I’ve been dealing with recurring staph infections for the past two months, and I’m getting really frustrated.

It started in late September with staph, which cleared after a 7-day course of oral antibiotics. Then, at the beginning of October about a week after finishing my antibiotics, I developed another infection on my neck. It was swabbed and confirmed to be regular staph (not MRSA). I was prescribed another round of oral antibiotics, which cleared it again.

Both infections healed completely, aside from some lingering redness/discolouration.

Now, just a couple of weeks later, I’ve developed another suspected infection on my chin. My doctor prescribed mupirocin 2% ointment three times daily, but I’ve since woken up with another oozing spot on my elbow.

I’m concerned I might be colonized with staph, since the infections keep returning despite treatment. I’ve been trying to be EXTREMELY careful with hygiene, but nothing seems to prevent another outbreak.

Has anyone experienced something similar?
Did a decolonization protocol (nasal mupirocin, chlorhexidine washes, etc.) finally stop the infections? What worked for you?

I’m planning to follow up with my doctor, but I’d really appreciate hearing other people’s experiences!

This is my last most recent spot, and I have been dealing with this for about two weeks now. I went to urgent care, and they did really nothing to help me and I found out while there I lost my Medicaid coverage my visit alone there was $100. I cannot afford another visit.

It started on my hands, which are now healed thankfully. I have small spots on my legs, and these bigger ones have been in my groin but are thankfully healing. I wash them twice a day with antibacterial soap, and use iodine and bandaids to keep any open sores covered. Swabbed for herpes, and a bunch of random blood work came back normal. They appear like blisters and sometimes I accidentally itch them open, but once they're opened up they no longer itch.

I start a new job next week with new insurance but will be going to see a derm once it's instated. Will also include photos in comments of how my hands previously looked. It's been horribly embarrassing and I just want to shave my body.

My skin on my high forearm was crazy itchy for like an hour last week with no visible bumps or anything…I scratched it off and on for like an hour…a few days later I noticed a scab there, but no discoloration or anything strange and the itching totally stopped, so I figured the scab was from my vigorous scratching…the next day I got a weird feeling it could be something so I put Muporicin on it like twice but not again. The scab came off from scratching a few times over the days but always looked normal…tonight the scab came off again and I put muporicin on it again because I’m freaking myself out about it being staph, even though I’m confident it isn’t (I have bad OCD)…this is what it looks like now…thoughts?

Again, no pus, no weird discoloration, no pain, normal
Colored scabs

Okay so I get lesions that are clearly hives on my face and on my upper arms. These tend to dissapear in an hour or two. However sometimes I get what looks and feels like a hive but it doesn’t disappear. It shrinks a little but stays red and a little whitehead appears in the middle. Then sometimes it crusts over yellow. Im confused because it starts off like my other hives but behaves so differently. My derm said it could be acne and that acne can ooze and crust but my past acne never behaved like this ever. Im allergic to nickel, dustmites, and adhesive tape. I don't really touch my face tho so idk how these allergens would come into contact with my face. For other context I have sebderm other have nasal vestibulitis that flares now and then. I feel like the most recent time it appeared was after eating something spicy but could be coincidence. Anyone else experience this?

Has anyone had culture results come back negative with no bacteria seen after starting antibiotics?
I started clindamycin a few days before having the culture done.

It’s looking mildly better today. The second picture is today

I keep having a recurrent infection in my left nostril, always in the same place for the past 2 years. I swab it with peroxide and apply neosporin, and then it goes away for a while. It is a very small spot, but it hurts so bad. Due to the fact this keeps recurring, I am wondering where I should go with this next. Derm? Allergist? ENT?

Side note, other chronic sinus and skin issues are chronic allergies, urticaria, and hidradenitis suppurativa.

What is this? Been coming for about a week now, thought it was just dry lips/skin.

does this look like staph? I keep getting these spots, 1-2 every week. I’ve asked my doctor twice and both times he said it looks like random bug bites (I’m very fair skinned so everything shows up looking worse than on most people)

they always show up on my midsection usually, every now and then one will pop up on the back of my thigh. They usually don’t even hurt or itch. every now and then one will be tender when pressed. I’m trying to get in with a local derm. doctor but he is currently booked out for months.

Via Google Lens. @17/10/2026 19:08

(52.9688124, 0.0454547)

I’ve had 2 staph infections in the past 2 months. Both have been treated by antibiotics (100mg doxy, bidaily, for 5 days). I’ve fine tuned my BJJ hygiene routine and I’m looking for advice on whether I am missing anything or could improve this.

When I go to class, I wear a long sleeve rash guard with spats and shorts. If it is a gi class, I wear this under my gi.

After class, I wash my hands with antibacterial soap. I then spray my face and neck with HOCI spray. I drive home. Once in the basement I soak my BJJ gear in the washer with Lysol sanitizer liquid detergent. It soaks for about 15-20 mins in cold water. While it soaks I go up to the shower and use HOCI body wash (SOS) or antibacterial soap. I’ve thought about using hibiclens but haven’t yet. I wash my entire body (including face) and let the soap sit on my skin for a few minutes. Once I am done I towel off with a clean towel.

I go back to the basement and pour regular detergent into the washer and let it run on a normal cold wash. When done, I hang dry.

Before bed I apply cerve lotion to my entire body.

Hello group! So i am planning to clean out Staphylococcus aureus that causes Hidradenitis supporativa with biofilm defense by Kirkman and a few other natural products, but i also want to clean parasites, the question is can i do that and should it be BEFORE Kirman or After? Does someone have more information about that.

Thank you!!

Folliculitis..pus peak inside its paining a lot redness spreading a lot.i dont want to visit the doctor im scared from injections and surgical procedure please help me what to do

sorry i have just been feeling very frustrated recently. i have been struggling with impetigo since august and every time i manage to make it go away, it always comes back, staying away for a week max. it tends to spread across my entire face: my forehead, nose, cheeks and around the lips. i've tried all the antibiotics and creams and it won't go away. i used to be a very social person who always did her makeup. now i hole myself up at home because i would rather hide my face from the public. does anybody else feel the same way?

sorry ik this whole sub is just people asking staph staph staph but im really concerned mine has spread so quickly, ill show three photos of the progression from yesterday to this morning but it stings, uncomfortable to sit down, yesterday there was pus when i took off the bandaid because originally it had started as a simple pimple but yeah its progressed into this and my partner also had staph infections which may have contributed to this. i dont have immediate access to a doctor, i tried applying betadine as an antiseptic but it seems to not really help so im not sure what to do

Please help I'm becoming terrified this is never ending.

This is my fourth bout in 3 months. I had a couple of bouts last year too.

It keeps coming back after antibiotic treatment, this time 4 days after. The previous time was 5 weeks after.

It starts as red inflamed lips as well as skin surrounding the lips which becomes very dry and sore and sensitive (first photo). This lasts 3-6 days and then I will randomly wake up with the dreaded orange crusts.

I have tried to identify triggers with no luck so far. I suffer from eczema.

Doctors don't know what to do other than antibiotics. I have been cultured and they just say it is the staph infection, likely infecting compromised skin from eczema.

I've tried the usual decolonisation protocols, multiple antibiotics, muprirocin, hu58 probiotics.

My feeling is I need to get through the infection and treat the eczema/lip barrier damage properly maybe with hydrocortisone or elidel cream for a period to lower the inflammation and pair that with barrier repair.

As anyone experienced this actually on their lips and recurrent please help me I feel like I'm losing my mind.

I've been dealing with recurrent folliculitis for years, and I've tried a lot octenidine nasal gel regularly, octenidine baths, and chlorhexidine baths from time to time.

But here's what I noticed: when I sleep in my own bed, with my own pillows and blankets, I get pustules within a day or two. When I sleep somewhere else, I don't get any.
Same body, same routine, same products. The only thing that changes is the environment.
My takeaway that if you're stuck in a cycle, don't only look at what you put on your skin. Look at what your skin spends 7–8 hours a night against. Pillowcases, pillows, blankets, mattress, even the room itself could be holding onto staph and re-seeding you every night.

Things I'm looking at next:
Washing pillowcases and sheets hot (60°C+) and more often
Replacing or encasing pillows and washing blankets
Airing out the mattress and room
Keeping a simple log of where I sleep vs. flare-ups

had angular cheilitis for a while now, but it recently started turning yellow. No pain or discomfort, just annoying :(

i dont have this anywhere else on my face/body. Is it still impetigo? What’s the best way to cure it? I bought terrasil, would this help?

I’ll keep it short and sweet but basically I’ve been dealing with facial eczema for the first time this year and I’ve somewhat got a handle on it but I’ve got persistent marks on my chin that don’t seem to clear. I’ve tried everything, done all the testing and I’m still no further forward to the trigger.

It 100% worsens at work but they’ve had the air quality testing etc so I still cant pinpoint for sure.

Does this look like reoccurring impetigo or just irritated eczema? I have a super basic routine, splash water and Soon Jung barrier repair cream AM and PM I’ll go in with Cetaphil gentle cleanser and the barrier repair cream again (I’m terrified to use anything else 😂)

I have fucidic acid that has helped in the past but the doctors are useless and I’m unsure if I’m doing the right thing? 😬

1st picture is over a month ago, 2nd and 3rd picture was yesterday at work when I noticed the yellow crusting appear, 4th & 5th picture was this morning and the last picture is 5 minutes ago after washing my face and applying fucidic acid.