What is Hair Follicle Tumor or Folliculoma?
Hair Follicle Tumor which is also known by the name of folliculoma is a pathological condition characterized by development of benign tumors in the hair follicles. This is a very rare condition and usually occurs on the face but may also develop in the neck or scalp. Hair Follicle Tumors or Folliculoma are basically asymptomatic and do not cause any harm but the presence of this overgrowth or tumor does not look pleasing to the eye and hence the affected individual may require treatment for it just for cosmetic purposes.
Treatment normally is not necessary for Hair Follicle Tumors or Folliculoma but if required can be easily treated. Hair Follicle Tumors or Folliculoma affects mainly males and is rarely seen in females. The onset of Hair Follicle Tumor usually begins when the individual is in his teens but in some cases they have developed as late as when the individual is in his late 40s. What causes concerns in many individual is the use of the word tumor even for benign conditions like Hair Follicle Tumor and hence makes them worried.
Hair Follicle Tumors or Folliculoma is nothing but just an overgrowth of cells which in no way invades the healthy tissues and does not pose a threat to life, although an individual with Hair Follicle Tumor may get himself checked out for some type of skin cancer and rule it out. Treatment for Hair Follicle Tumors or Folliculoma is excision and apart from this there is no other treatment required for Hair Follicle Tumor.
What Causes Hair Follicle Tumor or Folliculoma?
The root cause for Hair Follicle Tumors or Folliculoma is not yet known but it is believed to be abnormal growth of cells in the hair follicles resulting in a visible lump mostly in the face, neck, or scalp. Some people may have by birth but usually Hair Follicle Tumors or Folliculoma can be seen in adolescence or much later in life. The development of Hair Follicle Tumor is spontaneous although very rarely some type of injury or trauma has been attributed to the development of Hair Follicle Tumors or Folliculoma. There is no genetic link to the development of Folliculoma.
What are the Symptoms of Hair Follicle Tumor or Folliculoma?
In majority of the cases, Hair Follicle Tumor presents itself as a single lesion which may have a whitish tingle to it. This nodule or lump can be visualized in the face, neck, or scalp area. It usually appears on the face, scalp, ears. There is no rapid growth rate seen in Hair Follicle Tumors or Folliculoma which makes them separate from malignant tumors like a skin cancer where the growth of the tumor may be rapid. The size of these lumps is very small of about 0.5 inches in diameter. In some cases, hair may be seen protruding out of the lump but this is not always the case. The nodules of Hair Follicle Tumors or Folliculoma are basically asymptomatic. There is no redness, discharge, or pain associated with Hair Follicle Tumor. If an individual constantly picks on the nodules then this may cause inflammation and increase the risk of an infection. In such cases, there may be pain, swelling, and redness.
What is the Treatment for How is Hair Follicle Tumor or Folliculoma?
Hair Follicle Tumors or Folliculoma as stated are benign skin growths and do not in anyway pose a threat to the individual. In majority of the cases, Hair Follicle Tumors or Folliculoma are asymptomatic and do not cause any symptoms which may bother or cause discomfort to the individual but it may look unpleasant to the eyes and this is precisely why an individual may want to get Hair Follicle Tumor removed surgically. Apart from surgical excision by a skilled and experienced dermatologist there is no other treatment to get rid of Folliculoma. It should be noted here that the Hair Follicle Tumors or Folliculoma should be completely removed as partial removal may lead to recurrence.
If the Hair Follicle Tumor is totally removed it does not come back anymore. As of late, laser therapy has been very successful in removing Hair Follicle Tumor. Some of the complications of removal of Folliculoma are incomplete removal and chances of infections and scarring in case if the Hair Follicle Tumor is not completely removed. Hair Follicle Tumors or Folliculoma does not require any type of long term monitoring as is done with some other types of benign tumors since it does not have the potential to become malignant at any stage.
In case if Hair Follicle Tumor recurs then it does not suggest potential malignancy but it suggests that the tumor was not removed completely in the first case. However, it is recommended that the individual be screened first to make sure that the lesion is not a form of skin cancer and is in fact a Hair Follicle Tumor or Folliculoma.
Also Read:
