Skin Health Fungal, Bacterial & Viral Infections Ringworm Guide Ringworm Guide Overview Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Ringworm: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment How to Identify and Treat Ringworm By Vincent Iannelli, MD 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 Updated on April 15, 2022 Medically reviewed by Ronald Lubelchek, MD Medically reviewed by Ronald Lubelchek, MD LinkedIn Ronald Lubelchek, MD, is a board-certified infectious disease specialist in Chicago, Illinois. He previously served as the Medical Director for Cook County’s ambulatory HIV clinic, one of the largest HIV clinics in the U.S. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Types of Ringworm Symptoms What Causes Ringworm? Diagnosis Treatment Next in Ringworm Guide Symptoms of 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 objects—by sharing hats, for example. Research shows that fungal infections of skin and/or nails affect as much as 20% to 25% of the world's population and can affect anyone at any age. Children are especially susceptible to ringworm. Ringworm is easy to recognize, treat, and prevent, and rarely causes serious complications. Verywell / Laura Porter Types of Ringworm What is ringworm? The name of the ringworm rash comes from its circular shape—it has nothing to do with worms. It is a fungal infection that can affect the skin, hair, and nails. Clinical names for ringworm include tinea and dermatophytosis. Ringworm also is known by other names according to 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) What You Need to Know About Ringworm on Your Eyelid 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 once it develops its characteristic circular rash. Sometimes, though, ringworm symptoms can be confused with other skin rashes. On most parts of the body, ringworm starts out as a flat, scaly lesion that gradually develops a border before extending outward to create a circular ring shape. On lighter skin, the rash can appear red, but on darker skin tones, it could be brown or even gray in color. The border of the rash 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, for example, usually causes an itchy, patchy rash with cracking (fissuring) and scaling between the toes. Ringworm on the scalp (tinea capitis) also has unique symptoms. The most common symptom is hair loss. This can be accompanied by 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. Hair loss may also be accompanied by boggy, thickened skin and blisters on the scalp, a condition called kerion. On the scalp, the ringworm rash can look different depending on whether the fungus gets inside the hair shaft or stays on the outside. Ringworm Signs and Symptoms What Causes Ringworm? 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 the toes, feet, and scalp are so susceptible to fungal infections. Causes and Risk Factors of Ringworm 1:25 Click Play to Learn All About Ringworm This video has been medically reviewed by Casey Gallagher, MD. 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 healthcare provider's appointment to help you ask the right questions. Download PDF 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. 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 healthcare provider 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 Ringworm doesn't always go away on its own and should be treated. 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. Ringworm Treatment Options Outlook Fungal infections of the skin 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 healthcare provider'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. Symptoms of Ringworm 8 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. 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. 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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Definition of Ringworm." Andrews, MD, Burns, M. "Common Tinea Infections in Children." Am Fam Physician. 2008 May 15;77(10):1415-20. 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. By Vincent Iannelli, MD 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. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? 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