Free quiz · 8 questions · no signup
Fungal acne or regular acne?
Malassezia folliculitis ("fungal acne") is a yeast overgrowth in the follicle, not bacterial acne. It looks similar, but acne treatments do nothing for it and some make it worse. Eight questions to see which pattern your bumps follow.
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TimeUnder 1 min
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01 / 08
Look closely at the bumps. Are they all the same size?
Fungal folliculitis produces near-identical 1 to 2 mm bumps. Acne produces a mix.
The science
What separates fungal acne from acne
01
Fungal acne is malassezia folliculitis: a yeast that lives on everyone overgrows inside hair follicles. It produces many small bumps of the same size, roughly 1 to 2 mm, often itchy, clustered on the forehead, hairline, chest and back. Ordinary acne is mixed: blackheads, whiteheads and larger inflamed spots of different sizes, and it does not itch.
02
The pattern that matters most: fungal acne has no comedones and gets worse with heavy oils, heat, sweat and sometimes after a course of oral antibiotics, while ordinary acne has comedones and responds to standard acne actives. If months of benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid have done nothing and the bumps itch, the odds shift toward fungal.
03
This quiz scores those signals; it does not examine your skin. Only a clinician can confirm it, usually with a scraping, and the treatments differ: antifungals clear fungal folliculitis, and acne products do not. Persistent bumps that resist acne care are worth that visit, because the wrong treatment costs months.
FAQ
Common questions
How do I know if my acne is fungal?+
Many small, same-size, often itchy bumps on the forehead, hairline, chest or back, with no blackheads, that acne products have not touched. That is the pattern. A clinician confirms it with a scraping.
Does fungal acne itch?+
Usually, and that is one of the more reliable separators. Ordinary acne is sore or tender but rarely itchy.
What makes fungal acne worse?+
Heat, sweat, occlusion, heavy plant oils and fatty-acid esters that feed the yeast, and sometimes oral antibiotics, which clear the bacteria that keep it in check.
Can I test it at home?+
Some people trial an antifungal dandruff shampoo (1 to 2% ketoconazole) as a short-contact wash for two weeks; clear improvement supports fungal acne. It is a hint, not a diagnosis, and the fungal acne safe checker on this site helps remove feeding ingredients from your routine.
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