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What is tinea versicolor?
Tinea versicolor is a fungus infection that commonly affects the skin of young people, especially the chest, back, and upper arms and legs. It doesn't usually affect the face, though. This fungus produces spots that are either lighter than surrounding skin or reddish-brown. There may be just a few spots or many.
What causes tinea versicolor?
Tinea versicolor is caused by a fungus that lives in the skin of almost all adults. This fungus 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.
When tinea versicolor produces lighter-colored spots, it may take up to several months for the color to even out between skin areas that are affected and not affected. It always eventually does, however. Tinea versicolor does not leave permanent skin discoloration.How is tinea versicolor treated?
There are many antifungal agents available to apply to the skin for the treatment of tinea versicolor. Over-the-counter (OTC) remedies include clotrimazole and miconazole. These should be applied twice a day for 10-14 days, but come in small tubes and are hard to apply to large areas. Another OTC option is selenium sulfide shampoo 1% (Selsun Blue), which is applied at night and washed it off in the morning for a week. This treatment can be irritating, however, and may lead to missing hard-to-reach spots on the mid-back.
There are also many prescription-strength antifungal creams that can treat tinea versicolor, as well as a stronger form of selenium sulfide (2.5%). However, these pose the same application problems as similar OTC products.
Oral treatment for tinea versicolor is simpler. A single dose of ketoconazole (brand name Nizoral) or five daily doses of itraconazole (brand name Sporanox) are two therapies your doctor can prescribe. Some common medications, such as Lipitor used to lower cholesterol, may interact with these drugs. So, ask your doctor about this before treating tinea versicolor with oral medications.