Ringworm Symptoms and Scalp Ringworm

 

The expression ringworm symptoms is sometimes written 'ring worm symptoms' by mistake and is the synonym for the medical expression tinea symptoms. Ringworm appears a bit different on various body parts, scalp ringworm (also called tinea capitis) looks quite different to body ringworm.

 

Body Ringworm Symptoms

(Tinea corporis symptoms)

Ringworm often begins as a round, itchy red patch with a raised outside edge that grows outwards. As it expands the middle area heals, but all round it is a red scaly ring where infection continues to spread.

Symptoms of Ringworm - of non hairy body parts

(as face, trunk and limbs)

• pink to red patch or ring with slight inflammation
• itchiness in the red area
• scaling of the ring or patch
• slightly raised border
• often redder around the outside with normal skin tone in the centre
• centre of the ring looks normal (tendency to clear centrally)

Take a look at a few body ringworm pictures….

 

Scalp Ringworm

(Tinea capitis symptoms)

Scalp ringworm occurs mainly in children between the age of 3 and 7 but nearly always under 10 years of age. It is slightly more common in boys than girls. However, some type of scalp ringworm infection may occur in adults as well (for example Trichophyton tonsurans).
Tinea capitis symptoms may vary depending on the type of infecting ringworm fungi.

Typical scalp ringworm symptoms are reddening, crusting, and scaling of the scalp. Intense itching usually occurs as well. Hair loss is also often caused by tinea capitis. Lymph nodes in the neck region may become swollen. The specific pattern of scalp ringworm symptoms depends on the infecting ringworm fungi.

 

Ringworm Symptoms on the Hairy Scalp

Different Presentations of Scalp Ringworm:

• Smooth areas of hair loss only: without any specific scalp reaction
• Dry scaling only: looks like dandruff but usually with moth-eaten hair loss
• Black dot ringworm: the hairs are broken off at the scalp surface, which is scaly. The ringworm fungus (Trichophyton) causes infections within the hair shaft. Therefore the hair becomes extremely brittle and breaks off at the surface of the scalp. The remaining portion of the hair is left behind, creating the ‘black dot’ appearance. Patches of hair loss commonly result.
• Grey patch ringworm: the lesions, caused by the ringworm fungus Microsporum start as small, red bumps around the hair shaft, which grow outward, forming red, scaly, and circular "rings" that are dry but not inflamed. All hairs in the infected area appear grey and dull, and they frequently break off. Several areas of hair loss and intense itching are common.

More Severe Forms of Scalp Ringworm

• Kerion – very inflamed mass, like an abscess. Tinea capitis infection occasionally leads to formation of a kerion, which is a large, boggy, inflamed scalp mass caused by a severe inflammatory reaction to the fungi. A kerion has pustules and crusting and can be mistaken for an abscess. A kerion can result in scarring hair loss.
• Favus (Tinea favosa) – yellow crusts and matted hair. Scalp lesions are characterised by the presence of yellow cup-shaped crusts, which surround the infected hair follicles. The tinea capitis infection results in a honeycomb type destruction of hair shafts. Favus usually is acquired early in life and has a tendency to cluster in families. In favus, infected hairs appear yellow.

Untreated kerion and favus may result in permanent scarring and bald areas. Therefore, take tinea capitis always serious.

There is often only a carrier state of scalp ringworm without any usual symptoms and only mild scaling might be seen.

 

Other Diseases which Look Ringworm Like

(Differential diagnosis)

There are many types of rash that look like ringworm. Therefore, it is of great importance to differentiate between them since they are not caused by a fungal infection. So, antifungal treatment is not effective for them.

Other diseases look like ringworm on the scalp

• psoriasis
• alopecia areata
• seborrheic dermatitis

Other diseases look ringworm like on body

• pityriasis rosea
• drug eruptions
• eczema
• psoriasis
• skin lupus

If your rash is not cured by antifungal treatment within 2 weeks, seek help from a dermatologist to identify the skin lesion.

Hope the above information about ringworm symptoms is sufficient and you will easily identify your scalp ringworm or body ringworm rash.

 

---

More about ringworm:

What is ringworm or tinea?

Is ringworm contagious?

What does ringworm look like? /Ringworm pictures

How to treat ringworm? /Cure for ringworm

---