Folliculitis Decalvans

What is Folliculitis Decalvans?

Folliculitis Decalvans is part of the Scarring Alopecia group. It is also known as Tufted Folliculitis. Its main feature is hairs between 10-15 grouped together emerging from a single follicular opening. Although there are no confirm reason of this disease, most scientists think its related to a immune response towards a bacterial infection.

Medical Symptoms

This condition can occur in any hairy parts of your body. However, it is usually confined and obvious in the scalp region due to the density of hair follicles. Usually you will find

• Round and oval patches of hair loss
• Hairs tufted(close together) like a toothbrush
• Pustules (accumulation of pus under the skin) around the hair follicles

Eventually, the tufted hairs will fall out and all is left is a permanent scar.

What Causes Folliculitis Decalvans?

There is no concrete evidence yet on what is the real cause of this problem. However, the most closest link is contracting Staphylococcus bacteria and a combination of immunity problems with your white blood cells.

One suggestion is that the bacteria affecting the scalp kill the local cells and thus releasing toxins. These toxins in turn trigger an inflammatory response to that particular area. It is believed that your immune system are sensitive or unable to attack this bacteria and cannot react to this toxins properly thus resulting in this condition.

Seeking Medical Treatment

In most cases, this condition can slowly cause progressive hair loss as it spreads to other parts of your scalp. As there is no direct treatment for this condition, the only way is to prevent further scarring and to reduce the pain and clearing the pustules.

A typical regimen therapy should consists of

• Rifampin (antibiotics)
• Cephalexin (antibiotics)

With the combination of these 2 treatments, you can expect to decrease the disease activity. This treatment should continue for one month after the disease becomes inactive. Your doctor might ask you to stop the treatment and observe if the disease occurs after treatment.

You will then have to take the antibiotics regimen one or two months alternately with 3 months off therapy. This kind of treatment usually can keep the disease under control and prevent further spreading.

Of course, your doctor should inform you about this. If not, it's nice to ask him about this treatment as this is a rare disease so not all doctors might be able to prescribe you the appropriate treatment.