Christopher Sayed, M.D., associate professor of dermatology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, discusses the common genetic and environmental risk factors associated with HS.

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Get the basics on this chronic inflammatory skin condition.

What Is HS?

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Deep breath: The answer will likely leave you feeling relieved.

Is HS Contagious?

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We’ve got the answer to the most frequently asked question about HS.

Can HS Be Cured?

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Pain, nodules, pus…the symptoms of HS are impossible to ignore.

What Are the Symptoms of HS?

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Simple strategies can help ease (if not always eliminate) the pain.

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There’s no test for HS. Find out how doctors make the call.

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Learn how hidradenitis can progress when it’s not treated.

What Are the Stages of HS?

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Depending on the stage, you may have several choices.

What Treatments Are Available for HS?

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Learn about the most common comorbidities of hidradenitis suppurativa. 

What Other Health Conditions Often Occur with HS?

What Other Health Conditions Often Occur With HS?

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Our expert explains what we know—and don't know—about the influence of weight on hidradenitis suppurativa.

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The effects of the inflammatory condition hidradenitis suppurativa are way more than skin deep, increasing the risk for depression and anxiety.

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Not everyone with hidradenitis suppurativa needs invasive treatment. Find out if surgery could be right for you. 

Is Surgery Effective in Treating HS?

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Learn about the genetic and environmental risk factors that might play a role.

What Causes HS?

Video: What Causes Hidradenitis Suppurativa?

Getting a Handle on Hidradenitis Suppurativa

What causes or triggers HS is a very interesting question, and it’s a question that I wish I knew the answer to very well. What we do know, is that HS shares a lot of signatures with other chronic inflammatory conditions like Crohn's disease or rheumatoid arthritis. It also tends to run in families a lot of times. We have collected information from patients – about 50 to 60 percent of patients have another family member with it, and about 40 percent of the time that's a first degree relative. There's almost certainly something genetic that underlies the disease or at least increases risk, but what that is for the majority of those patients is not clear at this time. We're doing research, and others are doing research trying to understand that better. 

There are certainly other things that are linked to disease in terms of certain environmental factors such as smoking, but a lot of it is really unknown at this point, just like these other chronic inflammatory conditions.


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Getting a Handle on Hidradenitis Suppurativa

What Causes HS?

Learn about the genetic and environmental risk factors that might play a role.

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