You will find discoloration of skin in a number of people due to various reasons but tinea versicolor is a type of skin disorder in which patches are formed in different parts of the body and their color does not match with the skin color. Tinea versicolor occurs as a result of infection caused by fungi on your skin. Although there are several methods to treat tinea versicolor but there is always likeliness of its reappearance in future. The cases of reoccurrence of tinea versicolor are prominent in the areas where the temperatures soar and humidity is high.

Symptoms of Tinea Versicolor

The most evident symptom of tinea versicolor is discolored flecks that either lighter or sometimes reddish brown in appearance. Some flecks are even whitish or pinkish in color. When these flecks are exposed to sun, they become more prominent. An affected person may also experience itching sensation owing to this skin disorder. Initially, the flecks may occur gradually but soon they start diffusing rapidly. Tinea versicolor can appear in any type of skin however it becomes conspicuous in dark skin. Although this complication can occur in any part of the body but mostly it appears on neck and gradually spread to chest area. Similarly, your back as well as upper arms are also prone to tinea versicolor.

Causes of Tinea Versicolor

Tinea versicolor usually occurs in adults, especially when a person is young. However, the complication can affect people of any age-group if they live in tropical areas. Tinea versicolor is not communicable and neither does it cause any pain or irritation. In several cases, the problem reappears but the freckles do not last long. The people having oily skin are more prone to this skin disorder. Too much perspiration as well as weaker immune system can be other reasons for appearance of tinea versicolor. Another cause could be hormonal imbalance that usually happens during pregnancy, adolescence or when anyone is taking long course of medication.

Diagnosis of Tinea Versicolor

The freckles and their associated symptoms are enough for the doctor to comprehend and diagnose tinea versicolor quickly. But the discolored patches can also form due to some other infection other than fungal hence the doctor will take scrapes of the skin to confirm that the person is affected by tinea versicolor.

Tinea Versicolor Treatment

Before treating tinea versicolor, the doctor carefully examines the infected areas of the patient apart from considering age, sex, the climate of the area in which the patient lives and the type of the skin so that problem could be dealt effective. Sometimes, the freckles resemble the symptoms of milder form of eczema which is characterized by inflammation and itching sensation or even vitiligo in which melanin pigments are lost permanently.

Normally, the mild cases of tinea versicolor can be treated by following certain remedies that do not require doctor’s prescription. There are cleansers and lotions available in the market that clean up discolored freckles from the skin caused due to fungal infection. However, if the problem advances, the doctor may suggest to apply medicated creams or ointments topically or to take medicines orally. In case, the problem reappears after sometimes, the patient would have to continue the same treatment for certain period.

Prevention of Tinea Versicolor

Take balanced diet as consumption of junk and spicy foods can also cause fungal infection leading to tinea versicolor.

Avoid using creams and lotions containing too much oily ingredients because they can make your skin prone to fungal infection.

Always wear loose fitting clothes. Make sure you wear cotton fabric instead of synthetic so that your perspiration may evaporate completely. This is one of the effective tinea versicolor cure.

Overexposure to sun is not only harmful for your skin but it also makes the infected areas evident and sometimes itchy.

Always keep the infected areas clean and dry. Use mild and antibacterial soaps to clean the infected areas.