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The most common treatment for tinea capitis is an antifungal medication, which usually comes in the form of an oral pill. Generally, you will need to take these medications for four to eight weeks. It's also essential to finish your dose completely and follow your medication plan as directed. Stopping medication (even if you're feeling better) can cause symptoms to come back. Non-inflammatory tinea capitis has a good prognosis with early and persistent treatment. It’s important your child completes their antifungal medication treatment.
To prevent tinea corporis and other kinds of tinea:
It’s most common in hot, humid areas such as Central America, Southeast Asia and Africa. Ringworm could go away on its own, but it’s likely to take longer than with treatment and is more likely with milder cases. Read on to learn how to recognize when you have ringworm, its symptoms, causes, treatment, and more. A quick method of diagnosing ringworm caused by Microsporum species is by exposing the rash to ultraviolet (UV) light, called a Wood's lamp. The fungi thrive on moist areas of skin, but certain types are more robust and can establish an infection on dry areas of skin. The rash can easily spread to the genitals, thighs, buttocks, and stomach.
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Bacteria, viruses, and fungi are among the most common types of organisms that can cause infections (infectious agents). Your doctor will probably scrape some skin from the itchy, scaly areas and look at them under a microscope. If ringworm develops on your feet or groin area, keep these areas dry. Use hot water and detergent when washing bedding and any infected clothes.
How is ringworm treated?
Tinea capitis, or scalp ringworm, is a fungal infection that affects your child’s scalp and hair. Symptoms of tinea capitis include swollen red patches, dry scaly rashes, itchiness and hair loss. Mold-like fungi called dermatophytes cause tinea capitis. Treatment for a tinea capitis infection involves the use of an oral antifungal medication.
It may seem logical to keep ringworm covered with a bandage to prevent the spreading of the infection. However, bandaging the rash locks in moisture and slows the healing process. Tinea capitis is most commonly caused by Trichophyton tonsurans and Microsporum canis fungi. Therefore, using antifungal medicines as prescribed and helping your child use creams or shampoos is essential. People who have tinea capitis may experience a localized area of scaling, itching, and pus filled bumps.
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Like athlete's foot, jock itch (tinea cruris) is caused by the same group of fungi that cause ringworm. It causes a raised, scaly, reddish-brown rash in skin creases around the groin that can itch, sometimes intensely. Tinea capitis is related to athlete's foot (tinea pedis), jock itch (tinea cruris) and ringworm of the body (tinea corporis). Your genes, hormone changes, and aging are the most common causes of hair loss. But some infections and infection-related conditions can also leave you with bald patches or thinning strands, either on your scalp or other areas of your body.
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body (tinea corporis).
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Your doctor may want to check you or your child in 4 to 6 weeks to make sure the infection is clearing up. It can be difficult to get rid of ringworm, and it’s possible to get the infection more than once. Long-term effects include possible bald patches or scarring. If you suspect you or your child has ringworm, don’t use anti-itch creams containing corticosteroids. They can allow the infection to spread and cover larger sections of skin.
When to see a doctor
You can get this infection anytime your skin comes into contact with the ringworm fungus on someone else’s skin. Some small, limited studies have found that certain supplements and shampoos could be helpful, dermatologists say. The condition is caused by skin fungi called dermatophytes, which live on top of skin and typically do not invade deep inside the skin. Additioanlly, dermatophytes do not live inside the mouth.
Spread the treatment beyond the border of the rash by a couple of centimeters and allow the medication to absorb into your skin. Over-the-counter antifungals can kill the fungus and promote healing. Effective medications include miconazole (Cruex), clotrimazole (Desenex), and terbinafine (Lamisil). During a physical exam, your doctor may diagnose ringworm simply by inspecting your rash. In some cases, the doctor may scrape some cells from the site of the rash or the area beneath an affected fingernail or toenail. The cells will later be examined under a microscope by your doctor or a pathologist to check for a fungal infection.
A fungal infection on the scalp can cause itchy bald spots. You may also have other symptoms, including brittle hair and fever. Treatment can include antifungal medication and medicated shampoo. Antifungal shampoo, such as ketoconazole shampoo (Nizoral A-D®), may stop scalp ringworm from spreading. It won’t cure it, but it may help contain the infection.
This leaves bald patches where the hair won't grow back. You catch it through contact with infected people, animals, or objects. Most of the time, your hair will grow back after the infection heals. Sometimes, though, an infection can lead to permanent hair loss. Talk to your doctor if you have a rash that doesn't begin to improve within two weeks of using an over-the-counter antifungal product.
The infection may return if you stop treatment too soon. These shampoos kill bacteria and fungi on the scalp and stop inflammation. You can purchase them from a grocery store or drugstore. Look for shampoos with antifungal active ingredients, such as ketoconazole, selenium sulfide, and pyrithione zinc. Use shampoos according to the directions on the package.
A healthcare provider can typically diagnose tinea capitis by examining your scalp. They may use a special light test called a Wood’s lamp test to light up the scalp and look for signs of infection. Your child’s healthcare provider will gently scrape some of the skin from the infected area of your child’s scalp. In a lab, a technician will place the samples onto a microscope slide. The slide contains a drop of potassium hydroxide (KOH). The KOH stain makes it easier for the technician to see if there’s a fungus present.
However, these animals might not show any signs of infection. Although ringworm can go away by itself, it’s not common. While ringworm is present on your skin, you’re still contagious to others. Ringworm of the scalp appears as round patches where the hair has broken off at or just above the scalp. A review study published in 2022 found that it significantly increases hair diameter and hair count in patients with several types of alopecia.
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