Treatments Your Provider May Prescribe
In order to confirm the diagnosis of scalp ringworm, your physician may wish to scrape some surface skin material onto a slide and examine it under a microscope. This procedure, called a KOH (potassium hydroxide) preparation, allows the doctor to look for tell-tale signs of fungal infection.
The doctor may also wish to perform a fungal culture in order to document the presence of fungus or to discover the particular organism that is causing the scalp ringworm. The procedure involves:
- Plucking a few hairs from involved areas of scalp
- Rubbing a sterile cotton-tipped applicator across the skin to collect scale and any pus
- Sending the specimen away to a laboratory
Typically, the laboratory will have results within 2–3 weeks. In some cases, the laboratory is able to identify the species of dermatophyte that is causing the scalp ringworm.
Occasionally, a Wood's lamp is used to look for the fungus. In this exam, the doctor shines a black light at the scalp, and certain types of dermatophyte may appear as yellow-green fluorescent spots.
Scalp ringworm is treated with oral antifungal medicines because the fungus invades deep into the hair follicle, where topical creams and lotions cannot penetrate. Scalp ringworm usually requires at least 6–8 weeks of treatment with oral antifungal pills, including:
- Griseofulvin
- Terbinafine
- Itraconazole
- Fluconazole
- Ketoconazole
Often, the doctor will also prescribe a medicated shampoo to reduce the risk of spreading the infection to someone else:
- Selenium sulfide shampoo
- Ketoconazole shampoo
Occasionally, untreated scalp ringworm seems to resolve spontaneously when a child enters puberty.
Self-Care Guidelines
