Molluscum Folliculitis After Leg Shaving

A 23-year-old healthy female developed pruritic erythematous papules on her shins after shaving her legs with a disposable razor. Despite various treatments for suspected bacterial folliculitis, including topical retinoic acid and antibiotics, her condition did not improve and she experienced side effects. A biopsy revealed multiple molluscum bodies within the hair follicle epithelium, indicating molluscum contagiosum (MC). This case highlighted that viral folliculitis, particularly caused by MC, can occur after hair removal procedures and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of persistent folliculitis-like dermatoses. The patient tested negative for HIV, and it was speculated that the virus might have been present before shaving, leading to subsequent inoculation.