Hair bag
The hair sac, or so-called thoracic fistula (Pilonidal cyst), is a sac that grows inside the skin and contains skin discoloration as well as hair, and in most cases appears at the lower back. A hair bag is usually formed when a hair penetrates a skin and is implanted in it. When the inflammation occurs, the resulting abscess becomes very painful. It may be treated either by making a small hole in it and discharging fluids, or by performing an operation to remove it.
The hair bag affects men more than women, and there is a possibility of recurrence, and people who sit for long periods are more likely than others to have a hair bag. The cause of the hair bag has not yet been known, but most cases have been explained by the fact that the affected areas of the lower back are prone to pressure and friction, such as cyclists or those who wear tight clothes, forcing the hair to penetrate the skin underneath.
The immune system treats the hair as a foreign object and shows its reaction by forming a bag around it. This explanation also explains cases in which the hair bag appears in unusual areas, such as barbers, when they appear between the fingers to increase pressure and friction in this area.
Symptoms of hair bag
Most patients with a hair bag do not experience any symptoms except swelling of the affected area if they do not have inflammation, and many of the symptoms begin to appear. The most prominent symptoms that the patient feels are as follows:
- Inflammation of the area affected by the hair bag : In most cases, before the infection occurs, patients feel a small swelling or swelling in the lower back, or so-called disability, and the skin may sometimes peel off the hair bag.
- The sensation of severe pain in the lower back : This is the most prominent symptoms of inflammation of the hair bag. The patient feels this pain most of the time when sitting or wearing tight clothes.
- Redness and congestion surrounding the skin of the hair bag : This happens as a sign of inflammation.
- Abscess abscesses appear from the hair bag : It is usually accompanied by a foul smell because of the contents of the abscess of hair and waste of skin and blood.
- Configure other new channels for the hair bag : This appears in the form of holes in the skin.
- The emergence of hair from the inflamed sac .
- Slightly elevated body temperature .
Factors that may increase the chance of getting a hair bag
There are many factors that may expose the owner to a greater incidence of hair bag, as studies indicate that the increase in the proportion of males, especially those in the young age of less than 20 years. People who work in certain jobs that require sitting for long periods are more likely than others to have a hair bag. Risk factors can also be avoided to reduce the chances of getting a hair follicle; such as weight gain, the patient is advised to maintain the ideal weight, as well as lifestyle free from sports activities. Studies have shown that those who have more hair on their bodies than others to the infection of the hair bag, so they are advised to shave the area prone to injury and maintain cleanliness. It was also noted that the proportion of those who have hair rough.
Treatment of hair bag
Antibiotics do not work well when you have a hair bag, so there are many surgical methods to treat it. The most prominent of these methods are as follows:
- Make a hole in the hair bag and drain the fluid inside it : This is the ideal solution to get rid of the hair bag that appears for the first time. This method also involves removing the hair follicle and then putting gauze bandages into the cavity resulting from the operation. It is a simple procedure that can be performed and the patient is under the influence of local anesthesia only, but it may be an inconvenience to some. The patient is required to change the bandages continuously until the wound heals, and this process may last for a few weeks.
- To conduct the so-called tug-of-war : A surgical method that ensures the doctors to discharge fluids of various types of boils, including hair bag, without the need to use bandages gauze. It also requires a local anesthetic to perform. It benefits from reducing the size and depth of the resulting wound, but it takes a long time to heal up to six weeks, and the doctor must be trained to do it.
- There is another way A hole or hole is made in the hair bag, and then the fluid is discharged into it. The wound is closed immediately after the operation without the need to fill the resulting cavity. However, the chance of repeating the infection is large after using this method.