You're Offline
The page will automatically refresh once you get online
Ringworm is a common fungal infection. It's not caused by worms. You can usually buy medicine from a pharmacy to treat it.
The main symptom of ringworm is a rash. It may look red or darker than the surrounding skin, depending on your skin tone.
The rash may be scaly, dry, swollen or itchy.
Ringworm can appear anywhere on the body, including the scalp (tinea capitis) and groin (jock itch).
The rash is usually ring-shaped, but it may look different on your face, neck or scalp.
The colour of the ringworm rash may be less noticeable on brown and black skin.
Sometimes the rash grows, spreads, or there's more than 1 rash.
Ringworm on the face or scalp may also cause patchy hair loss.
| Affected area | Possible condition |
|---|---|
|
Affected area
Nails |
Possible condition |
|
Affected area
Feet |
Possible condition |
Speak to a pharmacist first if you think you have ringworm.
They can look at the rash and recommend the best antifungal medicine. This might be tablets, cream, gel or spray depending on where the rash is.
You may need to use an antifungal medicine every day for up to 4 weeks. It's important to use it for the right amount of time, even if the rash has gone away.
A pharmacist will tell you if they think you should see a GP.
Ringworm is caused by a type of fungi.
It can be passed on through close contact with:
It's fine for your child to go to school or nursery once they've started treatment. Let your child's teachers know they have ringworm.
start treatment as soon as possible
wash towels and bedsheets regularly
keep your skin clean and wash your hands after touching animals or soil
regularly check your skin if you have been in contact with an infected person or animal
take your pet to the vet if they might have ringworm – for example, if they have patches of missing fur
do not share towels, combs or bedsheets with someone who has ringworm
do not scratch a ringworm rash because this could spread it to other parts of your body
