Overview
Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV 1 and 2) is a sexually transmitted disease, while Ingrown Hair, also called folliculitis, are bacterial infection. In some cases, folliculitis can be developed as a result of herpes. However, the two conditions differ regarding symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment. However, there are some similarities, too, due to their red bumps-like appearance on the genital area. This blog will explore the difference between herpes and ingrown hair due to folliculitis.
Herpes vs Ingrown Hair: What are the Different Symptoms
The two conditions present with the following symptoms:
In the case of herpes following are the symptoms experienced by the affected person:
- Blisters around mouth
- Watery sores smaller than 2mm
- Headaches and Fever
- Fatigue and Swollen lymph nodes
- Pain while urinating
- Unusual yellow discharge from the vagina or penis
- Painful sores or blisters around or on genitals, inner thighs, anus
- Itching, burning sensation, and tingling three days before the appearance of sores
On the contrary, ingrown hair or folliculitis is caused by a bacterial infection, and the symptoms include:
- Occur singly and around a hair follicle
- Red small fluid-filled bump
- Inflammation and redness
- Itching on the sores
- White pus-filled bumps
What is the Difference in Their Causes?
Both infections have different causal agents, i.e., herpes is caused by a viral infection, while ingrown hair growth is usually the result of an underlying bacterial infection. In the case of genital herpes, the cause is mostly HSV2, as HSV1 is generally associated with cold sores around the mouth. As it is a sexually transmitted disease, it can be caused by sexual contact like kissing, touching, and oral sex.
Ingrown hair can occur due to the following:
- Shaving or waxing can sometimes force hair back into its follicle
- The follicle pore is clogged due to dead skin, which causes hair to grow underneath the skin.
Either way, bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) present on the surface of the genitals can enter the body and cause infection through waxing wounds or razor cuts.
The Main Difference Between Herpes and Ingrown Hair
The main difference between the two regarding appearance is that ingrown hair has a small black line in the middle showing its development around the hair follicle. However, this criterion cannot give a 100% guarantee, and thus it is better to visit your healthcare provider for the correct diagnosis. Other possible differences can be:
- The top skin of the blister is flaky in ingrown hair, but herpes blisters are not flaky.
- Herpes lesions occur in clusters, while ingrown hair cause single blisters/bumps around each pubic hair.
How do You Know if It’s Ingrown Hair or Herpes?
To get a proper diagnosis and ascertain whether you are experiencing ingrown hair or herpes infection, you will need to focus on other symptoms. In the case of herpes, you may experience body aches, fever, burning while urinating, unusual discharge, fatigue, etc. In contrast, the ingrown hair appears as red and painful bumps, usually larger than 2mm (a typical herpes bump is more minor than 2mm).
Another vital point is that sebum and clogged pores cause ingrown hair. Thus, it will be accompanied by white pus, while the herpes lesion includes a yellow or clear fluid.
Frequent waxing or shaving can also cause ingrown hair, which is not the case with herpes. Another thing to consider is the healing time an ingrown hair takes, usually one week or less, and they go away independently. In contrast, herpes lesions require two to four weeks to heal fully.
Treatment Options for Herpes vs. Ingrown Hair
The treatment options differ as the causes vary. Like most other viral diseases, i.e., flu, herpes also has no cure; however, some medicines can reduce the appearance and intensity of the symptoms and the duration of healing. Some over-the-counter medicines can also help alleviate the pain and discomfort, including:
- Antiviral ointments
- Antiviral medications like valacyclovir (Valtrex)
- Famciclovir (Famvir)
- Acyclovir (Zovirax, Sitavig)
To avoid the spread of herpes infection further, it is best never to pop up the blister as it increases the pain and discomfort and spreads to other parts of the body.
The ingrown hair resolves on its own without any medicine. A warm compress can help speed up the healing process. Certain antibiotics can also help stunt bacterial growth and ease the symptoms. Popping or scrubbing can increase the chances of infection and pain. Consult your doctor if the ingrown hair bump doesn’t go away even after a week or if the situation worsens.
How to Identify If It’s Herpes or Ingrown Hair?
Razor bumps are another name for ingrown hair. Razor bumps and herpes appear as small fluid-filled blisters with inflamed, red edges. However, razor bumps occur as a single white-headed pimple, while herpes blisters arise in clusters of smaller red spots.
What Are the Long-Term Effects of Ingrown Hair and Herpes?
There are some complications in both types of infections if they persist for a long time. In the case of ingrown hair following long-term effects can occur:
- Bacterial infection
- Hyperpigmentation
- Permanent scars called keloids due to frequent popping of pimples
Following complications can occur in the case of Herpes Simplex Infection:
- Encephalitis or Brain inflammation
- Eye infections or vision loss
- Proctitis or rectal inflammation
- Bladder infection
- Neonatal herpes (in newborns)
- Risk of contracting other STIs
- Meningitis
However, these infections are not life-threatening if treated timely. Consult your healthcare provider for early diagnosis and treatment.
How Can I Prevent Herpes and Ingrown Hair?
Herpes lesions or ingrown hair pimples, in any form, are uncomfortable and unwanted. Here’s how you can prevent the outbreak of these uninvited guests:
- You can prevent ingrown hair by keeping the pubic area dry and clean to avoid clogging pores and bacterial infection due to unhygienic conditions. Try adopting the following personal hygiene activities:
- Using clean single-blade razors
- Exfoliate before shaving to remove dead skin cells
- Shave in the direction of the hair
- Moisturize after shaving
- Give some time between shaving to avoid the ingrowth of short hair.
- In the case of herpes, adopt safer sexual practices and personal hygiene before, after, and during intercourse. Promote protected sex using condoms, go for regular checkups, and be careful while taking contraceptives.
FAQs about Herpes vs Ingrown Hair Answered by Your Doctors Online Team.
If you suffer from swelling, inflammation, and bleeding in your ingrown hair, it indicates a bacterial infection. In that case, contact your healthcare provider so he can prescribe you some antibiotics to stop its growth and ease the symptoms.
Yes, these two conditions can often be mistaken for one another due to their close pimple-like resemblance. However, they are not the same, and some differences, like growth around pubic hair in case of ingrown hair, can tell them apart.
Herpes simplex virus causes small red, painful, fluid-filled blisters in a cluster on your genitals or other body parts. These bumps are soft and squishy.
Herpes bumps are raised and filled with clear fluid and appear in 2-12 days after the initial infection of the virus.
No, herpes bumps appear in clusters and not just as a single bump. Initially, due to their small size, they might look like a single bump, but they are just closely clustered with many small spots, which then increase in size and spread to nearby regions. A single bump can be due to many other conditions like a fungal infection, acne, or ingrown hair.
Some other sexually transmitted infections, like syphilis and genital warts, as well as skin diseases like dermatitis and folliculitis, can look like herpes but are not herpes. Some allergies, like jock itch and molluscum contigiosum, can also look like herpes but are mild conditions that you can cure with home remedies.
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