Overview:

Pseudofolliculitis barbae is an inflammatory condition caused by hair growing back into the skin after
shaving.

Instead of growing outward, the hair curves back into the skin or into the follicle wall, triggering a
reaction that leads to bumps, irritation, and discoloration.

This presents across all skin tones, appearing as redness and irritation in lighter skin and as
hyperpigmentation in deeper skin.

Clinical Photo: Pseudofolliculitis barbae, abdominal area
Papules and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation distributed at individual follicle sites. Note both active
lesions and residual pigmentation present at the same time, which is typical of chronic PFB in medium to
deeper skin tones.
Image used with client consent for educational purposes. © Knue Laser.