It starts small and slowly grows larger. As it grows, the central part of the rash usually becomes clear. The rash may itch and the skin may become scaly. There may be some small, pus-filled bumps.
Despite its name, a fungus causes ringworm. This type of fungus naturally lives on your skin, hair and nails. However, when their environment gets hot and damp, the fungi start growing uncontrollably.
Keep the infected area clean and dry.
The fungus that causes ringworm thrives in warm, moist areas, so you want keep the area clean and dry. When cleaning the area with ringworm, wash the affected area(s) and dry it (them) with a clean towel. Use another clean towel to dry the other parts of your body.
Steroid creams can make ringworm worse because they weaken the skin's defenses. Steroid creams can allow ringworm infections to spread to cover more of the body. Ringworm that has been treated with steroid creams can have an unusual appearance, making it hard for healthcare providers to diagnose.
These lesions are typically red and itchy, and they can appear on the scalp, outer extremities, or torso. Ringworm is highly contagious and can spread through contact with other areas of the body and other people. Ringworm remains contagious for some time, even when a person is undergoing treatment for the infection.
The infection can spread via skin-to-skin contact, clothing, or surfaces where the fungus lives, such as in showers or locker rooms. It's more common among people with compromised immune systems and can spread more easily among families (because of skin contact) or athletes (because of the locker room environment).
If your child's ringworm is worsening, he or she will have these signs and symptoms: Fever. Pus or drainage. Rash is warm to the touch.
Ringworm usually goes away within 4 weeks of treatment.
When to Visit a Doctor. If you've started an OTC antifungal treatment or natural ringworm home treatment and your symptoms are not better within two weeks—or your infection has spread to other body parts—you should visit a medical professional or an urgent care center.
Drugstores sell a range of ointments, pills, and creams to treat the different types of ringworm. Many people successfully cure their infections within 4 weeks through regular use of such products. Ringworm infections are contagious, so people should treat symptoms quickly to reduce the risk of it spreading.
Infected hairs become brittle and break off easily. Occasionally, yellowish cuplike crusty areas are seen. With ringworm of the nails, the affected nails become thicker, discolored and brittle, or they become chalky and disintegrate. Ringworm of the body appears as flat, spreading ring-shaped areas.
To prevent ringworm from spreading or infecting other areas of the body, keep the skin as clean as possible. To do this, rinse the infection with soap and warm water once or twice daily. Be sure to dry the skin fully, as fungus thrives in moist areas.
Symptoms typically appear between 4 and 14 days after the skin comes in contact with the fungi that cause ringworm.
A scaly ring-shaped area, typically on the buttocks, trunk, arms and legs. Itchiness. A clear or scaly area inside the ring, perhaps with a scattering of bumps whose color ranges from red on white skin to reddish, purplish, brown or gray on black and brown skin.
Most ringworm infections are mild and can be treated using a pharmacy antifungal cream. Scalp infections can be treated with antifungal tablets, sometimes combined with antifungal shampoo. If the skin is irritated or broken, it can lead to other bacterial infections, which may need treatment with antibiotics.
You should contact your healthcare provider if: Your infection gets worse or doesn't go away after using non-prescription medications. You or your child has ringworm on the scalp. Ringworm on the scalp needs to be treated with prescription antifungal medication.
Call Your Doctor If:
Rash gets bigger or spreads after 1 week on treatment. Rash is not gone by 4 weeks.
Your doctor will write a prescription for an antifungal medication that you'll have to take by mouth for 1 to 3 months. Griseofulvin (Grifulvin V, Gris-PEG), terbinafine, itraconazole, and fluconazole (Diflucan) are the oral medicines doctors prescribe most often for ringworm. Griseofulvin.
Ringworm of the skin can start as a small patch of itchy, red, or scaling skin. The rash can spread and cover a large area. Clothing that rubs the skin can irritate the rash. Sweat, heat, or moisture in the air (humidity) can make the itching and infection worse.
If you use too much clotrimazole cream, spray or solution or use it more often than you need to, it may make your skin irritated or red.
You typically apply the antifungal twice a day for 10 to 14 days. To treat the itch, it often helps to apply a wet, cool washcloth to the area for 20 to 30 minutes. You may need to apply cool compresses 2 to 6 times a day.
That's too bad about the ringworm! To disinfect white or safely bleachable colored laundry, wash in the hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox® Regular Bleach2. For extra-large or heavily soiled laundry, use up to 1 ¼ cups.