Genital Acne

It comes as a shock to anyone who discovers they have genital acne. Their first thought, naturally, is that they have a sexually transmitted disease but when a qualified physician has ruled this out they can begin treatment. It can’t be stressed enough that you should have a doctor diagnose your condition or your attempt to treat yourself can have disastrous consequences. But there is no reason to be embarrassed by genital acne; you’re not guilty of bad hygiene or anything else, you simply have a skin irritation.

Officially known as folliculitis, genital acne is caused in most part by heat and sweat. It’s especially prevalent in sports enthusiasts due to their equipment and clothing that tends to retain sweat and restrict the natural flow of air. Sometimes it’s caused by the type of soap that’s being used in the bath or shower or even laundry detergent. Like facial acne, it also involves a set of glands, but not the sebaceous glands of the face that produce the sebum that block the pores. Genital acne is caused by the apocrine glands that become blocked with perspiration and other matter. The hair follicle then becomes infected and a painful lesion may be the result.

Like facial acne, genital acne doesn’t care who it strikes. If the conditions are right, there it is! Preventing it depends on keeping the area clean and dry, avoiding tight clothing or those made of synthetic materials that don’t breathe and showering as soon as possible after participating in sports. You may also want to switch to a laundry detergent that is scent and color free since perfumes and dyes used in the soap can irritate skin.

This condition can often be taken care of with antibacterial cleanser but sometimes the doctor will prescribe an oral antibiotic since, like facial acne, it’s caused by an infection inside the hair follicle.