Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

bumps on head - possibly a form of folliculitis?

celiacinrecovery
 Share

Recommended Posts

celiacinrecovery Apprentice
celiacinrecovery
Posted

I've had my DH under control for a few months, after committing to a strict diet that includes no pre-packaged foods (even if they're certified gluten free). According to a scope, my villi look healthy. I'm feeling much better, and seem to be recovering, with a focus on eating well, getting back to exercising regularly, and getting healthy probiotics (supplements and homemade fermented foods).

The major issue I have now is recurring bumps on my scalp. These develop in places where I have hair (so not on my face). Sometimes they'll I'll have an inflamed hair follicle, suggesting folliculitis, but sometimes there's just little bumps. They can get a little sore, and are a nuisance when I go to shave my head (I have male pattern baldness and use the #1 clipper setting, rather than shaving to the skin).

A few observations:

  • It gets worse if I wear hats ... presumably the friction irritates the skin and causes them
  • For some reason if I let my hair grow a little longer it gets worse.
  • Washing my scalp in the morning and before bed helps keep it in check - I'm much more likely to get it if I don't  do this - but doesn't stop it completely.

I change my pillowcase each day, and avoid wearing hats whenever possible.

I'm trying to get a better understanding of what this may be, and whether it is related to my celiac. I do theorize that it is related, possibly due to the weakened immune system or gut flora.

Any insight would be appreciated. I've spoken to doctors about this in the past and didn't get much of anywhere. I started talking to them pre-celiac diagnosis, and then we put the focus on my DH. Now that that has been addressed I'd like to sort this one out.

 

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Scott Adams Grand Master
Scott Adams
Posted

It sounds like this is a new development, as is dealing with your DH. I too wonder if it is related, and if it's possible that you might be getting small amounts of gluten in your diet, and that it could actually be DH. To me it seems strange that you would suddenly get folliculitis at around the same time that you are dealing with DH, but I'm sure that stranger coincidences have happened.

The big difference between the two seems to be that folliculitis would always be associated with a hair follicle. Perhaps you could have someone examine the blisters to see if this is the case, and to try to notice if they look more like DH blisters (usually tiny with clear heads). It also seems like DH would be more itchy than folliculitis, but I could be wrong about that.

celiacinrecovery Apprentice
celiacinrecovery
Posted
  • Author
1 hour ago, Scott Adams said:

It sounds like this is a new development, as is dealing with your DH. I too wonder if it is related, and if it's possible that you might be getting small amounts of gluten in your diet, and that it could actually be DH. To me it seems strange that you would suddenly get folliculitis at around the same time that you are dealing with DH, but I'm sure that stranger coincidences have happened.

The big difference between the two seems to be that folliculitis would always be associated with a hair follicle. Perhaps you could have someone examine the blisters to see if this is the case, and to try to notice if they look more like DH blisters (usually tiny with clear heads). It also seems like DH would be more itchy than folliculitis, but I could be wrong about that.

Hi Scott, thanks for the reply. Just to clarify, I think I might have worded things a bit poorly in my original post. The bumps on my head that I'm discussing have been an issue for many years -- they definitely predate resolving the DH. For a while I thought resolving the DH might resolve this, but that clearly isn't the case. So what I was trying to say is that I went to the doctors and had both these bumps on my head, and the DH. The doctors didn't know what either was, and we tried to treat them but ended up resolving the DH first. Now I have these odd bumps the reoccur, and I'm hoping to fix that problem now.

I'd love to have a dermatologist look at these, but where I live it takes a year to get an appointment, and I haven't gotten much help out of that.

 

Scott Adams Grand Master
Scott Adams
Posted

Thanks for the additional info on the timeline. It does still sounds like it is possible that the bumps on your head could be DH, but only a visit to a dermatologist could tell for sure, and if you are 100% gluten-free those should go away as well. I would just be sure that my diet is 100% GF, and if the bumps on your head don't go away after a couple of months it's probably safe to assume that they might be folliculitis or something else that a dermatologist would need to diagnose.

Let us know what you find out.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. xxnonamexx
      - xxnonamexx posted a topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      0

      FDA looking for input on Celiac Gluten sensitivity labeling PLEASE READ and submit your suggestions

      Please read: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-steps-improve-gluten-ingredient-disclosure-foods?fbclid=IwY2xjawPeXhJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFzaDc3NWRaYzlJOFJ4R0Fic3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrwuSsw8Be7VNGOrKKWFVbrjmf59SGht05nIALwnjQ0DoGkDDK1doRBDzeeX_aem_GZcRcbhisMTyFUp3YMUU9Q
    2. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to Atl222's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      2

      Increased intraepithelial lymphocytes after 10 yrs gluten-free

      Hi @Atl222 As @trents points out, there could be many reasons for this biopsy result. I am interested to know, is your gastroenterologist concerned? Also, are your blood tests showing steady improvement over the years? I remember when I had my last biopsy, several years after diagnosis, mine came back with with raised lymphocytes but no villous...
    3. trents
      - trents replied to Atl222's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      2

      Increased intraepithelial lymphocytes after 10 yrs gluten-free

      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @Atl222! Yes, your increased lymphocytes could be in response to oats or it could possibly be cross contamination from gluten that is getting into your diet from some unexpected source but not enough to damage the villi. And I'm certain that increased lymphocytes can be caused by other things besides celiac disease...
    4. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Aretaeus Cappadocia's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      Brown Rice Vinegar (organic) from Eden Foods is likely gluten free

      This is a solid, well-reasoned approach. You’re right that “koji” by itself doesn’t indicate gluten status, and the risk really does come down to which grain is used to culture it. The fact that you directly contacted Eden Foods and received a clear statement that their koji is made from rice only, with no wheat or barley, is meaningful due diligence—especia...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to wellthatsfun's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      1

      nothing has changed

      Seven months can still be early in celiac healing, especially if you were mostly asymptomatic to begin with—symptoms like low iron, vitamin D deficiency, nail changes, and hair issues often take much longer to improve because the gut needs time to recover before absorption normalizes. A tTG-IgA of 69 is not “low” in terms of immune activity, and it can t...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,192
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    DenisC
    Newest Member
    DenisC
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • xxnonamexx
      FDA looking for input on Celiac Gluten sensitivity labeling PLEASE READ and submit your suggestions

      By xxnonamexx · Posted

      Please read: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-steps-improve-gluten-ingredient-disclosure-foods?fbclid=IwY2xjawPeXhJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFzaDc3NWRaYzlJOFJ4R0Fic3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrwuSsw8Be7VNGOrKKWFVbrjmf59SGht05nIALwnjQ0DoGkDDK1doRBDzeeX_aem_GZcRcbhisMTyFUp3YMUU9Q
    • cristiana
      Increased intraepithelial lymphocytes after 10 yrs gluten-free

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hi @Atl222 As @trents points out, there could be many reasons for this biopsy result.  I am interested to know, is your gastroenterologist concerned?  Also, are your blood tests showing steady improvement over the years? I remember when I had my last biopsy, several years after diagnosis, mine came back with with raised lymphocytes but no villous damage, too! In my own case, my consultant wasn't remotely concerned - in fact, he said I might still get this result even if all I ever did was eat nothing but rice and water.   My coeliac blood tests were still steadily improving, albeit slowly, which was reassuring.
    • trents
      Increased intraepithelial lymphocytes after 10 yrs gluten-free

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @Atl222! Yes, your increased lymphocytes could be in response to oats or it could possibly be cross contamination from gluten that is getting into your diet from some unexpected source but not enough to damage the villi. And I'm certain that increased lymphocytes can be caused by other things besides celiac disease or gluten/oats exposure. See attachment. But you might try eliminating oats to start with and possibly dairy for a few months and then seek another endoscopy/biopsy to see if there was a reduction in lymphocyte counts. 
    • Scott Adams
      Brown Rice Vinegar (organic) from Eden Foods is likely gluten free

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This is a solid, well-reasoned approach. You’re right that “koji” by itself doesn’t indicate gluten status, and the risk really does come down to which grain is used to culture it. The fact that you directly contacted Eden Foods and received a clear statement that their koji is made from rice only, with no wheat or barley, is meaningful due diligence—especially since Eden has a long-standing reputation for transparency. While the lack of gluten labeling can understandably give pause, manufacturer confirmation like this is often what people rely on for traditionally fermented products. As always, trusting your body after trying it is reasonable, but based on the information you gathered, your conclusion makes sense.
    • Scott Adams
      nothing has changed

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Seven months can still be early in celiac healing, especially if you were mostly asymptomatic to begin with—symptoms like low iron, vitamin D deficiency, nail changes, and hair issues often take much longer to improve because the gut needs time to recover before absorption normalizes. A tTG-IgA of 69 is not “low” in terms of immune activity, and it can take 12–24 months (sometimes longer) for antibodies and the intestinal lining to fully heal, particularly in teens and young adults. Eating gluten again to “test” things isn’t recommended and won’t give you clear answers—it’s far more likely to cause harm than clarity. Weight not changing is also very common in celiac and doesn’t rule anything out. Please know that your frustration and sadness matter; this adjustment is hard, and feeling stuck can really affect mental health. You deserve support, and if you can, reaching out to a GI dietitian or mental health professional familiar with chronic illness could really help you through this phase. This study indicates that a majority of celiacs don't recover until 5 years after diagnosis and starting a gluten-free diet: Mucosal recovery and mortality in adults with celiac disease after treatment with a gluten-free diet However, it's also possible that what the study really shows is the difficulty in maintaining a 100% gluten-free diet. I suspect that if you looked closely at the diets of those who did not recover within 2 years might be that their diets were not 100% gluten-free. Perhaps they ate out more often, or didn't understand all of the hidden ingredients where gluten can hide. Either way, it shows how difficult recovery from celiac disease can be for most people. According to this study: This article explores other causes of flattened villi:    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.