Acne keloidalis nuchae (also known as "acne keloidalis", "dermatitis papillaris capillitii", "folliculitis keloidalis", "folliculitis keloidis nuchae", and "nuchal keloid acne") is a destructive scarring

folliculitis Folliculitis is the infection and inflammation of one or more hair follicles. The condition may occur anywhere on hair-covered skin. The rash may appear as pimples that come to white tips on the face, chest, back, arms, legs, buttocks, or head. A ...

that occurs almost exclusively on the occipital scalp of people of African descent, primarily men.Freedberg, et al. (2003). ''Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine''. (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill. Page 650. . AKN is characterized by firm pink or flesh-colored hyperpigmented bumps in the skin, which are usually located on the back of the neck. This is mainly because men often cut their hair very low as opposed to women, allowing the hair to prick the occipital scalp thereby causing irritation. Acne keloidalis nuchae most commonly presents itself in individuals aged 13 to 25. The disease is closely related to

pseudofolliculitis barbae Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) is a persistent irritation caused by shaving. It was first described in 1956. Signs and symptoms Related conditions Razor burn is a less serious condition caused by shaving, characterized by mild to moderate rednes ...

and both occur frequently in black men in the military, where it is so common that the US Army has developed official protocols for management. Prolonged cases of AKN can cause

keloid Keloid, also known as keloid disorder and keloidal scar, is the formation of a type of scar which, depending on its maturity, is composed mainly of either type III (early) or type I (late) collagen. It is a result of an overgrowth of granulation t ...

formation due to chronic irritation from

. Bacterial folliculitis and

acne Acne, also known as ''acne vulgaris'', is a long-term Cutaneous condition, skin condition that occurs when Keratinocyte, dead skin cells and Sebum, oil from the skin clog hair follicles. Typical features of the condition include comedo, black ...

can mimic the appearance of AKN; however, unlike acne,

comedone A comedo is a clogged hair follicle (pore) in the skin. Keratin (skin debris) combines with oil to block the follicle. A comedo can be open (blackhead) or closed by skin (whitehead) and occur with or without acne. The word "comedo" comes from the ...

s are not seen with AKN. Treatments for AKN aim to reduce

inflammation Inflammation (from la, wikt:en:inflammatio#Latin, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or Irritation, irritants, and is a protective response involving im ...

and prevent infections and scarring. Therapies for AKN may include topical

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of ...

s, topical or intralesional

corticosteroid Corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex of vertebrates, as well as the synthetic analogues of these hormones. Two main classes of corticosteroids, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, are involv ...

s, and laser hair removal. Recommended modifications to shaving habits include liberal use of

shaving cream Shaving cream or shave cream is a category of cream cosmetics used for shaving preparation. The purpose of shaving cream is to soften the hair by providing lubrication. Different types of shaving creams include aerosol shaving cream (also kn ...

, avoidance of stretching the skin while shaving, and use of a single-blade razor rather than a razor with multiple blades.

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Acneiform eruptions Scarring {{Cutaneous-condition-stub

See also

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