What Are the Red Bumps on My Inner Thigh Growing Around?

Red bumps, medically known as folliculitis, grow around the hair follicles on your inner thighs. Folliculitis results from several causes including infected hair follicles--which create red bumps, blisters and boils, according to the Mayo Clinic. Folliculitis may affect only part of your hair follicle or the entire follicle and may be treated through a number of remedies.

Definition

Folliculitis--a non-specific term for the inflammation of a hair gland--involves your sebaceous glands, or oil glands, according to the American Academy of Dermatology 1. Each pore on your skin opens into a canal, or follicle, which contains a hair as well as a sebaceous gland 1. When follicles become irritated or infected, the red, itchy and painful pus-filled bumps associated with folliculitis can appear on your inner thighs.

Types

Badly Infected Ingrown Hairs

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Inner-thigh folliculitis may be superficial—affecting only the upper-layer of skin around your hair follicle-–or originate deeper in the skin. Superficial folliculitis may cause small, red bumps; pus-filled blisters; and red, inflamed skin around your hair follicles, according to the Mayo Clinic. Deep folliculitis affects your entire hair follicle and usually occurs when the follicle becomes infected. Deep folliculitis produces red bumps as well as large red boils or numerous blisters that may leave scars, reports the Mayo Clinic.

Causes

Folliculitis on your inner thighs frequently occurs from a slight injury to your skin, but can also result from an infection. For instance, the virus staphylococcus aureus, or staph virus, is a common viral infection that causes folliculitis, according to the Mayo Clinic. Your red bumps can result from a bacteria-infested hot tub or a fungal infection, as well. Wearing too-tight clothing, shaving, excessive perspiration and inflammatory conditions can also contribute to the occurrence of folliculitis, reports the Mayo Clinic.

Solutions

How to Get Rid of Folliculitis Scars

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Several remedies may benefit itchy, painful red bumps on you inner thighs. For instance, limiting inner-thigh shaving, keeping clean, and using an antiseptic soap or topical antibiotic cream may alleviate folliculitis symptoms. In addition, try applying warm, moist heat to relieve a pus-filled boil, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. In some cases, your doctor may also prescribe an oral antibiotic, such as erythromycin, to relieve folliculitis symptoms.