Tinea versicolor

Tinea versicolor (say "TIH-nee-uh VER-sih-kuh-ler") is a fungal infection that causes many small, flat spots on the skin. The spots may form patches, usually on parts of the upper body like the chest and neck. In children, this often involves the face. The spots can be lighter or darker than the skin around them.

Symptoms include small, flat spots that frequently form patches. They might itch. The patches often occur on the chest, upper arms, or neck. The spots can be lighter or darker than the skin around them. They may be white, pink, red, tan, brown, purple, or gray-black.

Your doctor often can tell if you have tinea versicolor by looking at the spots.

The doctor may look at a sample (scraping) of the infected skin under a microscope. The test used most often for this is the KOH test. Or the doctor may use a special light called a Wood's lamp to look closely at your spots. Both of these tests can show whether the problem is caused by a fungus.

Tinea versicolor can be treated with medicines put on the skin. Treatment kills the fungi quickly and keeps the rash from spreading. But it can take months for the spots to disappear and for your skin color to return to normal.

Your doctor will talk with you about what kind of product may work best for you. These may include antifungal cream, ointment, foam, or shampoo. You may need to use these products on your skin for 1 to 2 weeks or longer.

Shampoos can be used on the body as well as the head and may be easier to use than creams or foams. Selsun Blue or Head and Shoulders are over-the-counter shampoos that may help treat tinea versicolor. They aren't as strong as prescription medicines and may not work as well.

You may need pills if the rash doesn't get better or covers a lot of your body.

• Follow the directions for use of creams, shampoos, or solutions. You will probably need to use them on your child for 1 to 2 weeks. If your child's skin gets irritated, stop using the product, and call the doctor.
• Dry your child well after bathing. Keep your child's skin dry.
• If the rash keeps coming back, you may want to use a cream, shampoo, or solution once a month on your child.