Alcohol for Folliculitis

How I successfully treated Scalp folliculitis with 90% Rubbing Alcohol Soaks

To help get rid of a minor bacterial infection, you might want to try a compress soaked in rubbing alcohol. When you really want to make sure those bacteria causing scalp folliculitis are dead as hell, nothing beats good old rubbing alcohol. This is what I did:

Soak a cotton wash cloth in a plastic bowl (with lid)

Squeeze out excess alcohol just enuff so its not dripping

Apply to scalp area for 10 minutes (It did burn a bit).

Place wash cloth back into bowl and place lid on top til next soaking. Soak area for 10 minutes 2x/daily for 2 weeks.

I'm allergic to Bactrim. Putting ethyl alcohol on my scalp cysts worked for me.

Yes, I still take the magnesium. I think it helps me sleep better, and I just feel better overall on it. My regimen now is to sweep the rubbing alcohol across my neck, chest, and back with a cotton ball both in the morning, after I'm dried off from my shower, and at night, after I cleanse my face. Don't press hard with the cotton ball, or rub or anything -- just lightly sweep it across the skin and let it dry (which it does very quickly). Still clear all these months (knock wood! ).

I don't know how much this plays into it, but the shampoo, conditioner, and bar soap I use in the shower are all African black soap based and I just order it on Amazon. I have found that using smaller amounts of both my shampoo and conditioner seems to help as well. Maybe I was using too much and that was aggravating my skin condition? Who knows. At any rate, I have rather long hair (below my shoulders), and it's thick, but I still use only about a quarter-size circle of shampoo for my whole head, and less than a dime size of the conditioner. I make sure to rinse it really well, and then I clip my wet hair up in the shower so I can cleanse the rest of me. Just thought I'd throw this out there, in case it has played a part in keeping me clear. Good luck to you! I know how frustrating dealing with folliculitis is. Hope this helps!

Are you still taking the magnesium? Or now only using rubbing alcohol?

Hello. I'm a 43 year old mom in general good health. I was diagnosed with staph folliculitis a few years ago (and have had it longer, just didn't know what it was. Though it was just regular acne). I would get constant breakouts on my neck, chest, and back. Small, whitehead-looking bumps that would then turn puffy and red and take forever to fade away. My dermatologist had me do a few rounds of antibiotics. Each round would work, but the folliculitis always came back about two weeks after I finished.

Finally, about six months ago, I found some info online about chelated magnesium supplements and how most of us are deficient in this mineral. I started taking one 200 mg. pill per day (at night, as it's supposed to help with sleeping, which it does! ). The pill I use says it is 200 mg of elemental magnesium, and the fine print says: "from 2,000 mg magnesium glycinate/lycinate chelate." Magnesium supplements can be confusing, so this info is important. Within about a month, I noticed an improvement, though not a complete cure. Still, it was enough of a change that I was very pleased.

It wasn't until I added a second step, though, that I found what really cured me -- rubbing alcohol. Regular, 91% rubbing alcohol you can get at any drugstore. It can apparently kill staph. So, after I cleanse my face at night, and just splash my neck and chest with warm water, I dry off, and then use a cotton ball to sweep the rubbing alcohol over my chest and back. It has been a miracle, and so cheap and easy. After all the ridiculous appointments and antibiotics, to find something so simple, I just had to post here (I really never post on any sites, but I have used this site in my search for answers, so wanted to help other people who may be struggling with this).

I now rarely get any spots, but if something pops up, I immediately zap it with the rubbing alcohol, and it goes away and doesn't spread elsewhere. I am literally shocked at how clear I am, and keep waiting for the folliculitis to return, as it always did, but it's not happening. As far as the magnesium, they do say that it takes about three months for the amounts to build in your system, so stick with it. Some people apparently have tummy troubles when taking it, but I haven't had any issues. For some, the stomach issues are just at first, and then the body adjusts.

Hope this helps someone out there! I know how frustrating this condition can be.

I was prescribed medication (antibiotics and lotions) for my scalp foliculitis and they had the same effects described here: they would clear up the acne, but afterwards with time, they would lose their effect and the acne with come back worse than ever.

And so, one day I tried shaving my head. This is what works for me. I read though some reviews where shaving was not recommended. However this is what I do: I shave my head before taking a shower every day. Immediately after shaving, I apply alcohol with a cotton ball on the area affected. Then I take the shower and wash my scalp with antibacterial soap and afterwards with acid salicylic shampoo for acne.

As a small note, when you apply rubbing alcohol to your scalp after shaving, it really hurts because it's an infection after all, but you get relief for a day, and so it's well worth it.

Rubbing alchool is a sure way to kill the bacteria. Try it after you shave.