want to come out. I've been very religious with the antibiotic ointment and made sure that needle was super sterilized.

No red streaks, but I'll watch for that. The doc wasn't in today so I'm going to watch it over the weekend and hope they can fit me in next week if it's still bugging me.

I've learned so much about folliculitis, like the fact that there are many different kinds (the one you can get from hot tubs if different from the one men get in their beards, etc.).

OK, I promise I'll watch it closely!

**slinkedog** · 05-20-2005, 05:53 PM

Yellow... all I can say is "OUCH!" and I hope it goes away soon!!!

**Pedal Wench** · 05-20-2005, 05:58 PM

Are y'all sure it's not a saddle sore?

**RoadRaven** · 05-22-2005, 01:52 AM

Saddle sore... good point, I just assumed it was an ingrown hair

Good luck with getting rid of it!

**Tess851** · 05-22-2005, 04:09 PM

hmmm, if it's a saddle sore, and given the location, it could be occurring because (a) knicks need to be cleaner - try washing in HOT water with an antibacterial rinse in the machine; or (b) bike set up - may need adjusting as you're not sitting properly on the bike; or (c) your hips or body in general is out of alignment which also means you're not sitting evenly on the bike. In which case, if you find the problem recurs in the same area, go to a chiropractor, physio or osteopath to get put back into alignment, and keep up the antiseptic etc in the affected area.

**yellow** · 05-23-2005, 08:27 PM

Well, it's the first one I've ever had with the same ol' setup, so I don't think it's bike fit unless my butt's gotten bigger (which is entirely possible given the amount of almond butter I eat!).

I can see the hair in there, so I'm not thinking it's a saddle sore. It's not a "wound", and looks and behaves like an ingrown hair. It doesn't seem to get any worse with riding, but I know that the riding is probably keeping it at a constant state of irritation. I'm sure it could turn INTO a saddle sore if I were to really lance the heck out of it, which is why I haven't. Still keeping the antibiotic ointment on it and clean and all that. The good thing is that it's no worse after riding 54 miles yesterday and 20 today.

Oh I always, always wear a clean pair of shorts. I never wear them 2x in a row without a full wash!

OK, still watching it and antibiotic-ing it and all that. If I disappear from the board it'll be because either (1) I stop riding and get incredibly depressed and lose all motivation to do anything but sit around and watch the "Life of Birds" DVDs over and over

or (2) I keel over

. Heck, I lived with giardia for over a year without realizing what it was, so a nasty little ingrown hair should be nothing, right?!

**SadieKate** · 05-23-2005, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by yellow

Heck, I lived with giardia for over a year without realizing what it was, so a nasty little ingrown hair should be nothing, right?!

Was this some kind of new weight loss plan?

**spazzdog** · 05-24-2005, 05:52 AM

Can you have a friend pluck the little sucker out of there for you... or your doc?

spazz

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