Ringworm on face or tinea faciei is a common fungal infection of the most outer skin layer of the face. Tinea infections or more popularly known as ringworm, because of the ring-like symptoms that can appear everywhere on the body, are very common infections. The doctors usually add one more word to the Latin name Tine to indicate where the fungus is located and according to this, beside tinea faciei or ringworm on face, ringworm infection can be divided into:
- Tinea capitis – ringworm of the scalp
- Tinea barbae – beard ringworm
- Tinea manuum – ringworm of the hands and palm area
- Tinea unguium – ringworm of the fingernails and toenails
- Tinea corporis – ringworm of the body
- Tinea cruris (jock itch) – ringworm of the groin area
- Tinea pedis (athlete’s foot) – ringworm of the feet
The cause of this skin infection is a type of fungi that commonly live on skin’s surface or hair. These fungi are called dermatophytes and can be found everywhere and it is often very difficult or sometimes impossible to identify the source of the fungus. In children and women, facial ringworm can appear on any part of the face, while in men it usually affects the bearded part of the face and it’s known as beard ringworm (tinea barbae). Ringworm on face can affect people of all ages, of all races, and of both sexes. However, it is more common in warmer, more humid climates and it is most frequently seen in adults aged 20 – 40. People with suppressed immune systems (eg, due to diabetes, leukemia, or HIV/AIDS) are more susceptible to ringworm or any other type of ringworm or may have more severe forms of the disease.
Ringworm On Face Signs and Symptoms
Tinea faciale or ringworm on face, may be passed to humans by direct contact with infected people (anthropophilic), infected animals (zoophilic), contaminated objects (such as towels or sheets), or in rare cases, by the soil (geophilic). Ringworm on face usually affects the forehead, cheeks, nose, area around the eye, and the chin. Ringworm on face appears as one or more pink-to-red scaly patches ranging in size from 1 to 5 cm. The border of the affected skin may be raised and may contain bumps, blisters, or scabs. The centre of the lesion has normal-appearing skin with a ring-shaped edge. Facial ringworm can be itchy, and it may get worse or feel sunburned after exposure to the sun, and scratching it may cause the lesion to spread further, across the cheeks and chin. This infection is often confused with other itchy, red rashes on the face, such as atopic dermatitis or eczema.
Diagnosis And Treatment Of Ringworm On Face
If you suspect that you have ringworm on face the best would be to visit your doctor. Ringworm on face can be confirmed in three ways, by KOH test or a culture. Your doctor may take skin scrapings or samples from the infected area and look at them under a microscope. This procedure is known as a potassium hydroxide (KOH) test. If a sample shows fungus, treatment may include antifungal medications. If the test is negative but your doctor still suspects that you have ringworm, a sample may be sent to the laboratory for testing and this test is known as a culture. Your doctor may also order a culture if your condition doesn’t respond to any treatment just to be sure because if the diagnose is wrong the treatment would be also wrong.
Once the diagnosis of ringworm on face is confirmed, your doctor will probably start the treatment with an antifungal medication. Most infections can be treated with over-the-counter or prescription topical creams and lotions, including: Terbinafine, Clotrimazole, Miconazole, Econazole, Oxiconazole, Ciclopirox, Ketoconazole, Sulconazole, Naftifine (Naftin). You should apply the cream to each lesion, going at least 2 cm beyond the border of the affected skin for at least 2 weeks until the lesions are completely gone. Since ringworm is very contagious, avoid contact sports until lesions have been treated for at least 48 hours.
If the lesions do not improve after 1 or 2 weeks of applying an over-the-counter antifungal cream,
your doctor might include oral antifungal pills, such as Terbinafine, Itraconazole, Griseofulvin, Fluconazole. The ringworm should go away within 4 – 6 weeks after using effective treatment that’s why the proper diagnosis is so important. Since people often have ringworm infections on more than one body part you should examine yourself for other ringworm infections. And if you have pets, have them evaluated by a veterinarian to make sure that they do not have the same fungal infection, also. If the veterinarian discovers an infection, be sure to have the animal treated properly.
