A 24-year-old member asked:
How can you tell the difference between folliculitis and herpes?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Robert Kwokanswered
Pediatrics 33 years experience
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.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. HECTOR Francoanswered
Dermatology 46 years experience
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.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
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Similar questions
A 41-year-old member asked:
Whats the difference between herpes and folliculitis?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Martin Raffanswered
Infectious Disease 56 years experience
Herpes simplex: Herpes is a virus. Folliculitis starts when hair follicles are damaged by friction from clothing, an insect bites, blockage of the follicle, shaving, or braids too tight and too close to the scalp. In most cases the damaged follicles are then infected with the bacteria staphylococcus, and may result in boils.
4.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
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Last updated Dec 12, 2018
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