When you take steroid-induced folliculitis, a skin condition caused by corticosteroids that inflames hair follicles, often mimicking acne. It's not an infection, but a reaction — and it shows up most often on the face, chest, or back after using oral, injected, or even topical steroids. Many people think it’s just acne, but this isn’t your typical breakout. The bumps are usually small, uniform, and don’t have whiteheads. They appear suddenly, often within weeks of starting steroid treatment, and don’t respond to regular acne products.
This condition is linked to topical steroids, cream or ointments used for eczema, psoriasis, or other skin issues, especially when used too long or too strong. It also shows up in athletes or patients using oral steroids, prescribed for autoimmune diseases, asthma, or inflammation. The steroid disrupts your skin’s natural balance, trapping bacteria inside follicles and triggering inflammation. It’s not contagious, but it can be frustrating — and if you keep using the steroid, it won’t go away.
What makes it tricky is that doctors sometimes misdiagnose it as bacterial acne or even a fungal infection. But antibiotics won’t fix it if the root cause is the steroid itself. The first step? Talk to your provider about reducing or switching the steroid dose. In mild cases, switching to a non-steroid cream like pimecrolimus can help. For more severe cases, stopping the steroid entirely — even if it’s for a serious condition — might be necessary, with close medical supervision.
You’ll also want to avoid oily skincare products, tight clothing, and excessive sweating, all of which can make the bumps worse. Gentle cleansers and non-comedogenic moisturizers are your friends. Some people see improvement in just a few weeks after stopping the trigger, while others need topical treatments like benzoyl peroxide or antibiotics like clindamycin to clear lingering bumps.
What you’ll find below are real, practical guides from people who’ve dealt with this — whether they were on long-term prednisone, used steroid creams for eczema, or took them after surgery. You’ll see what worked, what didn’t, and how to talk to your doctor without sounding alarmist. No fluff. Just clear steps to recognize it, manage it, and get your skin back on track.
