My folliculitis (of the scalp) persisted for the best part of 10 years. That might seem like a remarkably long time, and believe me it was, but that is how long it took me to finally stumble upon the only treatment strategy that ultimately worked for me and cured me of this aggravating condition for good. Basically it was just so resistant to treatment that no treatment strategy I had tried before then worked to permanent. It also hinted to me as to why after all the many years I had it (over ten years in all) snd all the doctors I saw, and all the various types of anti biotics and medication I was prescribed, why not one of these had any long term effect on their own and why for me, the said condition kept returning.
Why?
Well, please allow me to tell you.
I believe the reasons were these.
Firstly, you have to think of the folliculitus causing bacterium's normal place of repose as being NOT inside the skin (where it can be destroyed by Antibiotics ) or on top of the skin (where it can be destroyed by surface applied preparations, lotions, creams). INSTEAD, you have to know that the normal place of repose of the said bacterium, is inside the test tube like cavity formed by the hair follicle shaft. A treatment strategy using Antibiotics alone, will only kill the folliculitis bacterium that has worked it's way INTO the skin, (evidenced by: infection, spots and pustules)
However, Antibiotic tablets it seems to me are unlikely to do very much to kill the bacteria that is happily thriving and multiplying within the cavity of the hair follicule shaft. Like wise, a surface applied preparation (lotions, creams and particularly oil based preparations) may not have the right physical properties to to be able to seep deep down enough into these hair follicule shafts to kill all of folliculitis bacterium that could be residing in them.
So it was, that on one particular week, having been prescribed yet another extended several week course of anti-biotics, that I came across a powerful and readily available anti-bacterial hand wash, sold under the trade name HibiScrub@ (which is commonly used by surgeons, as a pre-operation anti-bacterial handscrub to disinfect their hands.
Thus, for the entire several week course of my prescribed Antibiotics I was also washing my scalp daily with this HibiScrub preparation, like a shampoo and low and behold, by the time I had finished the anti-biotic course, not only had the folliculitis gone, but more importantly it has never once come back.
That was it, I was finally free of this awful condition that had plagued me for the best part of a decade.
If like I had, you have folliculitis now (regardless of how long you have had it) and decide to try this strategy of treatment, there are a number of important things to remember, in order for you to have the best chance of success::::

1) For many people folliculitis is highly resistant to treatment..so you must perservere.
2) This is a two pronged approach to tackling the condition and hopefully of finally getting yourself rid of it.
3) With regards your prescribed course of antibiotics tablets (which is best prescribed as an extended course lasting at least 8 weeks) this medication must be taken strictly as directed, preferably with water or black coffee on an empty stomach. No food or other beverages to be consumed for least 2hs before and 2hrs after taking the tablets.
3) With regards the daily washing of your scalp with HibiScrub@, it is more effective at both reaching and killing the folliculitis bacterium in the shaft of your hair follicles if after application you leave it on to dry and rinse off at the end of the day. Leave on after each each application and rinse off before the next application. Just follow this course of treatment, and I hope you have the success with it that I did.
Good Luck.

Good luck.