What is tinea versicolor? What are symptoms of tinea versicolor?
Tinea versicolor is a common fungal infection that often affects adolescents and young adults. The term versicolor refers to the fact that it causes the affected skin to change color and become either lighter or darker than surrounding skin. The most common areas it affects are the shoulders, back, and chest. At times, it can affect folds of skin, such as the crook of the arm, the skin under the breasts, or the groin. The face is usually spared, although sometimes children can get it there. There may be just a few spots or so many that it gives the appearance that the affected skin is normal while the unaffected skin around it seems to have a problem.
What causes tinea versicolor?
Tinea versicolor is caused by a yeast called Malassezia furfur that lives in the skin of most adults. This exists in two forms, one of which causes visible spots. Factors that can cause the fungus to become more visible include high humidity and immune or hormone abnormalities. However, almost all people with this very common condition are perfectly healthy.
Because the tinea versicolor fungus is part of the normal adult skin, this condition is not contagious. It often recurs after treatment, but usually not right away, so that treatment needs to be repeated only every year or two.
Tinea versicolor patches that are brown or reddish-brown go right away after treatment. When this condition produces spots that are lighter than the surrounding skin, it may take several months for overall color to even out. It always eventually does. Tinea versicolor does not leave permanent skin discoloration.
What happens after the tinea versicolor has been treated?
The rash of tinea versicolor tends to linger even after successful treatment, especially if the spots are lighter than surrounding skin. This persistent discoloration often leads people to think that the condition is still present long after it has been eradicated. It may take months for skin color to blend and look normal, but it always does. The red or brown variety of rash, on the other hand, clears up visually right away. It is, therefore, a good idea to have the condition treated as soon as new spots appear so that any discoloration lasts as short a time as possible.
Recurrence of the rash is all but inevitable, though it won’t recur necessarily every year.
hi i had this skin problem its realy suck to have this what the best treathment i need to do i could make it back to normal.
thanks for good suggestion, but i’m still confused with eliminate spot
one more things after the treated how we know it’s gone