Hair Problems

Male problems include spots on the nape of the scalp, ingrown hairs, razor bumps and irritation from shaving. Most men shave their scalp and tend to have problems because their body hair tends to be much thicker, curly and wiry. Below are some tips on preventing spots and infections when shaving.

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Start by softening your hair by soaking it in warm water and applying a good shaving cream to the hairs. Let the cream soak into the hairs for a few minutes before you start shaving.

If you suffer from razor bumps try using a single razor blade rather than a double or triple one. Although double and triples give a much closer shave it can also irritate the skin.

Always shave in the direction of the hair growth, this reduces irritation and the likeliness of hair growing back into your skin

When shaving, use a sharp razor blade and discard your razor after 4-5 uses. Because of the thickness of black hair, a razor becomes blunt much more quickly after just a few uses causing irritation of the skin.

Shave every other day to reduce irritation. This will give your skin time to heal. Frequent shaving will trap short hairs inside the follicles never giving them the chance to grow out.

Exfoliate your skin a few times a week with a gentle scrub. This allows hair to grow straight out of the hair follicle and free’s any trapped hairs underneath your skin.

Finish your shave with an after care product such as a lotion, gel or moisturiser. For best results leave in the fridge to get nice and cold when applied to your skin. This will help reduce and redness and irritation. Ensure the product is alcohol free as this will dry out your skin.

Take time to shave. Shaving slowly and with care can reduce nicks, cuts and abrasions that can aggravate razor bumps.

Folliculitis Nuchae

The process

Folliculitis is the most common condition found in Black Men and is caused by inflammation of the hair follicles. Folliculitis most commonly occurs due to Black hair coiling back on itself during hair growth causing the tip to pierce into a hair follicle or a closed area of skin leading to an itchy scalp. This causes the person to rigorously scratch their scalp. Any form of scratching especially using a comb or a brush will remove the top layer of epidermal skin leaving the scalp ‘open’ to infection. During scratching Bacteria from under the finger nails also get’s into the hair follicles resulting in a blocked hair follicle and eventual pustular filled spots on the scalp. Continual itching causes the spots to join together and the scalp to become lichenified (raised area of skin).

Treatments

Folliculitis is treatable but requires a strict regime of clean hair styling and hygiene.

Hair Style

It’s recommended that the hair is either cut short, or left to grow a few inches past the stage where the hair is able to pierce into an area of skin. So basically growing the hair longer, as the longer the hair is the more away from the scalp it is and the less likely to aggravate the scalp.

Irritation

Avoid situations where the scalp can become irritated resulting in scratching. This is most common if a person goes to the gym because sweat is able to accumulate on the scalp during a work out but the person may not wash their hair after. After a gym session you should wash the scalp thoroughly using a shampoo and if this is not possible at the very least rinse the hair using luke warm water. Dry scalp thoroughly before leaving the gym.

Don’t scratch

As difficult as this may be, try not to scratch your scalp as this will only aggravate your scalp further and lead to further complications such as keyloiding. If the scalp is upset a hydrocortisone may be helpful to reduce itching and inflammation. This can be prescribed by your GP

Complications

Broken or damaged skin goes through a process of healing. Keyloids may occur if you are prone to them. A Keyloid is an uncontrollable growth of skin cells during healing resulting in raised, thick, excess, visible skin.

Other causes of Folliculitis

Folliculitis may also occur if the hair is cut extremely short during scalp shaving using traditional razor methods or standard shaving methods. If the hair is cut too short beneath the hair follicle or even pierce into the side of another hair follicle. In either case this results in an inflammatory response from the body

Clinic treatments

Intensive treatments would usually be carried out at the clinic to treat this condition and involve the use of a scalp ointment, antibacterial and juniper shampoo and anti pruritic (anti itching) scalp cream prescribed for home use.

Over the counter Treatments include Eurax containing Crotamitin, Hydrocortisone and Savalon to address bacteria. You should let the pharmacist know what your problem is so they can recommend the correct treatment.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa

What is Hidradenitis Suppurativia

Hidradenitis Suppurativia is a chronic, persistent disease caused by inflammation of the sweat glands (apocrine glands) which are found in the armpits and groins. The person will notice a mixture of boil like lumps on the skin, leaking pus and scarring. Symptoms include, itching and general pain but also discomfort when the lumps are pressed.

Causes

It is not clear what causes the condition but for some people it may be due to a mechanical blockage of the sweat glands because the secretions cannot escape the tubes which contain them causing them to swell up and burst or become infected.

Other factors include:

• Hormones as these are in control of the Apocrine sweat glands which play a key role in this condition. The condition tends to affect women more than men although more men are being diagnosed with this condition. It does not start before puberty or after menopause. The condition can get better during pregnancy but is usually worse before a menstrual cycle. Hormone treatment can be successful in some patients

• Bacteria: does play a key role in the condition and different types of bacteria can be found in the lumps. It is not yeast clear whether they cause the disease or are part of it and there may also be a link with acne.

• Hereditary: The condition can be hereditary sometimes running in families and some patients or their family members may have bad acne or a chronic abscess at the base of the spine (a pilonidal sinus).

The condition extent of the condition varies in each person but the main areas affected are the scalp, armpits , the skin around the genitals in the pubic area and the groin. The skin around the back passage, on the upper buttocks and thighs as well as below the breasts can also be areas of concern.

There will be variable mixture of blackheads, red (dark in black skin) lumps which look like boils, pus, crusts and areas of leaking pus (sinuses). The abscess can burrow near other problem areas, and there is often a dip in the skin with scaling. Over time the area may become scarred.

The condition can be diagnosed clinically, looking at the type of structures present on the skin. Your doctor may take swabs to see what germs are present and you may be referred to a dermatologist.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Hidradenitis Suppurativa is becoming a common occurrence particularly in black men. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to reduce inflammation but this won’t cure the disease. Steroid injections into inflamed lesions may be helpful and may be combined with other treatments. Isotretinoin Accutane is a treatment for acne and may be used in the treatment of the condition. In moderate to severe options surgery may be recommended to take away the affected area to lead to recurrence of the disease.