Description

Pityrosporum folliculitis, also known as Malassezia folliculitis, is a condition that presents as breakouts on your skin.

It may be considered common and under-recognized. It occurs when a specific genus of yeast called Malassezia, which naturally occurs on your skin, infects the hair follicles.

Sometimes people with this condition think they have recurring acne and try to treat it as they would for regular acne. This makes it easy to miss or misdiagnose.

However, an easy way to tell the difference between the two conditions is to compare the symptoms. Pityrosporum folliculitis lacks comedones, which are the whiteheads and blackheads that are common characteristics of acne. It can also be a very itchy condition, while acne is not.

People who have pityrosporum folliculitis are sometimes more likely to have other conditions like dandruff, which is also known as seborrheic dermatitis. Both conditions are linked to the Malassezia yeast.

These two conditions are essentially treated the same as well, with antifungals and often a shampoo, such as ketoconazole 2 percent shampoo.

Keep reading to find out more about the symptoms and specific treatments for pityrosporum folliculitis.

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