How To Get Rid Of Ringworm: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

September 28, 2017

Harley McQuinn

How To Get Rid Of Ringworm: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

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Do you know?

70% of the United States population experience at least one episode of ringworm in their lifetime.

20-25% of the world’s population have ringworm, making them one of the most frequent forms of superficial fungal skin infection worldwide [1].

According to some statistics, the disease has a relatively high incidence, ranked second after eczema in the total number of patients examined at dermatology clinics.

Though ringworm is contagious, luckily it is not difficult to identify and treat. By going through this article, you will understand fully what ringworm is and how to get rid of ringworm.

What does ringworm look like?

Ringworm is a skin disorder condition. Its lesion image is described as flat, red, scaly, circular patches with a distinct boundary around, differentiate them to the remaining normal area of skin.

Ringworm stages depend on its location. Usually, the early ringworm is red patches with several blisters developing or starting to ooze. At this time, ringworm can be hurt and itchy. Later then, these patches expand and form a roughly red circular border outside, resembling the image of a ring, as mentioned in its name.

The ring is redder on the outside edges. The inner of the ring may appear pink or unusual dark or light, or even with normal skin tone in the center, scaly with some blisters, or irritated with red bumps. Sometimes, there are several rings develop together and may overlap so that the contour of ring may be quite irregular.

Besides body skin, you may experience ringworm in nails and scalp as well. Their symptoms are quite different from ringworm on the skin. While ringworm on the skin is scaly rashes which appears as round, red patches, ringworm in nails make your nails thicker, discolored (white for fingernails and yellow for toenails) and brittle. If your scalp is affected by ringworm, the hair of affected areas will fall off, leaving bald areas on your head.

Types of ringworm and pictures

There are many different types of ringworm that affect different parts of our body. However, in this article, I would like to divide them into three main categories. They are body skin, nails, and scalp.

The general medical name of ringworm is Tinea. To call a specific type of ringworm, the doctor always uses Tinea as the prefix and the suffix is named after the part of body that has ringworm infection.

Ringworm on the body skin

There are five common types of ringworm belong to this group.

  • Tinea Faciei is ringworm on the face, except the beard area.
  • Tinea Corporis is ringworm of the trunk, often in exposed areas like abdomen, limbs (like ringworm on leg, ringworm in armpit) or neck. This type is common at any age in both genders.
  • Tinea Manus or Tinea Manuum is ringworm on hands and ringworm on finger, commonly in the palms and the spaces between fingers.
  • Tinea Cruris (or usually called “jock itch”) is ringworm of the groin and surrounding areas like inner thighs and buttocks. The ringworm infection often starts from the folds of groin, then extends down to one or both thighs.
  • Tinea Pedis (or usually called “athlete’s foot”) is ringworm of the foot, especially the spaces between the third and the fourth or the fourth and the fifth toe.

type of ringworm

Image source: https://www.healthline.com

Usually, Tinea Corporis has typical lesion with classical ring-shaped image while Tinea Faciei and Tinea Manus do not. Most of time, Tinea Faciei appears as red scaly patches with indistinct edges. Tinea Manus is well-known for the thickening of the damaged skin, called hyperkeratosis. Hyperkeratosis is a medical term for the abnormal thickening of the outer layer of the skin.

Tinea Crusis’ lesion includes reddish-brown, scaly, flat patches with blisters at the edges. The shape of these patches is round, oval or multi-bow image, from the center to the periphery of a patch. This type is very itchy, especially when sweating.

Tinea Pedis is the most common ringworm infection with the highest incidence, occurs to one in every five adults and the incidence increases with age from adolescence. There are two forms of the disorder. One is scaly form, in which the soles and heels become red and very scaly. The other form is interstitial inflammation, in which the toe webs become itchy, burning and irritating [1], [2][3].

Tinea Pedis may come in association with other ringworm infection like Tinea Cruris and Tinea Manus.

Ringworm in nails

Ringworm in nails is called Tinea Unguium or Onychomycosis. It is also a common disorder of the nails, in both fingernails and toenails. As we use our hand to touch on every part of the body, ringworms in nails very contagious and may lead to ringworm on skin and scalp.

This condition tends to occur to the ones who use artificial nails because emery boards may cause infection and water easily stay under these artificial nails, making them perfect environment for infection to develop.

ringworm in toenails

Usually, the damage starts from the free edge of the nail, then spread to the root of nail. Firstly, the infected nail turns yellow, loses its glossiness and becomes thicker. Underneath the nail builds up a keratin structure. The nail becomes brittle [1], [2], [3].

Ringworm of the scalp

Ringworm of the scalp is Tinea Capitis. This type tends to affect children and adolescence. There are four common types of Tinea Capitis.

  • Tinea Capitis Favus is characterized by are small yellow scales and special smell of shrew. Sometimes, scales look like normal dandruff but temp to form in plaques. Removing these plaques leaves tiny holes like ones resulting of needles.
  • Tinea Capitis Kerion de Celse is characterized by pus and inflammation. The damage area is large and usually higher than normal areas. The surface of lesion is rough and scaly with hair loss. Removing these scales leaves holes like beehive structure.
  • Tinea Capitis Trichophytie is a hair loss condition, also called Teigne Trichophytique. Hair in affected areas is broken down to scalp surface, looking closer you will see many black dots. Scaly patches can form together to larger patch with uneven broken hair.
  • Tinea Capitis Microsporie is a hair broken condition. Hair in affected areas is broken to approximately 5 – 8mm from the scalp surface, leaving the rest of hair covered by a white layer like “wearing socks”.

Tinea Barbae

Tinea Barbae is ringworm in the beard area of the face and neck. Though it is not ringworm on scalp, it is put in this category because of some mutual characteristics. The lesion of this type is swelling and itchy areas with marked crusting. Hair in the damaged area also falls off like Tinea of the scalp.

ringworm in beard

Image sourcehttps://www.healthline.com

How do you get ringworm?

Reading or hearing this disease’s name for the first time makes many people misunderstand its condition. “Does it mean I have worms?” or “Is it caused by a worm?” is the most frequently asked questions by our patients. People tend to assume and blame on some worms as the causes of ringworm. It is not true.

The truth is, despite its creepy name, ringworm is not caused by any worm. It is the fungal infections on the surface of our skin. The most accurate word phrase for this condition is superficial fungal infections. So it is fungi to blame for, not any worm. Actually, the name is derived from the early belief that a worm was the cause and it is still widely used in the community nowadays.

There are approximately 100,000 species of fungi all over the world. The most common pathogens relevant in practice are dermatophytes, yeasts, and moulds. Dermatophytes is the main culprit of ringworm and the infection with these fungi is medically known as dermatophytosis [1].

dermatophytes under microscope

There are approximately 40 different species of dermatophytes, characterized by their capability to digest keratin. They are divided among three genera: Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. A majority of superficial fungal infections of the skin are caused by five or six species of dermatophytes, of which Trichophyton rubrum is the most common as you can see below [1]:

  • Tinea capitis (scalp): Trichophyton violaceum; T. tonsurans; T. soudanense; Microsporum canis; M. audouinii.
  • Tinea pedis (athlete’s foot): T. rubrum; T. mentagrophytes (var. interdigitale); Epidermophyton floccosum; T. rubrum; T. mentagrophytes (var. interdigit et granulosum).
  • Tinea cruris (groin): T. rubrum; T. mentagrophytes (var. interdigit et granulosum).
  • Tinea corporis (arms, legs and trunk): T. rubrum; M. canis; T. tonsurans.
  • Tinea unguium (fingernails and toenails): T. rubrum; T. mentagrophytes (var. interdigitale)

Dermatophytes can only live on the keratin layer. That’s why they are only able to live on the surface of our skin. Dermatophytes rarely invade deeper into the body and cannot live on mucous membranes such as those in the mouth or vagina.

Dermatophytes attacks the dead tissues of our skin, hair and nails, together with local bacterial infection ask our body to respond by activating the immunology system. As a result, the affected skin area becomes red, irritating and itchy. In general, dermatophytes only pervades the keratin layer. The infection is caused by metabolic products of the fungi and the late hypersensitivity of our body. Research on how to get rid of ringworm is about how to stop fungi’s metabolism, as well as the late hypersensitivity.

Favorite places of dermatophyte are warm and moist areas, such as the skin folds of the groin area or between the toes. The typical symptom of dermatophytosis is blister-like lesions in the webs of toes, on the scalp, skin, or in the nail plate. There may be a thin, fluid discharge exudes when the blisters are scratched or irritated. When the blisters dry, they leave scaly ring-shaped patches. There also can be loss of hair, change of hair color, and local inflammatory reactions.

What are the sources of dermatophytes?

This type of fungi can live for an extended period as spores in soil. People catch ringworm after direct contact with this soil.

If protected from dryness, the dermatophytes live for weeks on wooden floors of shower room or mats. It is possible to get ringworm infection after contact with locker room or pool surface. People also get the fungi by direct contact on towels, combs, hats, and numerous other types of fomites (inanimate objects).

Besides human skin and fomites’ surface, dermatophytes also lives on animal skin as well. So animals (like cattle) and pets (like dogs and cats) are great sources of infective fungi too. Actually, the animated-origin fungi (Zoophilic) even causes stronger inflammatory response than the human-origin one (Anthropophilic, which spreads from person to person).

How does ringworm spread?

Anyone can get ringworm, regardless of age, race, gender. However, this skin disease is very common among children as they are very active and have very little awareness of personal hygiene. Ringworm is very contagious. To cut off the ringworm’s path of propagation is also a topic to discuss on how to get rid of ringworm. There are four popular ways to transmit ringworm to human [3].

From person to person

You can get ringworm from infected person through skin-to-skin contact on affected areas. If you come into contact with the infected person while you are wet (like excessive sweat) or if you have minor skin injuries or scratch, the risk of developing ringworm is even greater.

From pets to human

As mentioned above, pets and cattle are also great sources of ringworm. Cats, dogs, cows, goats, pigs and horses are among the most commonly affected animals. People catch ringworm by touching the animals or touching their bedding, grooming items, saddles, carpeting…

ringworm cat bald spots ears skin

There are several signs of infective pets as:

  • Hairless patches of skin that appear circular
  • Crusty or scaly patches
  • Patches that may not be completely hairless but have brittle or broken hairs
  • Opaque or whitish areas around the claws

By touching objects

Besides skin-to-skin contact, you can get ringworm by sharing items with infected people like combs, pillows, un-wash clothing, towels and other personal care items. Those who often share items such as hairbrushes or unwashed clothing also have an increasing risk of the infection.

From soil to human

As mentioned above, infective fungi can live for weeks as spores in soil. So if you are standing barefoot on the infected soil, you may develop ringworm of the feet (athlete’s foot). Using public shower or public pool areas may also expose you to the infective fungi as well.

How to get rid of ringworm?

Warm, moist areas are the ideal environment for dermatophytes to grow so that the best way to get rid of ringworm is often directed at changing the conditions of the skin environment. What you need to kill ringworm depends on where the infection is and how bad it is on your body.

In fact, there are many ways to get rid of ringworm. Commercial powder dries the diseased area, while ointments and creams change the pH to make the area inhospitable for the fungus. Certain acids such as undecylenic acid and mixture of acetic acid and benzoic acid are active against the fungi. Tolnaftate (Tinactin) and miconazole (Micatin) are useful as topical agents for infections not involving the nails and hair. Griseofulvin, administered orally, is highly effective chemotherapeutic agent for severe dermatophytosis.

Here I would like to classify treatments for ringworm in human into two main categories. They are medication for ringworm and natural ways to get rid of ringworm.

How to get rid of ringworm – medication for ringworm treatment

If you are going to use medication for ringworm, make sure you consult a healthcare professional before using it. Many people will seek for a dermatologist. This is totally correct. Besides, you can consult primary-care specialists, including internists, pediatricians (for ringworm in a child), and family medicine specialists too, because ringworm is also included in their field of treatment. If the ringworm becomes more complicated, such as secondary bacterial skin infection, you may also need to seek for an infectious disease specialist for his/her opinion on how to get rid of ringworm with secondary bacterial infection.

Your doctor will prescribe various medications depending on the severity of your ringworm infection. In most cases, you will be recommended over the counter (OTC) medications that you can buy at local drugstore without a prescription.

In general, jock itch, athlete’s foot and ringworm on the skin can be treated with topical medications (external application) such as creams, ointments, gels or sprays. Best ringworm cream and ringworm products usually contain one of these substances – clotrimazole, terbinafine, miconazole, ketoconazole or related ones – in the composition. They are over the counter ringworm treatments or OTC ringworm treatments but it is still better to consult your doctor for the most suitable one [4].

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For ringworm of the scalp, ringworm in nails or severe ringworm like multi-position ringworm, extensive ringworm and ringworm that keeps repeating many times, OTC treatments may be not enough. You will need to take systemic medications (like oral medication for ringworm) together with OTC medications. Your doctor may prescribe an antifungal medication for you. Griseofulvin used to be the only antifungal tablets in a long times and was always mentioned in topics of how to get rid of ringworm.

Besides, there are other safer and more effective ringworm medications nowadays, such as terbinafine, ketoconazole (Sporanox), itraconazole, fluconazole (Diflucan) for ringworm. The presence of these agents make the treatment of ringworm more flexible with better compatibility to each patient [2].

Many times we received questions like “How to get rid of ringworm fast?”, “How to get rid of ringworm in 24 hours?” or “How to get rid of jock itch overnight?”. Unfortunately the answer is can not. Though ringworm is not hard to treat, it still takes time for your body to respond to the treatments. In most cases, you will have to take the topical treatment for two to four weeks and one to three months for systemic treatment.

Should you recover ringworm or not, you still have to complete your dose and strictly follow the instructions of doctor. It is to make sure that all the infective fungus was killed, also to lower the chance of ringworm coming back.

How to get rid of ringworm naturally – Home remedies for ringworm

Let’s discuss on how to get rid of ringworm naturally. There are many ringworm home treatments and ringworm remedies to help you get rid of ringworm better together with medication. You will be surprised that most of the remedies are familiar ingredients which can be easily found in your kitchen or at a local organic store such as apple vinegar, tea tree oil, coconut oil, jojoba and lavender oil.

Most of these remedies have anti-fungal properties that prevent fungi from growing and thriving. However, it is better to consult a dermatologist for the most suitable remedy to your skin.

Bleaching for ringworm (not recommend)

Bleach is a familiar household product to everyone. Every day we use bleach to remove stains from sheets, towels and white clothes. Dilute bleach is also used to remove mold and mildew in bathrooms and to sanitize toilet.

So how does bleach kill ringworm? The key component of bleach is sodium hypochlorite which has impressive cleaning capacity. Chlorine makes bleach have anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effect [5].

However, this is not a perfect ringworm home treatment because it can cause irritation and burns to your skin, especially if you have sensitive skin. Its harmful effects are the reason why we do not recommend bleach as treatment for ringworm in human. You can use it to kill ringworm on your belongings (combs, hats, shoes, clothes, bed-sheet, pillows, towels…) by washing them in bleach, very effectively. But it is not what to put on ringworm on your body if you have other options.

However, if you do not have any other ringworm remedy or medication besides bleach. Hereunder are some suggestions to make it less harmful to your skin.

  • First, you have to dilute bleach with baking soda and water at proportion of baking soda : bleach : water is 1:2:3.
  • Dip the cotton swab in and apply the solution on the affected area. Be careful not to get the bleach on the surrounding area.
  • If you feel any discomfort or irritating, rinse the area immediately into the water. Otherwise, let it dry naturally.
  • Reapply this once every day after washing off the previous day’s bleach with soap and water

Remember this is only temporary solution and is not recommended. Stop using bleach once you have safer options.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) for ringworm

In contrast to bleach, apple cider vinegar (ACV) is an effective ringworm home treatment and safe to human skin, especially for ringworm of the body like ringworm on face, ringworm on hands and ringworm on legs. It is considered as the best home remedy on how to get rid of ringworm.

Apple cider vinegar contains some vitamins such as B1, B2, B6, C and small amounts of mineral sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Most importantly, it contains significant quantities of acetic acid which is a natural anti-fungal agent and is very effective to kill ringworm [6].

All you need are undiluted apple vinegar and a cotton ball. Put few drops of undiluted ACV (raw and organic only) on the cotton and apply all over ringworm patches. Depending on the size of ringworm, you can use a q-tip instead of cotton ball. Another option is to keep apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle and spray on the infected areas. Then let them dry naturally. It is recommended to apply ACV on infected areas three to four times per day to see the improvement.

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If apple cider vinegar is not available, you can replace it with white vinegar or other acid acetic-component solutions. The usage of those solutions is the same as of ACV. However, apple cider vinegar is still more powerful because of its special fermentation techniques that provide more antioxidants. This will restore the pH balance for the skin, reduce inflammation and prevent ringworm infection from coming back. This also explains why it is best to use organic and raw ACV only.

The most common side effect of using apple cider vinegar for ringworm is skin burning. In this case, apple cider vinegar may be uncomfortable, especially for children. To solve this problem, the vinegar can be diluted with water at proportion of 1:1. Alternately, you can use coconut oil or tea tree oil on the ringworm infection after the apple cider vinegar has dried.

Tea tree oil for ringworm

Tea tree essential oil is extracted from leaves and bark of Melaleuca alternifolia (the tea tree) is one of the best anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and a powerful germicide. Tea tree is traditionally used in Australia for medical purpose. It is a topical medication that can cure several skin infections.

In August 2002, tea tree oil is noted in the “Australasian Journal of Dermatology” as being an effective treatment for ringworm, removing infective fungi in four weeks of treatment for more than 64 percent of ringworm cases.

How to get rid of ringworm by tea tree oil? You simply mix the oil and water in equal proportion. Apply this mixture to the infected areas by cotton ball. Repeat the process two or three times per day. You can use it for a month to cure ringworm.

Remember to buy tea tree oil from trustworthy sources only, like a health food store or natural health center. Because oxidized tea tree oil can be highly irritating to human skin and could trigger various skin allergies. Also, tea tree oil must never be ingested as it can be fatal.

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Coconut oil for ringworm

Many studies have shown pure coconut oil has anti-fungal properties which could be used as ringworm remedy. Besides, coconut oil has soothing and softening effects to relieve the itchy sensation.

For general ringworm: Apply some coconut oil on the infected areas and let it stay for the whole night. This helps reduce the spreading of infection.

For ringworm of the scalp: Coconut oil works best in treating ringworm of the scalp. This remedy is simply used by applying in the hair before you go to bed in the evening. Wash your scalp in the following morning to remove the build-up and residues.

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Jojoba and lavender oil for ringworm

Lavender oil contains anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agent that can reduce fungal spores and heal ringworm. Wax esters found in jojoba also has anti-inflammatory properties which play important role in skin treatment.

To use these ointments for ringworm, you need to mix a few drops each of jojoba and lavender oil. Apply it to the infected skin. This is a helpful and soothing remedy to cure ringworm patches.

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When should you go to the doctor for ringworm?

In most cases, ringworm healing time is two to four weeks with proper treatment. If the ringworm infection has lasted for more than one month, or if you see it is not responding to the OTC ringworm treatments and ringworm natural remedies, or if the infected areas become more severe, it’s time to set an appointment with your doctor. Your symptoms need to be investigated.

There are many reasons for this.

Firstly, the current OTC ringworm treatments and ringworm natural remedies may be not suitable and not strong enough to kill your ringworm. The doctor will check your skin’s condition and prescribe proper and stronger antifungal medication to clear up ringworm infection. Most people respond positively to the treatment.

Secondly, your skin disease may not be a type of ringworm. There are other skin conditions with similar lesions and symptoms to ringworm, such as nummular eczema, spider bites, Lyme disease (a more serious infection that appears as a bull’s-eye shaped rash). However, they are not caused by fungal infection so that they require different treatments. You need to consult a medical professional to distinguish ringworm from other skin diseases.

Then, how is ringworm diagnosed? Most of the time, ringworm is easily diagnosed from its typical location and appearance. Otherwise, your doctor needs to do some skin tests to make the conclusion. He/she may use a black light to scan the skin of affected areas. If you’re infected by a fungus, the areas will glow under the light.

Also, the doctor may take your skin sample or discharge from blisters and send to a lab to confirm whether it is fungal positive or not. This method is called skin biopsy or fungal culture. Or else you may take a potassium hydroxide (KOH) exam, the doctor will take a small area of infected skin and put it in potassium hydroxide (KOH). The liquid destroys normal cells and leaves the fungal cells remain, which makes it easier for the fungus to be spotted under a microscope [4].

If you are experiencing a severe ringworm (like wide-spreading, very irritating, swell and discharge a lot), it may due to secondary bacterial skin infection. Usually, we do not use antibiotics to treat ringworm. As antibiotics are used to get rid of bacteria only, they do not work on ringworm, which is a fungal infection.

However, for secondary bacterial skin infection, your lesions are caused by both bacteria and fungus, which requires the combination of both anti-fungal medications and antibiotics in treatment. As the treatment is very complicated, it is compulsory to follow the doctor’s instruction to maximize the effectiveness and minimize the antibiotic resistance.

Above are just some situations we frequently meet in patients. Your condition may be different, make sure you consult a doctor before jumping to any conclusion.

How to prevent ringworm?

Your environment and lifestyle play important role in pathogenic and transmission mechanism of ringworm. If your condition does not improve though you have tried many medications or remedies, your environment and lifestyle might be what to blame for.

Mostly, the infection comes from contact with animals and lack of proper hygiene. Ringworm prevention is mostly about practicing healthy and hygienic behaviors.

Conclusion

As we have discussed a lot on how to get rid of ringworm, here are some highlights to keep in mind. Firstly, ringworm is very contagious but it can be cured completely with appropriate treatment. Ringworm on the body skin typically goes away after two to four weeks of treatment, leaving no after-effects. While ringworm of the scalp and ringworm in nails may require treatments for a few months.

Complications are rare, mostly are secondary bacterial skin infection and widespread fungal infection. If you are experiencing this, please find a doctor, he/she will surely help you remove ringworm with correct treatment.

get rid of ringworm

 

Question and Answer

Can ringworm spread all over your body?

Yes. Ringworm is very contagious. It is a condition of superficial fungal infection which is caused by dermatophytes, a type of fungi. Dermatophytes’ familiar home is the keratin layer. So basically, wherever has keratin layer, it has possibility to develop ringworm, including skin, hair (scalp) and nails.

Can you get a fever with ringworm?

Fever is not a common symptom of ringworm. Dermatophytes – the cause of ringworm are only able to live on the surface of our skin. It rarely invades deeper into the body and cannot live on mucous membranes such as those in the mouth or vagina. So it is typical for external and local symptoms while fever is a systemic symptom and needs to be monitored closely. Check your body temperature regularly, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and come to a clinic or hospital for further investigation.

What parasite causes ringworm? What bacteria causes ringworm?

Ringworm is a skin disease. Reading or hearing this disease’s name for the first time makes many people misunderstand the cause of it. People tend to assume and blame on some worms, parasites or bacteria. It is not true. The infection is caused by fungi, not by any parasite, any worm nor bacteria. So it is no use of taking antibiotics to cure ringworm.

However, some parasite and bacterial can worsen the ringworm infection like Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, called secondary bacterial skin infection. In this case, the treatment needs to combine both anti-fungal medication and antibiotics to get rid of the infection. As the treatment is very complicated, it is compulsory to follow the doctor’s instruction to maximize the effectiveness and minimize the antibiotic resistance or any complication later.

Remember: Do not overuse antibiotics to treat ringworm!

What causes ringworm in babies? What should you notice if your baby gets ringworm?

Anyone can get ringworm, regardless of age, race, gender, even in babies. Most of the time, your baby get ringworm probably from contact with an infected person or pets or infected items. If he/she can walk, he/she could also get ringworm from toddling around barefoot in infected areas. Also, excess sweating condition increases the chance of getting ringworm as well.

Because ringworm may be very itchy, your baby will scratch his/her skin all the time which develops the secondary bacterial skin infection at higher risk than in the adult. So it is a good idea to keep his nails short, put mittens and socks on his/her hand to prevent him/her directly scratch on infected areas.

Also, please keep your baby at home during the treatment, in order to not spread ringworm to other children at daycare.

Does Lysol kill ringworm?

My answer to the question is the same to bleach. The main component of Lysol includes Ethanol/SD Alcohol, a highly flammable fluid, and Isopropyl alcohol, which is partly responsible for Lysol’s odor. These two chemicals make Lysol become a strong disinfectant that removes odor, carbon dioxide, benzalkonium chloride, and 2-phenylphenol. You can use it to kill ringworm on surroundings (combs, hats, shoes, clothes, bed-sheet, pillows, towels…) by washing them in bleach, very effectively. But it is not what to put on ringworm of your body if you have other option.

How long does it take for ringworm to go away?

Ringworm is very contagious but it can be cured completely with appropriate treatment. Ringworm on the body skin typically goes away after two to four weeks of treatment, leaving no after-effects. While ringworm of the scalp and ringworm in nails may require treatments for a few months. If the ringworm infection has had no improvement for more than one month, it’s time to set an appointment with your doctor. Your symptoms need to be investigated.

How do you keep ringworm from spreading?

Besides medication treatments and ringworm remedies, your lifestyle and hygienic behaviors also play a crucial role on how to get rid of ringworm and how to prevent ringworm from spreading. Keep your environment and your body clean and dry, keep the fungal resources far away, ask for instruction of a healthcare professional are mainly what you need to do.

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