{"id":214,"date":"2026-07-18T12:08:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T12:08:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beatyniche.com\/?p=214"},"modified":"2026-07-18T12:08:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T12:08:44","slug":"how-to-treat-fungal-acne-malassezia-folliculitis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beatyniche.com\/?p=214","title":{"rendered":"How to Treat Fungal Acne (Malassezia Folliculitis)"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/beatyniche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/fungal-acne-treatment.jpg\" alt=\"fungal-acne-treatment\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve tried every acne treatment available and nothing works, you might not actually have bacterial acne. Fungal acne (malassezia folliculitis) mimics traditional acne but requires a completely different treatment approach. Here&#8217;s how to identify and address it.<\/p>\n<h2>What Is Fungal Acne?<\/h2>\n<p>Fungal acne is an overgrowth of Malassezia, a yeast that naturally lives on your skin. When this yeast multiplies excessively, it inflames hair follicles, creating bumps that look like acne but are fundamentally different. Unlike bacterial acne, fungal acne is caused by an overgrowth, not a bacterial infection.<\/p>\n<h2>Identifying Fungal Acne<\/h2>\n<p>The bumps are typically small, uniform in size, and often appear in clusters. They&#8217;re most common on the forehead, jawline, chest, and back. Unlike bacterial acne, fungal acne is usually itchy. It doesn&#8217;t respond to traditional acne treatments like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. It often worsens in humid conditions or after antibiotic use (which kills competing bacteria).<\/p>\n<h2>Treatment Options<\/h2>\n<p>Anti-dandruff shampoos containing ketoconazole (Nizoral) can be used as a body wash or face wash to reduce Malassezia overgrowth. Leave the lather on for 3-5 minutes before rinsing. Selenium sulfide (Selsun Blue) is another effective option. For persistent cases, a dermatologist may prescribe oral antifungal medication like fluconazole.<\/p>\n<h2>Prevention<\/h2>\n<p>Malassezia feeds on certain fatty acids and oils. Ingredients to avoid include oleic acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and some esters. The malassezia-safe skincare movement has created resources listing compatible and incompatible ingredients. Wear breathable fabrics, shower after sweating, and avoid occlusive products on affected areas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you&#8217;ve tried every acne treatment available and nothing works, you might not actually have bacterial acne. Fungal acne (malassezia folliculitis) mimics traditional acne but requires a completely different treatment approach. Here&#8217;s how to identify and address it. What Is Fungal Acne? Fungal acne is an overgrowth of Malassezia, a yeast that naturally lives on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beatyniche.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beatyniche.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beatyniche.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beatyniche.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beatyniche.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=214"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/beatyniche.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":215,"href":"https:\/\/beatyniche.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214\/revisions\/215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beatyniche.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beatyniche.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beatyniche.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}