Folliculitis is an infection or irritation of one or more hair follicles (tiny spaces under the skin where hair grows). The follicle forms small pink or brown pimples, some with white dots in the middle. They may itch or feel sore. Sometimes the skin around the pimples gets red or swollen. You can do things at home to help folliculitis (fuh-lik-yeh-LYE-tiss) heal. 

Follow your health care provider's instructions for: 

• If your child needs any medicines like antibiotics that go on the skin or are taken by mouth. If your health care provider prescribed antibiotics, give your child all prescribed doses to help keep folliculitis from coming back.
• How to wash your child's skin. 
• Washing and drying your child's clothes, towels, and other items.

Other reminders:

• Make sure your child does not pick at the pimples.
• Tell your child not to shave the folliculitis skin area until it is fully healed.
• If pimples itch or are tender, it can help to soak the area in plain water or cover the pimples with a warm, wet washcloth for 20 minutes a few times a day.
• Folliculitis can be contagious (spread from person to person). Until the pimples clear:
  • Have your child wash their hands well and often. 
  • Wash your hands before and after washing your child's pimples or putting any medicine on them. 
  • Wash your child's towels and washcloths in hot water and put in the dryer after each use.
  • Have your child stay out of swimming pools and hot tubs.

• Your child gets more pimples, the pimples get red, swollen, or more irritated, or there is pus (white or yellow fluid) oozing from any of the pimples.
• The pimples don't get better after following the health care provider's instructions.
• The pimples go away and then come back.
• Your child gets a fever or seems sick.

What causes folliculitis? Usually, folliculitis is a sign of a skin infection. Germs (bacteria, viruses, or fungi) can infect the skin. As the body fights the infection, the skin may get red, itchy, or tender.

Folliculitis is not always a sign of infection, though. Shaving, waxing, or pulling on the hair root can cause irritation and lead to folliculitis. 

Sometimes the reason for the folliculitis is not known. 

Can folliculitis come back? Yes, a person can get folliculitis more than once. To lower your child's risk of it coming back, try these tips:

• Keep germs away from the skin: 
  • Clean sports gear and razors after each use.
  • Wash swimsuits, washcloths, and bath sponges as soon as possible.
  • Wash bedsheets often.
• Make sure your child doesn't go in swimming pools and hot tubs that are not clean. Kids should shower after using hot tubs or swimming to wash off any germs that were in the water.
• Suggest hairstyles that won't pull on the hair. Avoid very tight braids and ponytails.
• Teach teens to shave in the direction of hair growth.