Folliculitis, boils and carbuncles
Disease Information
In-Depth
What are folliculitis, boils and carbuncles?
Folliculitis is the inflammation of hair follicles due to an infection, injury or irritation.
Boils are tender, swollen areas that form around hair follicles, often on the neck, breasts, buttocks and face. Boils are pus-filled lesions that are painful and usually firm. Boils are usually located in the waist area, groin, buttocks and under the arms.
Carbuncles are clusters of boils. These are usually found in the back of the neck or thigh.
What are the symptoms of folliculitis, boils, and carbuncles?
Each child may experience symptoms differently, but folliculitis, boils and carbuncles do have common signs and symptoms.
Symptoms for folliculitis may include:
- pus in the hair follicle
- irritated and red follicles
- damaged hair
Symptoms for boils may include:
- pus in the center of the boil
- whitish, bloody discharge from the boil
Symptoms for carbuncles (clusters of boils) may include:
