1. What is fungal acne?
  2. Symptoms of fungal acne
  3. How is fungal acne diagnosed?
  4. Fungal acne treatment
  5. How to foreclose fungal acne
  6. When to see a dermatologist

If y'all have any medical questions or concerns, please talk to your healthcare provider. The manufactures on Health Guide are underpinned by peer-reviewed research and information fatigued from medical societies and governmental agencies. Withal, they are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Everyone is familiar with acne. Whether you had it equally a teenager or an developed, or you but know people who have, you've likely come beyond its most common type, acne vulgaris. However, in that location is another type of pare status—fungal acne—that healthcare providers sometimes misdiagnose as acne. And that's a problem, because misdiagnosis often delays finding the right handling.

A specific type of yeast causes fungal acne, and it can sometimes accept on the appearance of acne vulgaris. Read on to learn how to recognize fungal acne, plus how to treat and prevent it.

Simplify your skincare routine

Every bottle of doc-prescribed Nightly Defense is made for y'all with thoughtfully chosen powerful ingredients, and delivered to your door.

Learn more

A skin yeast called Malassezia causes fungal acne, which is why some healthcare providers refer to fungal acne as Malassezia folliculitis (and used to call it pityrosporum folliculitis). While information technology may sound unusual to take yeast on your skin, Malassezia and other types of yeast and bacteria are actually a normal function of your peel flora (organisms that grow on your skin). Malassezia typically grows on the peel and doesn't usually cause a problem—until certain conditions arise, which we'll discuss below (Cohen, 2014).

Fungal acne isn't actually acne—information technology just looks like it. Many people do not receive a fungal acne diagnosis until they try traditional acne treatments and run across no improvement. In fact, some common acne treatments, like antibiotics and steroids, can really make fungal acne worse (Cohen, 2014).

Because people often confuse fungal acne with typical acne, getting accurate counts of people with Malassezia folliculitis is difficult. However, estimates are that 12% to 27% of people with acne also accept fungal acne (Rubenstein, 2014).

Common signs and symptoms of fungal acne include (Rubenstein, 2014):

  • Itching (in almost lxxx% of people)
  • Bumps, pimples, papules, and pustules of similar shape and size (ane–2 mm)
  • Worsening acne in hot weather
  • Breakouts more on the chest, shoulders, and dorsum than on the face
  • Other concurrent Malassezia-related pare conditions, similar seborrheic dermatitis or dandruff
  • Lack of improvement or worsening with traditional acne therapy

There are some key differences between fungal acne and acne vulgaris. While regular acne is usually scattered, mainly on the confront, and the breakouts might have dissimilar lesions (whiteheads, blackheads, papules, etc.), fungal acne usually looks similar small-scale (ane–ii mm) bumps and pustules of similar size and shape.

Unlike common acne, fungal acne is also usually itchy—nigh 80% of people with fungal acne report itchiness (Cohen, 2020). You will commonly find fungal acne on the trunk (shoulders, chest, and back) more ofttimes than on the face up. When it does occur on the face up, it is usually on the mentum or the sides, rather than the central parts of the face (like the forehead or nose) as in typical acne (Rubenstein, 2014).

Another difference is that while common acne can touch on anyone, old or young, fungal acne typically affects young adults—especially those who live in or who accept visited warm, tropical climates (Saunte, 2020).

Despite their differences, fungal acne is often misdiagnosed every bit common acne. Complicating matters farther, it's possible to have both conditions at the same time, making proper diagnosis key to fully clearing your skin.

pcos acne

PCOS acne: causes and treatments

PCOS Sep 10, 2021 four min read

How do you know that you have information technology if at that place is so much confusion between diagnosing fungal acne and run-of-the-mill acne? Healthcare providers may utilize a combination of methods to diagnose fungal acne, including (Saunte, 2020):

  • Physical exam: Your provider may be able to diagnose fungal acne by observing its typical appearance, including papules and pustules of the same size and shape, and breakouts that are present more on your shoulders, chest, and back than on the face.
  • Peel scraping: Scraping the papules and pustules, staining the cells with a specific chemical, and examining them under the microscope may help your dermatologist or healthcare provider visualize the Malassezia yeast.
  • Peel biopsy: More invasive than a scraping, your healthcare provider will remove a small piece of pare and examine it nether a microscope to look for the Malassezia yeast.
  • Treatment response: Improvement afterwards handling with antifungal medication is a good indication that your acne was fungal and not just common acne vulgaris.

If yous have acne, chances are you've tried many different creams, lotions, and more to clear your skin. However, if you have fungal acne, there is a good chance that traditional treatments did not help your acne—and some may accept fifty-fifty made it worse.

But, there is hope!

Several treatments can effectively meliorate fungal acne, and dermatologists volition often combine fungal acne handling methods for better results. Your handling plan may include habit modifications, over-the-counter medications, and prescription drugs.

Addiction modifications include showering whenever you sweat excessively, changing out of workout clothes right after exercising, and wearing breathable fabrics. All of these changes help to decrease trapped sweat and moisture on your skin.

We likewise know that oily skin plays a role in fungal acne—and so changing your skincare routine to reduce skin oils tin aid. Use skincare products that are non-oily and cleanse regularly.

Over-the-counter medications can help decrease the fungal population on your skin. All the same, these anti-fungal creams or lotions can't get deep into the follicles, and so they don't piece of work very well on their ain. Your provider may recommend using them in combination with antifungal pills. Over-the-counter antifungal creams or lotions include (Levin, 2011):

  • Ketoconazole lotion ii% daily
  • Econazole nitrate cream 1% daily
  • Clotrimazole cream 1% daily
  • Selenium sulfide ane% dandruff shampoo used both as shampoo and body wash (due east.g., Selsun blue)
hormonal acne

Hormonal acne: causes, types, handling

Acne Aug ten, 2021 5 min read

The well-nigh effective fashion to treat fungal acne is with prescription antifungal medicines. Oral antifungal therapy (pills) are best at reaching the yeast deep in the pilus follicles, so they are commonly what healthcare providers will try first for a few weeks. Once the fungal acne resolves, topical lotions or shampoos and/or an antifungal pill once a week or one time a calendar month can continue it at bay (maintenance therapy)—unfortunately, recurrences are common. Prescription medications include (Levin, 2011):

  • Ketoconazole (primary or maintenance therapy)
  • Fluconazole (principal or maintenance therapy)
  • Itraconazole (primary or maintenance therapy)
  • 2.5% selenium sulfide lotion used as shampoo & body wash (maintenance therapy)
  • Ketoconazole shampoo 2% (maintenance therapy)

Merely like you can't entirely foreclose common acne (you tin't control when your hormones will flare!), you can't ever avoid fungal acne. For example, people with certain medical conditions, like diabetes or HIV, may exist more prone to developing fungal acne.

However, no matter what your situation may be, there are some things that yous can practise to help foreclose the development or severity of fungal acne, including:

  • Shower whenever you sweat excessively.
  • Change out of sweaty clothes right away.
  • Avoid wearing tight-plumbing fixtures clothes.
  • Choose breathable fabrics.
  • Choose not-oily skincare products.
  • Avoid unnecessary antibiotics, whether topical or pills—simply be sure to talk to your healthcare provider before stopping any medications.

If you lot have fungal acne, irresolute some habits and trying the over-the-counter treatments in a higher place may help information technology improve. However, if your acne lasts longer than a few weeks, is getting worse or not improving, or makes yous feel shy and embarrassed, you should see your healthcare provider. They or a dermatologist volition work with you to develop a treatment plan that is right for you.

  1. Ayers, Thousand., Sweeney, S. Thou., Wiss, Thou. (2005). Pityrosporum Folliculitis: Diagnosis and Management in half dozen Female person Adolescents With Acne Vulgaris. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 159(ane), 64–67. doi: ten.1001/archpedi.159.one.64. Retrieved from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/485898
  2. Cohen, P. R., Erickson, C., Calame, A. (2020). Malassezia (Pityrosporum) Folliculitis Incognito: Malassezia-associated Folliculitis Masked by Topical Corticosteroid Therapy. Cureus, 12(one). doi: ten.7759/cureus.6531. Retrieved from https://www.cureus.com/articles/26367-malassezia-pityrosporum-folliculitis-incognito-malessezia-associated-folliculitis-masked-by-topical-corticosteroid-therapy
  3. Jacinto-Jamora, S., Tamesis, J., & Katigbak, Thousand. L. (1991). Pityrosporum folliculitis in the Philippines: diagnosis, prevalence, and management. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 24(5), 693–696. doi: 10.1016/0190-9622(91)70104-a. Retrieved from https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/call back/pii/019096229170104A
  4. Levin, Due north., & Delano, S. (2011). Evaluation and Treatment of Malassezia-Related Skin Disorders. Corrective Dermatology, 24(3), 137–145. Retrieved from https://cdn.mdedge.com/files/s3fs-public/Certificate/September-2017/024030137.pdf
  5. Rubenstein, R. 1000., & Malerich, S. A. (2014). Malassezia (pityrosporum) folliculitis. The Periodical of Clinical and Artful Dermatology, 7(3), 37–41. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3970831/
  6. Saunte, D., Gaitanis, Chiliad., & Hay, R. J. (2020). Malassezia-Associated Pare Diseases, the Use of Diagnostics and Treatment. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 10, 112. doi: x.3389/fcimb.2020.00112. Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/ten.3389/fcimb.2020.00112/full