Chronic scalp folliculitis
Hi guys, I think I have chronic scalp folliculitis and I've been suffering from it since many years [7-8 years]. I'm 25 years old European caucasian male. I'm having red bumps all over my scalp and most of them are filled with white pus [after I pop them they bleed like crazy]. At first I thought I have staph infection, but that's not the case. I had my cultures done and they only showed regular propionibacterium acnes.
This is a current photo of my scalp:
My first treatment was Doxycycline 3 months 100 mg every other day - it helped me instantly. Doxy cleared 100% of my scalp from day 1. But obviously, like with all
Antibiotics the problem came came back full force right after I stopped taking it.
Second treatment was low dose isotretinoin - 4 months on 10mg/daily and 4 months on 20mg/daily [8 months in total]. Isotretinoin cleared my scalp 100% just after one week. I was obviously very happy, because during 8 months of my Isotretinoin course I didn't had a single pimple on my scalp. Unfortunately, everything came back 6 months post isotretinoin treatment [but maybe 15%-20% lesser].
I did additional blood tests because I've heard that it can be caused by high
Sugar or low iron levels, but my
Sugar is fine and my iron levels are even slightly increased [maybe due to some internal infection?].
I don't know "where to go" from here. I know that low dose isotretinoin will help me instantly, but this drug is way too serious to take it forever. I have very oily skin, but I saw many people with oily skin and they don't have any scalp issues. Also, I'm the only person in the whole family with this problem. I'm guessing that this is some sort of autoimmunological problem, where my immune system attacks hair follicles.
Right now I'm taking oral Niacinamide [500mg twice daily] Zinc [60mg/daily] Fish Oil [1g/daily] and washing my scalp with Nizoral 2%. This regimen is helping me a lot [scalp is 70% clear], but problem still persists and this regimen is not even close to a "final" solution.
I'm also planning to try oral Curcumin & Resveratrol & Zinc, but I know that there is something wrong with my organism. I just don't know how to diagnose it.