Tinea Versicolor

What Is Tinea Versicolor?

Tinea versicolor is a skin infection which is reasonably common, and can unpleasant, itchy or unsightly. Many sufferers of this condition are eager to find a cure.  Tinea versicolor is extremely common in some areas - it is believed to affect some 50% of the population of Western Samoa, and maybe as many as 8% of US residents.

Tinea Versicolor: Causes And Symptoms

Tinea versicolor has a close association with environment, being found almost exclusively in hot, humid areas. Strictly speaking the ’cause’ isn’t the heat but a yeast. The yeast is known by its latin name ‘pityrosporum ovale’. However, this yeast is present on everybody’s skin in small quantities, and doesn’t cause the slightest problem until the climate is perfect for it to grow.
Neither the weather alone, nor the yeast alone, would cause tinea versicolor - it is the combination that strikes.

The symptoms of tinea versicolor include spots, flaky skin, a change in the color of the skin, and itching. Depending on the sufferer, the change in skin color from tinea versicolor can involve either increased or decreased levels of color - this is what your doctor means if she talks about ‘hyperpigmentation’ and ‘hypopigmentation’ respectively. These patches can afflict many parts of the body, although it is the torso and arms that are most commonly hit by tinea versicolor.

One way to tell the patches caused by tinea versicolor apart from those linked to other skin diseases is by the sharp borders around them. It is also notable that those suffering from tinea versicolor will sweat profusely.

Treatment And Prevention Options

There is no permanent cure for tinea versicolor, but it can be managed effectively. One apparently affective folk remedy for preventing recurrence is using anti-dandruff shampoo in bath-water, but this is only moderately successful.

Any particular incident of tinea versicolor can be cured with anti-fungal treatments, either applied to the skin or taken orally. The oraly-applied treatments are much less hassle, and hence more popular than skin treatments. Fuconazole, itraconazole and ketoconazole can all be used for this.

Treatments applied directly to the affected area of skin may be more effective than pills taken orally, at least in terms of the length of time for which they are effective. However, they often require the sufferer to cover their body in cream several times a day, a process which is highly inconvenient. A wide range of anti fungal agents are appropriate for this treatment. Selenium sulphide is the most popular, and selenium sulphide lotion is widely available as a tinea versicolor cure.

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