Finally, it’s summer, the sun’s out, and you can’t wait to live your best life. But what’s that? A sudden load of tiny white bumps have appeared on your forehead? Don’t freak out – it might be ‘fungal acne’, but get this, it’s not actually acne. Dr Maguiness tells us the truth of this confusing concoction.

Enter: fungal acne, the annoying cousin of actual acne, that appears the exact same way with a little difference.

Dr Maguiness, a dermatologist from the USA, breaks down what it actually is.

“The term fungal acne is proliferated all over social media, but it’s not really fungal acne. The real dermatologic diagnosis is called pityrosporum folliculitis.”

This means it’s different from acne, which consists of blackheads, white heads, inflammatory papules, and pustules that come on in the teen years, says Dr Maguiness.

What we know as ‘fungal acne’ (but isn’t really) normally shows up on the forehead, chest, back and around the hairline, and has a slightly different appearance.

“You get these little tiny monomorphic pustules around the hair lines, but it’s not due to the same bacteria that are present in acne. Corynebacterium is one of the bacterial features of acne, but in pityrosporum folliculitis or what people are calling fungal acne,” she said, “It’s malassezia, which is a yeast organism that can overgrow in certain situations, and this can also cause dandruff.”

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How does it look different to normal presenting acne?

Dr Maguiness says although it really does mimic acne and it looks like acne too, the differentiator is that the treatments are different, the organism is different, and you won’t have blackheads.

So what makes this ‘fungal acne’ appear more in summer?

“I do think it would be worse in summer because when you’re sweating, you’re probably creating more sweat and sebaceous activity for yeast to grow and proliferate, especially when the air is really hot, humid, and moist out.” says Dr Maguiness.

What can I do to help this?

Dr Maguiness says of course, see your doctor as a first port of call. But useful ingredients to look out for treatment-wise are zinc, selenium sulfide, sulfur-based washes, and of course antifungal creams.

Regular hair washing, especially in summer months, is an important component.

“I think there exists a myth out there that you should limit washing your hair because you’re going to strip the oils, etc. In actual fact, most hair disease experts will tell you that it’s actually very healthy to wash your scalp daily to every other day. So, therefore, then you’re removing dirt, debris, and bacteria, and yeast.”

“Using one of those ingredients in a shampoo would be helpful too, especially if you tend to struggle with dandruff, which can also be caused by overgrowth of some of these organisms.”

If you see these little bumps popping up in the warmer months, now you know why. Hopefully this gives you the tips and tricks to have the summer you deserve, confident and empowered. Of course, all skin is beautiful skin – don’t let your skin get you down.

Go slay, you’ve got this!