How can you tell the difference between folliculitis and herpes?

Doctor can evaluate: Folliculitis usually affects a larger area of skin than the small spot that a herpes sore affects. Folliculitis is tiny pustules where the hair follicles are. Herpes makes tiny blisters, in a cluster, very close together. Herpes blisters (vesicles) break open with some clear or yellowish fluid, not pus like in folliculitis. A doctor can evaluate and tell the difference.

Look & symptoms : Herpes typically is recurrent in the same area, is painful and consists of a cluster of blisters (bumps filled with fluid). Folliculitis tends to be itchy rather than painful, does not tend to be localized to one area other than being associated with a hair follicle and shows up as a red bump or acne like pustule rather than a blister.