Looks like the end of the month is approaching fast! I hope everyone is doing well, or possibly recovering from their sickness or infections from the latest cold and flu season. Speaking of infections, there was a video of this woman who had a massive skin infection that she got from her partner’s beard. In an effort to learn from our mistakes, let’s talk more about that, shall we?
While that video was from November of 2021, it’s been making the rounds across the internet. What that woman has was Impetigo, a form of staph infection. The staph bacteria is present on the surface of the skin, and is normally harmless. It will only cause an infection if it manages to get into an open cut or sore. There are also many more types of skin infection, not just limited to the ones found in beards.
What are Skin Infections?
Skin infections are infections of the skin, caused by a number of different factors that result in your immune system protecting your body from harm. Skin infections come from a variety of microscopic sources, such as harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
Bacterial infections are the most common, such as the impetigo infection. Impetigo is actually very common and contagious among young children and can possibly spread to adults. Contagious does not equate to dangerous though, as children are known to not be the most hygienic.
These infections encompass the entirety of mild to dangerous in terms of severity. The previously mentioned impetigo isn’t very dangerous, and can clear up either on it’s own or with the help of antibiotics. Some are dangerous, and even mild skin infections can be dangerous if left untreated.
These infections encompass the entirety of mild to dangerous in terms of severity. The previously mentioned impetigo isn’t very dangerous, and can clear up either on it’s own or with the help of antibiotics. Some are dangerous, and even mild skin infections can be dangerous if left untreated.
The Most Common Types
There are four main types and categories of skin infections. There’s bacterial infections, viral infections, fungal infections, and parasitic infections of the skin. Each type has different methods of transmission and cause similar or different negative effects compared to one another. We will discuss a few of the common infections from each category, as well as some other non-infection related conditions to note.
From the bacterial type, we have impetigo and staphylococcus. Staphylococcus is a bacteria that causes staph infections, with the most common form people get is from Staphylococcus aureus. Impetigo is the more generalized term, as it can be caused by either a staph infection or a strep infection. It is often called ‘school sores’ as it is common among children.
Viral skin infections are probably the most well-known among the public, with the two most common ones being chickenpox and shingles. These two diseases originate from an initial infection of the varicella zoster virus. Chickenpox is an airborne virus, transmissible through coughing and sneezing, and is also very common in school-age children. Shingles manifests later in life, after the virus has laid dormant in the body. Visually, chickenpox has distinctive blisters across the body, while shingles is more localized and is prone to flare ups.
Folliculitis is inflammation of the follicle and can be caused by a bacterial or fungal infection. As a fungal infection, it is called Pityrosporum Folliculitis. It is caused by a genus of yeasts called Malassezia and are more likely to affect the upper body and chest areas. How this form differs from the bacterial infection can be seen with the lack of whiteheads, while also being more likely to cause itching.
Parasitic skin infections, while sounding terrifying, are also more common than you think, with the most common forms being from Scabies. Scabies caused by skin mites burrowing into the skin, causing intense itching and rashes in the area. It can easily spread through close and prolonged physical contact with others, and is common in people who live in crowded conditions, infants, and children.
Lastly, we will briefly touch upon hives and welts. Hives and welts are not a skin infection by themselves, but rather symptoms of a larger condition, including infections. They can be brought on by any number of conditions, or occasionally even suddenly without warning. They are a harmless though, but sometimes require treatment as strong as any other infection listed above.
Treatment and Prevention
Now that we’ve gone over the different skin infections and their categories, we will discuss treatments and preventative measures. By far, the most important preventative measure for most of these skin infections is good hygiene. Maintaining a thorough hygiene routine for your face and body will strengthen and renew your skin and lessen the chance of a skin infection spreading to others.
Medication can be used to help treat any of the skin infections above. Many over-the-counter medications are available, but do check to see how your body will respond to treatment. Any stronger or prescribed medication should be discussed with your doctor or dermatologist.
Aftercare is the very last step for treatment and prevention. Care should be taken to make sure that any topical treatments are used effectively, and to be sure to use gentle cleansing if needed for newly sensitive and tender skin. This is especially important for those with hives and welts.
For that reason, we recommend a good exfoliating scrub that can be used on your face and body. Our Green Tea Body Scrub is very effective and has anti-bacterial properties, but we recommend doing a spot test to see if your body doesn’t negatively react to it.