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INTRODUCTION
Folliculitis is an inflammation of the hair follicles. Folliculitis may occur onto any part of human body that has hair. But it is most common on the beard area, arms, back, buttocks, inner thighs and legs and can be caused by bacteria, howbeit it also can be caused by yeast or another type of fungi.
Anyway its manifestation is always accompanied by erythema and harassing itch.
Folliculitis could even arise owing to damaged hair follicles. Shaving, depilating, epilating or wearing habiliment that rubs the skin can irritate the follicles, which can lead to folliculitis. They also can become blocked or irritated by sweat, machine oils, or makeup. When the follicles are injured, they are more likely to become infected.
For, folliculitis is common in men and women as well, and symptoms are very fastidious and disagreeable.
Dermatologists too often suggest the continuous usage of corticosteroids or Mupirocin lipogels and aqueous lotions and an avalanche of natural remedies exist, as the ancient “Venus’ milk”, based on benzoin resin oil dispersed in rose water, (notwithstandind its way of action is almost unclear, it appears to be the most preferable choice advised by herbalists) and/or sanative hydrolats based on brimstone salts and its derivatives.
When folliculitis is evoked by a serious fungal infection, as Malassezia folliculitis, oral antifungal medications are favoured, however antifungal remedies too often show many therapeutic weaknesses such as infection relapse, drug resistance, or adverse effects like hepatotoxicity and gastrointestinal discomfort [1].
Hereupon, we have decided to treat severe cases of recalcitrant folliculitis by a sort of PDT (photodynamic therapy), as divers dermatologists nowadays rede as an alternative therapeutic option for its antimicrobial effect, and we have chosen a type of revisited method of PDT.
Forsooth, PDT forecasts the use of methyl aminolevulinate (MAL) cream together with irradiations emitted from a simplest lamp with light-emitting diodes (LED), easily available on the market.
MAL is considered an optimal sensitizer in photodynamic therapy, since it acts as a prodrug that is metabolized to protoporphyrin IX.
Now, Protoporphyrin IX is an important precursor to biologically essential prosthetic groups such as cytochrome C in mammals and chlorophylls in herbs. As a result, a number of organisms are able to synthesize Protoporphyrin IX from basic precursors such as glycine...