Hi, I bic my head every couple of days. I just got ring worm on my scalp near my ear. ( Im a wrestling coach) Do I need to take oral anti fungal? Or can I use topical products? From my reading the ring worm gets into the hair folicle, but I was thinking since I shave my head, I might be able to avoid taking oral antifungals. Has anyone experienced this???
I have a couple grandkids that live with me - public schools are breeding ground for all kinds of interesting diseases and parasites! Not being a member of the Health Care profession I'll let someone else offer advice on that. Welcome to TSD @Baldy123! I do hope someone has the answer to your question. If you have any other shaving related inquiries feel free to post over in The Welcome Center and make your introduction.
You might be able to avoid the oral medication but this is one area where you would be well to use the full arsenal of available means. You want to kill this thing quick and keep it from spreading. Not to mention that your job as a coach will presumably keep you exposed to the source.
I've used Tea tree oil on Athletes foot and it worked great. If it's too strong, you can mix it 50/50 with olive oil. Smells nice too. By the way ... it you're re-using razors or blades; I'd put some isopropyl alcohol in a jar and slosh your razor / blade after each use, to avoid recontamination. Just my 2ยข.
Some tea tree oil, I've read, is cut with other oils and so isn't as potent. I bought what is reputed to be (and smells like) 100% Australian from a health food store. Had an odd scaly patch on my forehead, applied it for about a week and it's gone.
You may want to take a few days off from a dome shave just to be on the safe side. Top of the head is a strange place for Ringworm and as John said, you will want to get rid of that a.s.a.p. not sure if it could travel into the brain, but the thought of that is terifying. Hope you can get things cleared up without too much trouble.
No sense in causing a panic ... it's a fungal infection of the top most layer of skin. It's more of an uncomfortable, embarrassing inconvenience than anything. Treat it and make sure to let it breathe ... like most fungal infections it likes to be warn and moist ... deprive it of that and you'll have it on the run. This all said, I would probably lay off head shaving as suggested till it's all cleared up to quicken its departure..
I have very sensitive skin, and so do my children. We've had ringworm, in the past, especially when the kids were young. Lotrimin works well. The oral medication is for the infections that cannot be cured by topical medications. The oral stuff is also hard on the liver.
