Home Remedies For Ringworm

By Reshounn Foster

Home Remedies For Ringworm

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  1. Reshounn Foster said
    Searching the Internet for home remedies for ringworm can be daunting.  It’s easy to find anecdotes with popular homemade “recipes.”  Choosing a treatment, however, is the hard part.  

    This articles sums up what you’ll find in four easy steps, using the acronym Identify Prevent Apply Dry (I.P.A.D.).

     
    Identify it as Ringworm
    Before you treat ringworm, you have to be sure that it is ringworm.  Medically named tinea corporis, it is a dermatophyte – a fungal growth that appears on the outermost, dead, layer of skin – that appears on the face and body. It is usually an itchy, ring-shaped red patch with tiny water-like blisters. Yet, psoriasis, eczema and other rashes have the same features.

    Home remedy:

    • Do an at-home Wood’s Test. Shine a black light over the infected area. Most often tinea corporis spores secrete a fluorescent green substance that can be seen under a UV and black light.
    Prevent Ringworm from Spreading
    Keeping it clean and covering it will avoid spreading it to other body parts and other people. Clean with warm soap and water. Whatever you do, resist the urge to “scratch to kill”. Breaking the blisters will cause the fungus to spread. Cover with a cloth or breathable bandage. Avoid skin-to-skin contact with the affected area.  Avoid sharing clothing, sheets, towels, combs and hairbrushes. Wash any affected clothes immediately, preferably in bleach.

    Home remedies:

    • Use soap and warm water at least three times a day.
    • Use black tar or  tea tree oil soaps.
    Apply Antiseptics and Anti-fungals
    Herbs, vegetables, condiments, home cleansers and even urine (yeah, ewww!) have been identified as tried and true cures. Please be advised the effectiveness of a home remedy is personal. What works for one person may not work for another. Also, pregnant women should always consult with their doctor. Some herbs may stimulate the uterus, causing contractions and early labor.

    Take into consideration some basic skin physiology and anatomy.

    1. Fungi lives on the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin that is keratinized (in other words, dead). So, treat it ASAP before it goes to the deeper layers.
    2. The epidermal layer retains moisture that helps the fungi. Use items that dry out the ringworm. Oil-based solutions are better than water-based.
    3. The skin has an acidic pH level. Use items that are acidic.

    Home remedies:

    • Make an oil-based topical cocktail – Mix a combination of grapefruit seed extract, clove oil, pressed oil from garlic, oregano oil and tea tree oil. Or, use one of each.
    • Bach flower essences: crab apple, internally or apply externally.
    • 50/50 bleach-water solution – Do not put on an open skin.
    • Pine oil cleanser – Do not put on open skin.
    • Vinegar, apple-cider or white – Do not put on an open skin.
    • A vinegar-dipped penny – Hold it in place with medical tape or bandage.
    • Newborn baby urine – Place a freshly urinated diaper directly on the infected area.

    Note: Use a fresh cotton swab or ball for each application, three to seven times a day.

    Dry Out the Skin and Keep It Dry

    Home remedies:

    • Corn starch – Sprinkle entire area and cover with bandage.
    • Clay facial masks (kaolin and betonite) – This works like calamine lotion.
    • Sulfur – Burn notebook paper, blow away ashes and apply the remaining yellow powder (sulfur)
    • Nail polish remover with acetone, a drying agent
    • Pure charcoal disk or crushed charcoal tablets – Hold disk in place with medical tape or bandage.

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