Folliculitis is a condition that affects the hair follicles, which are the small openings in the skin where hair grows. It occurs when these follicles become inflamed due to an infection, irritation, or damage. The inflammation can cause redness, itching, and small bumps or blisters to form around the hair follicles. In severe cases, the bumps can fill with pus and break open, leading to scarring or hair loss.
Folliculitis can cause hair loss when it becomes severe and leads to scarring of the hair follicles, a condition known as cicatricial alopecia. The inflammation can damage the hair follicles, leading to hair loss in the affected areas. Folliculitis decalvans, a chronic inflammatory disease that leads to hair loss, is a type of folliculitis that causes scarring hair loss.
In severe cases, folliculitis can cause permanent hair loss and scarring. The hair loss caused by folliculitis decalvans is often accompanied by redness, swelling, and lesions on the scalp that may be itchy or contain pus.