Abstract
Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), also known as razor bumps or barber’s itch, is a common inflammatory condition of shaved areas that predominately affects darkly pigmented men with curly hair [1, 2]. The classic presentation is an African American man presenting with painful and/or pruritic inflammatory papules and pustules in distribution of the shaven beard. The mustache area is usually spared [3]. One survey of patients at a New York City clinic found that among women with PFB, the most common hair removal methods were tweezing followed by shaving, electrolysis, waxing, depilatory use, and laser treatments [4]. The only definitive treatment is to stop all attempts at hair removal to allow the epidermis time to recover from the inflammatory state. In chronic cases or cases where patients continue to shave the affected areas, firm papules and even keloid scars may be appreciated on exam.
Keywords
- Hair Follicle
- African Ancestry
- Hair Removal
- Keloid Scar
- Laser Hair Removal
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Lamb, A., Yañez, G.N. (2014). Pseudofolliculitis Barbae. In: Zeichner, J. (eds) Acneiform Eruptions in Dermatology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8344-1_41
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