Tinea Versicolor- Treatment

Basic skin care

Avoid applying oil or cosmetic with oily products to your skin

Avoid wearing tight, restrictive or non aerating clothes

Avoid excessive sun exposure

When tinea versicolor is mild, over the counter products will help. The topical chemicals that can be used to treat the mild tinea are:

- any shampoo containing Selenium sulfide shampoo (Selsun Blue)

- Miconazole (Micatin)

- Clotrimazole (Lotrimin)

- Terbinafine (Lamisil)

- Ciclopirox (Loprox) cream, gel or lotion

- Ketoconazole (Nizoral) cream or shampoo

Selenium compounds can either be applied each night or for 10 minutes each day and the skin area should be washed and dried. The topical agent is applied twice a day for 2-3 weeks. If no change in the rash occurs after this time period, a stronger medication is required.

When the topical chemicals fail, the oral anti fungals may help. These include:

- Ketoconazole (Nizoral) tablets

- Itraconazole (Sporanox) capsules

- Fluconazole (Diflucan) tablets

Ketoconazole (Nizoral) tablets are taken once a month and Itraconazole (Sporanox) is taken for a whole month.

Even after completing the course of oral medications, the skin discoloration may not change for several weeks after that. To increases the chance of a cure, avoid hot humid weather. Some individuals, who develop recurrences, may require treatment more frequently.

Tinea versicolor is a harmless skin discoloration and not contagious. It rarely produces any symptoms. After resolution, there are no scars or changes in texture. In the majority of cases, the rash resolves in 1-2 months. For those who are not keen on medical therapy, patience and avoidance of hot humid weather may suffice.

Dietary alterations have not shown any improvement in the cure of tinea versicolor.