Will Neosporin help to treat bumps after shaving?

Question

Hello doctor,

I did a shave last week and hurt myself pretty badly. Now, I have this bump and it has been a week. I have been using Neosporin, Advil, Claritin, and hot baths. What is this?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have seen the pictures that you attached (attachment removed to protect patient identity). Based on the description you mentioned, it looks like a folliculitis (hair follicle inflammation) or a razor bump. But you mentioned in the picture that a similar lesion was present since a week even before you shaved the area. So I would like to know if you have been having it before, and does it have any intense itching with tingling or pain? Or did you have any fever a few days prior to developing these bumps? If you are a sexually active individual, I would like to know if you had genital herpes anytime before, or if your partner has had genital herpes infection ever? I am enquiring all these because another possibility could be genital herpes. You can take tablet Paracetamol or Diclofenac for pain relief.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Then mostly it is a skin infection of the hair follicle due to razor trauma. You can apply the Neosporin or any other antibiotic cream locally. Keep taking some hot fomentation for pain relief. Mostly it will regress in a few days. If it develops any yellow topping which could be indicative of pus, then we may have to start antibiotics orally. As of now, you do not need them.

I hope this helps.