Skip to main content
Logo for WebMD
Logo for WebMD
  • Coronavirus Update
  • Check Your Symptoms
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Dentist
  • Connect to Care
  • Find Lowest Drug Prices
  • Health
    A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Common Conditions
    • ADD/ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Arthritis
    • Cancer
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Eye Health
    • Heart Disease
    • Lung Disease
    • Orthopedics
    • Pain Management
    • Sexual Conditions
    • Skin Problems
    • Sleep Disorders
    • View All
    Resources
    • Symptom Checker
    • WebMD Blogs
    • Podcasts
    • Newsletters
    • Questions & Answers
    • Insurance Guide
    • Find a Doctor
    • Children's Conditions A-Z
    • Surgeries and Procedures A-Z
    • Featured Topics
    • woman experiencing chest discomfort Symptom Checker COVID-19: Check Your Symptoms Now
    • photo of migraine Slideshow Get Help for Migraine Relief
  • Drugs &
    Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Find & Review
    • Drugs
    • Supplements
    Drug Basics & Safety
    • Commonly Abused Drugs
    • Taking Meds When Pregnant
    Tools
    • Manage Your Medications
    • Pill Identifier
    • Check for Interactions
    • Drug Comparison Tool
    • Featured Topics
    • assorted vitamins Slideshow Vitamins You Need as You Age
    • photo of vaccine Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccines
  • Living
    Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Diet, Food & Fitness
    • Diet & Weight Management
    • Weight Loss & Obesity
    • Food & Recipes
    • Fitness & Exercise
    Beauty & Balance
    • Healthy Beauty
    • Health & Balance
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Oral Care
    Living Well
    • Women's Health
    • Men's Health
    • Aging Well
    • Healthy Sleep
    • Healthy Teens
    • Featured Topics
    • grocery cart Article Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes
    • walking sneakers Quiz Do You Know the Benefits of Walking?
  • Family &
    Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    All About Pregnancy
    • Getting Pregnant
    • First Trimester
    • Second Trimester
    • Third Trimester
    • View All
    Parenting Guide
    • Newborn & Baby
    • Children's Health
    • Children's Vaccines
    • Raising Fit Kids
    • View All
    Pet Care Essentials
    • Healthy Cats
    • Healthy Dogs
    • View All
    • Featured Topics
    • apple slices and peanut butter Slideshow Smart Snacks When You're Pregnant
    • photo of dogs kissing Slideshow Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats
  • News &
    Experts
    News & Experts
    News & Experts
    Health News
    • Coronavirus News
    • COVID-19 Vaccines -- Latest Updates
    • Coronavirus in Context: Interviews With Experts
    • COVID-19 Symptoms
    • Coronavirus Variants
    Experts & Community
    • WebMD Blogs
    • News Center
    • Featured Topics
    • photo of coronavirus cell WebMD News Get the Latest COVID-19 News Here
    • photo of person typing Get Our Newsletters Health News and Information, Delivered to Your Inbox
  • Mobile Apps
  • Subscriptions
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
  • My Profile
    • My Tools
    • My WebMD Pages
    • My Account
    • Sign Out

    Skin Topics

    • Acne
    • Bedbugs
    • Cold Sores
    • Eczema
    • Fungal Infections
    • Hair Loss
    • Healthy Beauty
    • Lice
    • Psoriasis
    • Psoriatic Arthritis
    • Poison Ivy
    • Rosacea
    • Shingles
    • Skin Cancer
    • More Related Topics

    Skin Problems & Treatments Guide

    • Skin Discolorations
    • Chronic Skin Conditions
    • Acute Skin Problems
    • Skin Infections

    Skin Conditions Resources

    • News
    • Medical Reference
    • Slideshows
    • Quizzes
    • Questions & Answers
    • Find a Dermatologist
    • Skin Problems and Treatments
    • Videos

    Psoriasis Care During COVID-19

    Truth About Ringworm

    Video Transcript



    Come on, admit it. Someone in this crowd has ringworm.


    Gasp.


    Narrator: That itchy, contagious rash is one of the most common skin disorders. Ringworm got its name...


    Suephy Chen, MD: because the lesion itself is in a ring shape. The scaliness follows a ring type of pattern...


    Narrator: But it's called ring worm...so does that mean that it's spread by worms?


    Suephy Chen, MD: No. Ringworm is not caused by worms at all. Although it is infection, it's caused by a fungus and fungus is infectious and so that may have been why this whole word came about.


    Narrator: Oh, you knew that. But did you know that the ringworm fungus, called tinea, also causes athelete's foot and other similar skin infections?


    Michael Smith, MD: Most people don't realize that ringworm is caused by the same fungus whether it's on the scalp, on the face, anywhere on the body.
    It causes athlete's foot and the same fungus causes jock itch.

    Suephy Chen, MD: On the body it is usually a very round patch and it's pretty pink, sometimes bright red and very scaly on top of it
    and it can occur almost in coin shape patches although sometimes it can spread.... On the scalp, they start losing hair actually, because there's so much inflammation going on so you can see some areas where the hair has dropped out, you can see these black dots... On the feet, it's very, very scaly, sometimes pretty red and definitely a lot of patients complain about it being itchy. it likes to stay in the toe webs so like between the third and fourth toes are very common place for it and because it gets sweaty in that area, it's no longer like the flaky scale, like it's really macerated so it's white and wet... and very often actually people who get recurrent problems with their feet, it's because the fungus has set up shop in the nails. And so you get very thickened yellow, very crumbly brittle-looking nails and that becomes a reservoir actually for the fungus.

    Narrator: That's not the only reason you're likely to get recurring fungal infections.


    Suephy Chen, MD: You're more likely to get it again because you have the type of skin that the fungus likes, but also, most people have a particular lifestyle habit
    that they don't break very easily um, or they chose not to. So for instance, the athlete is not going to quit sports you know...just because, and they're not going to seek out their own shower stall....

    Narrator: Whatever you do, be sure to seek treatment. Some fungal infections can turn nasty.


    Michael Smith, MD: For example, if you have ringworm on your face, on your scalp, if you don't treat it, it can leave a scar or even permanent hair loss in that area...


    Suephy Chen, MD: The large majority of fungal infections can be treated topically. The two exceptions really are the toe nail fungus as well as the fungus in the scalp...
    For those two scenarios, an oral medication is best. There are many over-the-counter products that people can get their hands on very easily. But if it turns out that the rash is particularly stubborn, then I probably would seek the care of you know, a physician or some sort of a healthcare provider you know, fairly soon and not go too far...

    Narrator: For WebMD, I'm Sandee Lamotte.

    Related Videos

    Editor's Picks

    • woman with cup of coffee

      Video

      The Truth About Coffee
    • tongue scraper and tongue

      Video

      5 Ways to Beat Bad Breath
    • couple having sex in bed

      Video

      Why Orgasms Feel Good

    Latest Videos

    Top Picks

    • Why Do I Have Sores on My Head?
    • 8 Remedies for Oily Skin
    • Is Salicylic Acid Good For Your Skin?
    • What Causes Hives?
    • What Is Dyshidrotic Eczema?
    • Is It Acne or Eczema?

    Today on WebMD

    chafing

    What Is Psoriasis?

    Pictures and symptoms of the red, scaly rash.

    ringworm on chest and arm

    Skin Infections

    What you should know.

    tick biting human skin close up

    How Ticks Make You Sick

    8 diseases you can catch from ticks.

    bunions illustration

    The Facts About Bunions

    What causes them, and what you can do about them.

    Recommended for You

    black widow spider Slideshow

    Spider Bites: What You Need to Know

    woman with skin tag Quiz

    Skin Tags: What Are They?

    melasma Slideshow

    What Your Face Says About Your Health

    wart on finger Slideshow

    Warts: A Visual Guide

    mosquito Video

    Are You a Mosquito Magnet?

    woman smelling aromatherapy bottle Slideshow

    How to Use Essential Oils

    iced feet Slideshow

    9 Reasons Your Feet Are Swollen

    Feet Slideshow

    Foot Problems From Bunions to Warts

    Tools & Resources

    • Eczema: How To Control It
    • What Is Sweet Syndrome?
    • Things That Look Scary But Aren't
    • Do I Have a Skin Infection?
    • Why You Smell
    • Why Is My Skin Scaly?

    Health Solutions

    • Penis Curved When Erect
    • Could I have CAD?
    • Treat Bent Fingers
    • Discover hATTR Symptoms
    • Tired of Dandruff?
    • Treat HR+, HER2- MBC
    • Rethink MS Treatment
    • AFib-Related Strokes
    • Risk of a Future DVT/PE
    • Is My Penis Normal?
    • Relapsing MS Options
    • Life with Cancer
    • Finance Plastic Surgery
    • Bent Finger Causes
    • Living With Psoriasis?
    • Give the Gift of Life

    More from WebMD

    • 5 Tips to Help With Relapsing MS
    • How to Thrive With Narcolepsy
    • Relief for Blocked Hair Follicles
    • Psoriatic Arthritis and Your Sleep
    • What Psoriasis Feels Like
    • First Psoriatic Arthritis Flare
    • Talking to Your Doctor About RA
    • Crohn's: A 'Full-Body' Disease
    • Avoiding Crohn’s Flares
    • Living With Ankylosing Spondylitis
    • Live Better With Psoriatic Disease
    • Types of B-Cell Therapy for MS
    • Living Better With T2 Diabetes
    • Why Prostate Cancer Spreads
    • Getting the Care You Need for MS
    • Where Breast Cancer Spreads
    • Logo for WebMD
      • Visit WebMD on Facebook
      • Visit WebMD on Twitter
      • Visit WebMD on Pinterest
    • Policies

      • Privacy Policy
      • Cookie Policy
      • Editorial Policy
      • Advertising Policy
      • Correction Policy
      • Terms of Use

      About

      • Contact Us
      • About WebMD
      • Careers
      • Newsletter
      • Corporate
      • WebMD Health Services
      • Site Map
      • Accessibility
    • WebMD Network

      • Medscape
      • Medscape Reference
      • MedicineNet
      • eMedicineHealth
      • RxList
      • OnHealth
      • WebMDRx
      • First Aid
      • WebMD Magazine
      • WebMD Health Record
      • Dictionary
      • Physician Directory
    • Our Apps

      • WebMD Mobile
      • WebMD App
      • Pregnancy
      • Baby
      • Allergy
      • Medscape

      For Advertisers

      • Advertise with Us
      • Advertising Policy

    © 2005 - 2019 WebMD LLC. All rights reserved.

    WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

    See additional information.