Skin Health Fungal, Bacterial & Viral Infections Ringworm Guide Ringworm Guide Overview Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment What Is Ringworm? By Vincent Iannelli, MD facebook Vincent Iannelli, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Iannelli has cared for children for more than 20 years. Learn about our editorial process Vincent Iannelli, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Andy Miller, MD on September 01, 2019 Andy Miller, MD, is board-certified in infectious disease and internal medicine. He is an associate professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, associate attending physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery and New York Presbyterian Hospital and a fellow of the Infectious Disease Society of America. Learn about our Medical Review Board Andy Miller, MD Updated on July 31, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Types of Ringworm Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Next in Ringworm Guide Signs that You (or Your Child) Have Ringworm Ringworm is a skin infection caused by a fungus. It's highly contagious and spreads easily by skin-to-skin contact, meaning you can get ringworm by touching someone with the infection. Ringworm also can be passed along from animals and pets, especially puppies and kittens. It's even possible to get ringworm from inanimate objects—by sharing hats, for example. Verywell / Laura Porter Research shows that fungal infections of skin and/or nails affect as much as 20 percent to 25 percent of the world's population and can affect anyone at any age. Children are especially susceptible to ringworm. Despite being so prevalent, ringworm is easy to recognize, treat, and prevent, and rarely causes serious complications. Types of Ringworm Clinical names for ringworm include tinea and dermatophytosis. The infection has nothing to do with worms. It's classified as a dermatophytic infection. The name comes from the circular shape of the ringworm rash. Ringworm also is known by other names depending on where on the body it appears. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists the following areas of the body that can be affected by ringworm:Torso, legs, or arms (tinea corporis)Feet (tinea pedis, commonly called “athlete's foot”)Groin, inner thighs, or buttocks (tinea cruris, commonly called “jock itch”)Scalp (tinea capitis)Beard (tinea barbae)Hands (tinea manuum)Toenails or fingernails (tinea unguium, also called onychomycosis) This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing. See Photo Tinea Corporis Infection (Ringworm). OGphoto / Getty Images This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing. See Photo Ringworm on Arm. alejandrophotography / Getty Images This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing. See Photo Ringworm on Leg. phanasitti / Getty Images This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing. See Photo Tinea cruris. DermNet / CC BY-NC-ND This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing. See Photo Hair loss caused by tinea capitis. DermNet / CC BY-NC-ND Ringworm Symptoms Ringworm isn't hard to recognize, although it can be confused with other skin rashes. On most parts of the body, ringworm begins as a flat, scaly lesion that gradually develops a border before extending outward to create a circular ring shape. The border is usually raised and scaly, while the central area is typically flat with fine scaling. Some ringworm infections develop vesicles (fluid-filled blisters) caused by the immune system's exaggerated response to the infection. Ringworm can look different on certain parts of the body. Athlete's foot usually causes an itchy, patchy rash with fissuring and scaling between the toes, for example. The most common symptom of tinea capitis is hair loss. There is also a rash, which can look different depending on whether the fungus gets inside the hair shaft or stays on the outside of the hair shaft. Ringworm on the scalp can also cause what is sometimes called black dot—a patch of hair loss with black dots on the scalp caused by hairs that are broken off just below the surface of the skin; gray patch, areas of hair loss with dry, scaly patches on the scalp; and kerion, areas of hair loss with boggy, thickened scalp and blisters. Ringworm Signs and Symptoms Causes Approximately 40 different species of fungi can cause ringworm, according to the CDC. The scientific names for these fungi are Trichophyton, Microsporum, and Epidermophyton. These dermatophytes survive on dead keratin, a protein in the top layer of the epidermis. Keratin also is found in the hair and nails, which is why toes, feet, and scalp are so susceptible to fungal infections. Causes and Risk Factors of Ringworm Diagnosis Ringworm infection is pretty self-apparent, given its unmistakable appearance. However, ringworm can sometimes mimic other skin conditions, including granuloma annulare, eczema, and tinea versicolor. The same can be said for infections of the scalp, which are often hard to distinguish from psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis. This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing. See Photo Granuloma annulare on the foot. DermNet / CC BY-NC-ND Ringworm Doctor Discussion Guide Get our printable guide for your next doctor's appointment to help you ask the right questions. Download PDF Email the Guide Send to yourself or a loved one. Sign Up This Doctor Discussion Guide has been sent to {{form.email}}. There was an error. Please try again. A primary care physician or dermatologist likely will be able to diagnose ringworm simply by looking at it. But when it's not clear that a fungal infection is the cause of a rash, a skin culture known as a KOH test can provide proof. This test involves taking a scraping of infected skin and looking at it under a microscope using a potassium hydroxide (KOH) stain in order to identify fungal hyphae or branches. Sometimes a doctor will use a special light called a Wood's lamp to diagnose a fungal infection. When illuminated by the light hairs affected by a fungus will show up as blue-green in color. How Ringworm Is Diagnosed Treatment When not treated properly, ringworm can lead to a number of complications (including the spread of the infection to other parts of the body, bacterial skin infections, and skin disorders such as contact dermatitis). There are numerous approaches to treating ringworm infections, depending in large part on the region of the body affected. Treatments include: Over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription topical antifungal creams or ointments applied directly to fungal lesionsAntifungal shampoos used to treat infections of the scalpOral medications for fungal infections that are resistant to topical treatments There are also a few natural approaches for treating ringworm that have shown promise in studies, including tea tree oil for athlete's foot and garlic extract. How Ringworm Is Treated A Word From Verywell Fungal infections of the skin are never pleasant. They can be itchy, uncomfortable, and even cause unsightly and stare-provoking lesions. Tinea on the head can result in bald patches. And when a fungus gets hold of fingernails or toenails, not even the most expert manicure or pedicure is likely to mask the problem. On the other hand, fungal infections almost always are easy to treat, and there are many effective steps you can take to prevent them based on common sense and good hygiene. If you, your child, or a beloved pet brings home a fungal infection, getting a prompt diagnosis, following your doctor's orders for treatment, and taking measures to protect the rest of the family from infection should be all it takes to banish tinea from your household. Signs that You (or Your Child) Have Ringworm Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fungal Diseases: Ringworm. Updated August 6, 2018. Havlickova B, Czaika VA, Friedrich M. Epidemiological trends in skin mycoses worldwide. Mycoses. 2008;51 Suppl 4:2-15. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0507.2008.01606.x InformedHealth. Athlete's foot: Overview. Updated June 14, 2018. Sentamilselvi G, Janaki C, Murugusundram S. Trichomycoses. Int J Trichology. 2009;1(2):100–107. doi:10.4103/0974-7753.58552 Raugi G & Nguyen TU. Chapter 22: Superficial Dermatophyte Infections of the Skin. In: Netter's Infectious Diseases. Ed., Jong EC & Stevens DL. 2012:102-109. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4377-0126-5.00022-7 Gupta AK, Macleod MA, Foley KA, Gupta G, Friedlander SF. Fungal Skin Infections. Pediatr Rev. 2017;38(1):8-22. doi:10.1542/pir.2015-0140 Tabassum N, Hamdani M. Plants used to treat skin diseases. Pharmacogn Rev. 2014;8(15):52–60. doi:10.4103/0973-7847.125531 Phillips TG, Slomiany WP, Allison R. Hair Loss: Common Causes and Treatment. Am Fam Physician. 2017;96(6):371-378. Additional Reading Andrews, MD, Burns, M. "Common Tinea Infections in Children." Am Fam Physician. 2008 May 15;77(10):1415-20. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Definition of Ringworm." Dec 6, 2015. Havlickova B, Czaika, VA, Friedrich, M. "Epidemiological Trends in Skin Mycoses Worldwide." Mycoses. 2008 Sep;51 Suppl 4:2-15. DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0507.2008.01606.x. Mounsey, AL and Reed, SW. "Diagnosing and Treating Hair Loss." American Family Physician. Aug 15, 2009. 80.4(2009), 356-362.