Tinea Versicolor: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

 

A common fungal infection of the skin is called tinea versicolor. The fungus causes tiny, discolored patches on the skin by interfering with its normal pigmentation. These patches, which usually affect the trunk and shoulders, might have a tint that is lighter or darker than the surrounding skin.

A fungal skin infection is known as tinea versicolor. It results from an overabundance of yeast growing on your skin. The majority of people with tinea versicolor recover completely with treatment. Pityriasis versicolor is another name for tinea versicolor.

What is Tinea versicolor?

Skin discoloration is a common side effect of tinea versicolor, a fungal illness. Individuals who have tinea versicolor may get brown, red, yellow, pink, or white spots. It results from an overabundance of a type of yeast (fungus) that is normally present on your skin. Sun exposure, dampness, and hot weather can exacerbate tinea versicolor. It can be a little itchy, but it's not dangerous or infectious. The most typical places to find tinea versicolor are on your upper chest, back, and shoulders.

Oral or topical antifungal medications are used by medical professionals to treat the illness. There are certain over-the-counter treatments. Most patients with tinea versicolor fully recover with treatment. 

Also Read: Fungal infection (Mycosis): Types, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

Symptoms:

Signs and symptoms of tinea versicolor include:

• Patches of discolored skin that typically seem lighter or darker than usual on the back, chest, neck, and upper arms.
• Mild scratching.
• Scaling.
• Skin patches that could become dry and start to peel.
• Sections of skin that don't get tanned or darkened by the sun.
• Itching in or near tinea versicolor-affected skin regions.
  

Skin discoloration, typically on the abdomen, chest, and back. Anywhere on your body, you may get discolored patches that are tan, pink, yellow, brown, or white in hue.

Causes:

On healthy skin, the fungus that causes tinea versicolor is present. It is only when the fungus becomes too large that issues arise. This growth could be triggered by several factors.

Tinea versicolor is caused by an overabundance of yeast on the surface of your skin. This yeast grows uncontrollably in small colonies because it prefers warm, humid, and greasy conditions. The symptoms of tinea versicolor are brought on by these yeast colonies.

Several factors can cause yeast to proliferate uncontrollably, including:

• Changes in hormones.
• Hot, humid weather.
• Sweating.
• Oily skin.

 

How does one diagnose tinea versicolor?

Tinea versicolor can be diagnosed by medical professionals using straightforward skin testing. Your doctor may do a test in which they remove loose skin cells they think may be tinea versicolor-infected. This skin sample is inspected for yeast cells under a microscope.

A Wood lamp may also be used by your healthcare provider to evaluate your skin. This device illuminates your skin with ultraviolet (UV) light. When exposed to UV radiation, skin areas with tinea versicolor look yellow-green.

How do you treat tinea versicolor?

Although tinea versicolor might be bothersome, it is usually quite simple to treat. Topical treatments, lotions, or shampoos are used to treat tinea versicolor. Your healthcare professional may recommend oral medicine for situations of tinea versicolor that are more severe or widespread. To eradicate the fungus or prevent its growth, all of these medications contain antifungals. Antifungal medication must be used properly to guarantee a full recovery and stop recurrences.

Otc antifungal medications:

Antifungal lotions, creams, or shampoos that you may get at the pharmacy work wonders for mild cases of tinea versicolor. Before rinsing them off, you can apply these to your skin for anywhere from a few minutes to many hours.

• The drug Clotrimazole (Lotrimin AF®).
• Miconazole found in Micaderm®.
• Selsun Blue® shampoo contains selenium sulfide.
• Lamisil AT® Terbinafine.
• Soap with zinc pyrithione.

Antifungal prescription medications

The afflicted parts of your skin will receive this as a wash or cream. Your physician might suggest a topical antifungal medication like:

• Ketoconazole (either Extina® or Nizoral®).
• Ciclopirox (Penlac® or Loprox®).

If your symptoms are severe, your doctor might additionally recommend oral antifungals like:

• (Diflucan®) fluconazole.
• Itraconazole (Sporanox® or Onmel®).

Prevention:

Your doctor might prescribe a once- or twice-monthly treatment of a skin or oral medication to help prevent tinea versicolor from coming back. These might only need to be used in the warm, muggy months. Among the preventive treatments are:

• Lotion or shampoo containing 2.5 percent selenium sulfide (Selsun).
• Ketoconazole cream, gel, or shampoo (Ketoconazole, Nizoral, and other brands).
• Itraconazole pills, capsules, or oral solution (Onmel, Sporanox).
• Oral solution or tablets containing fluconazole (Diflucan).

 

References:

• Merck Manual Professional Version. Tinea versicolor (https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/dermatologic-disorders/fungal-skin-infections/tinea-versicolor). Accessed 4/13/2022.

• Tinea versicolor: Overview (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK293710/). 2019 Aug 29. In: InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. Accessed 4/13/2022.

• Bamford J, et al. Interventions for the treatment of pityriasis versicolor. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com/sp-3.14.0b/ovidweb.cgi. Accessed March 15, 2018.

• American Academy of Dermatology. Tinea versicolor (https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/color-problems/tinea-versicolor#symptoms). Accessed 4/13/2022.

• Tinea versicolor: Overview (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK293710/). 2019 Aug 29. In: InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. Accessed 4/13/2022.

• Karray M, McKinney WP. Tinea Versicolor (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482500/). 2021 Aug 11. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Accessed 4/13/2022.

• Ferri FF. Tinea versicolor. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2018. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2018. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed March 15, 2018.