I’ve Recently Got Forehead Zits, How Do I Know if It’s Fungal Acne?
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Dr Sonia Khorana is a GP with a special interest in dermatology and Live That Glow’s own skincare agony aunt. She is passionate about helping people feel confident in their own skin. Here, she advises on how you can determine whether you have fungal acne.
I’ve started breaking out on my forehead and I’m worried it’s fungal acne. How can I tell what type of acne it is?
Dr Sonia says:
Fungal acne is not actually a medical term – it is actually pityrosporum folliculitis (malassezia folliculitis) and is inflammation/infection of the tiny hair follicles which leads to small, raised bumps resembling pimples. It is also not very common.
A few reasons people may get this are heat and humidity (usually worse in summer), sweating, and overuse of antibiotics.
If you do have “fungal acne” – one sign will be that it is itchy. Usual acne (ace vulgaris) is not itchy. It also tends to be less inflammatory and not cystic – just little tiny bumps that are either skin coloured or pink. Typical locations are the upper chest, upper to mid back, temples, sides of the face, hairline, and forehead.
A good way of finding out whether the spots on your forehead is pityrosporum folliculitis (or “fungal acne”) is by visiting your doctor or dermatologist to confirm the diagnosis so you can access the right treatment.
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