Alcohol for Folliculitis

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The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.

RB (Somewhere in Europe) on 01/08/2026:
5 out of 5 stars

Using alcohol, I've successfully healed my Folliculitis.

I self-diagnosed, and my diagnosis was correct, but literally I needed to view hundreds of pictures that were uploaded to the Net by dermatologists, because always, always, my case looked a little bit different from those images.

I avoided using rubbing alcohol. What I used was the ethyl alcohol of some 120-proof apple vodka.

Instead of the ridiculous dermatologist appointments and their antibiotics and other poisonous drugs, I used some apple vodka, which was a non-poisonous, simple, cheap, and easy solution for me. Twice a day I used a cotton ball to sweep it over my skin.

One of the lessons I learned was that you need to take care of your wounds, especially when they're located on your lower legs. Because wound healing occurs at different rates, depending on its location on your body. Wounds on the face tend to heal faster, because of the abundant blood supply. But wounds below the knee take longer, because of a slower circulation.

The second lesson I learned was that saunas can easily shorten your life, if the sauna appears to be clean-clean, but actually not very clean. While sweating is beneficial, saunas also raise questions about the potential spread of germs. Those warm, humid spaces do harbour bacteria, especially when there is very little or no cleaning or ventilation.

Rob (Bowling Green, Kentucky) on 03/05/2016:
5 out of 5 stars

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.

Kglaser (Lincoln, Nebraska) on 02/16/2016:
5 out of 5 stars

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

Sophia (New York, US) on 10/09/2014:
5 out of 5 stars

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.

George (New York City, Ny) on 05/23/2011:
5 out of 5 stars

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.

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Alcohol for Folliculitis