How can I clear up ringworm?

Ringworm is an infection of the skin caused by a fungus - it has nothing to do with worms.

It is contagious and can be itchy, but it is not painful or dangerous. The fungus is the same type that causes athlete's foot and discoloured toenails.

If your daughter's ringworm is on her body she will probably have a rash of one or more rings up to one or two inches in diameter on her chest, stomach, back arms or thighs.

The rings are usually red, crusty or scaly on the outside and smooth in the centre which is where the skin is healing. As the fungus spreads outwards the rings get larger.

If the ringworm is on your daughter's scalp it may look like dandruff or bald spots. These can be dry and crusty or wet and full of pus.

Your daughter may have caught the ringworm from an infected person or pet. It is most often spread from contact with other children or from cats or dogs. Scalp ringworm can be caught form hairbrushes, combs or hats.

Most case for ringworm clear up with antifungal creams such as clotrimazole or miconazole which you can buy over the counter or which your GP can prescribe. It can take up to a month for the rash to completely clear up because fungus infections are slow growing and respond slowly to treatment.

Sometimes the stronger concentrations of cream (i.e. 2 per cent clotrimazole) are more effective. Ringworm of the scalp can be more difficult to treat and can several months to clear up. If cream fails, your GP may prescribe and oral antifungal medicine and/or a medicated shampoo.

There are certain things you can do to make sure your daughter doesn't catch ringworm again and that she doesn't pass it on to others.

Alert the rest of your family and her friends to check they do not have ringworm. Check your pets for crusty bald patches of skin and take them to your vet if you find any (or if your daughter keeps getting re-infected as sometimes animals can carry the fungus without any signs of it).

Your daughter should not share pillows, hair brushes, combs, hats or towels with others - either wash them thoroughly or throw them away.

Your daughter is not contagious once she has started treatment with the cream and its fine for her to return to school and mix with friends.

We recommend readers seek personal medical attention in appropriate circumstances.

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