How a Dermatologist Determines Tinea Versicolor
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What It Is
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Tinea versicolor is a fungal infection on the skin that takes the form of discolored patches that can be scaly and slightly raised up. The discoloration depends on your skin tone, but the patches can be anywhere from white to pink to dark brown. They might itch or, rarely, be painful to the touch.
Tinea versicolor is caused by Malassezia furfur, a yeast, and is related to athlete's foot and ringworm. It's most common when it's warm and humid. It affects only the very top layer of the skin. Its biggest drawback is its unsightliness, but it also prevents skin from tanning all over, exacerbating the uneven coloring.
Diagnosis
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Your dermatologist can diagnose tinea versicolor by looking at it, though he might want to look at your skin under ultraviolet light to see it better. A dermatologist might even analyze skin scrapings under a microscope to be sure.
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Treatment
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If small patches of tinea versicolor aren't treated, they can spread and combine to form larger patches, even covering parts of the body, especially the back and the chest. Dermatologists will usually prescribe a topical antifungal, such as ketoconazole or ciclopirox. These can come in the form of a cream, gel, lotion or shampoo.
Alternatively, your dermatologist might prescribe a pill form of one of these drugs. This is usually done only in severe or persistent cases, though, as they can have bad side effects.
Prevention
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Even after your tinea versicolor is treated and has disappeared, it can always come back. To prevent future occurrences, you can use a ketoconazole or selenium shampoo (such as Selsun Blue) to wash your body once a month or every other month to keep the fungus at bay.
The discoloration can linger for several months after treatment.
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References
- Photo Credit mugua_q0_0p/flickr.com
