How Will I Know If My Hair Loss Is Due To A Fungal Infection
Any professional who has worked in hair care for a reasonable amount of time will undoubtedly be able to recognise the condition upon seeing it. However, fungal infections are a medical concern and so a trip to your GP to be formerly diagnosed is never a wasted journey.
The majority of those who do have a fungal infection on their head are more likely to be suffering from tinea capitis a form of ringworm. While this fungal infection can be passed easily from person to person, those who have suffered from candidiasis the more common yeast infection that leads to thrush of the mouth and groin may find themselves more susceptible that others.
The symptoms of tinea capitis are as follows:
- Mild itching that increases in discomfort as time progresses.
- Small areas of hair loss due to a fungal infection that gradually increases in size.
- Scaling of the skin around hair follicles.
- A bumpy, black-dotted appearance across the hair loss area due to hair shafts that have snapped.
- An accompanying rash, or infection on other areas of the body simultaneously.
Another less common fungal infection that can affect hair loss is piedra or trichomycosis nodularis.
Common in humid countries such as Malaysia and the Southern US, piedra was once widely considered to be an attractive attribute for women. However, severe infections can lead to breakages resulting in hair loss similar to that of tinea capitis.
What Are The Symptoms And Signs Of Scalp Ringworm
The appearance of scalp ringworm can vary among affected individuals, but the most common signs are reddening, crusting, and scaling of the scalp. Intense itching usually occurs as well. Scalp ringworm can cause up to 50% of hair loss among children. Lymph nodes in the neck region may become enlarged with all types of scalp ringworm organisms, and some children may have high fevers. The specific pattern depends on the infecting organisms and how the immune system responds to the infection.
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What Is Hair Loss
Hair loss can range from mild hair thinning to total baldness. Hair can fall out for many different reasons. Medically, hair loss falls into several categories, including:
- Traumatic alopecia This form of hair loss is caused by hairdressing techniques that pull the hair , expose hair to extreme heat and twisting or damage the hair with strong chemicals . In addition, some people have an uncommon psychiatric disorder in which compulsive hair pulling and twisting can cause bald spots.
- Hereditary pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia In men, hair loss may follow the typical male pattern . This is the most common type of hair loss, and it can begin at any time in a man’s life, even during his teen years. It usually is caused by the interaction of three factors: an inherited tendency toward baldness, male hormones and increasing age. Many women will develop some degree of female-pattern baldness. In women, thinning occurs over the entire top or crown of the scalp, sparing the front of the scalp.
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How To Treat Scalp Fungus
If you have scalp fungus or a fungal infection elsewhere on your body, its important to talk to a healthcare provider.
The earlier you take action to treat scalp fungus, the more likely you are to remove the infection without suffering from significant hair loss. Acting fast also lowers the risk of the fungal infection spreading to other parts of your body or to other people.
Scalp fungus is treatable using antifungal medications. One of the most common medications used to treat fungal infections of the scalp is griseofulvin, an oral antifungal. You may need to use griseofulvin or another medication for four to eight weeks to properly treat the infection.
Other medications used to treat scalp fungus include itraconazole, fluconazole and others. If you have inflammation or scalp lesions, your healthcare provider may prescribe medication to control these symptoms and prevent the inflammation from getting worse.
Since topical antifungal medications cant penetrate the hair shaft, they typically arent used to treat scalp fungus. However, your healthcare provider may recommend using a topical cream if you also show symptoms of fungal infection elsewhere on your body.
Its important to continue using your medication for the entire treatment period even if your skin and hair improves relatively early. Stopping treatment early may increase your risk of recurring fungal infections.
What Are Fungal Infections
Nobody likes to discuss fungal infections despite how prevalent they are for both men and women. From thrush, to athletes foot, and ringworm, fungal infections are never pleasant and can easily get out of control if they are not treated correctly. But what are fungal infections?
Fungus is all around us. It grows wherever the conditions fall within its comfort zone. The most common types of fungi are mushroom, pathogens, yeasts and mold. While there are certain outliers, the majority of fungi enjoy warm, moist environments hence the presence of mold on the walls of houses that have a humidity problems and a lack of circulating air.
Despite its constant presence, fungi rarely affects our health. And when they do, it is often due to lifestyle choices that provide them with the conditions they need to survive. For example, athletes foot is extremely common for those who regularly take part in physically demanding activities which cause footwear to store moisture and allowing yeast to breed on the foot that occupies it.
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What Is A Fungal Scalp Infection
A scalp fungus infection, as the term suggests, is a fungal infection on the scalp. Certain types of harmless fungi exist on your skin. When provided with appropriate environmental conditions, these fungi can multiply and cause an infection.
Fungal infections can occur anywhere on or inside the body. But they are more common on the feet, fingernails, and scalp. Lets take a look at the causes.
What Are The Symptoms Of Tinea Capitis
Tinea capitis may affect all or part of your childs scalp. Symptoms may include:
- Swollen red patches.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
Inflammatory tinea capitis can cause painful swollen patches on your childs scalp. These patches are called kerion. The kerion may have crusty blisters and ooze pus. Inflammatory tinea capitis may cause scarring and your childs hair may not grow back.
Black dot tinea capitis causes hair shafts to break at the surface, which look like black dots. Gray patch tinea capitis leaves short hair stubs.
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What Causes Fungus In Your Hair
The scalp can become infected if fungus or bacteria enter the scalp through the hair follicles or damaged skin. Skin damage can result from common skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema. Bacteria cause some common infections, such as folliculitis and impetigo. Others, such as ringworm, are fungal.
Trichomycosis Due To Dermatophytes
Tinea capitis is the most common infection, which is usually seen in children in the age group of 5-10 years. Male children are more commonly affected. The infection usually occurs through the use of contaminated blades in the pilgrimage centers where ritual head shaves are carried out in large numbers, mostly in unhygienic and overcrowded surroundings. Infection also occurs through fomites like towels, combs, hair brushes and theater seats.
Kerion
The grey patch type of tinea capitis caused exclusively by anthropophilic agents is characterized by surface skin and hair infection with white scales along with broken bits of hair, a mixture of black and white resulting in the grey colour . The black dot type of tinea capitis caused by T. violaceum and T. tonsurans shows minimal surface infection and hairs are predominantly involved and the broken stubs of hair on the scalp give the appearance of black dots . Seborrhoeic type of tinea capitis is similar to seborrhoeic dermatitis in adults. Smooth patch of baldness resembling alopecia areata with minimal scaling also occurs in tinea capitis and hence all suspected cases of alopecia areata in children should be subjected for investigations to exclude tinea capitis.
Black dot type with Tinea facei involving the pinna
Tinea corporis with intra lesional papules suggestive of hair invasion
Endothrix spores in wet mount
Microscopic colony morphology showing chlamydospores
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What Is The Differential Diagnosis For Tinea Capitis
The differential diagnosis list is extensive and includes any condition which may present with patchy alopecia, inflammation, or scaling of the scalp. Examples include:
- Alopecia areata and trichotillomania cause patchy alopecia but are not scaly
- Seborrhoeicdermatitis, atopic dermatitis, and scalp psoriasis may mimic non-inflammatory tinea capitis, but the scale is usually more diffuse
- Discoid lupus erythematosus and lichen planopilaris cause scarring alopecia
- Bacterial scalp folliculitis, impetigo, pyoderma, and pyogenicabscess may resemble inflammatory tinea capitis.
How Do I Know If My Hair Follicles Are Dead
When hair follicles die, however, hair growth stops completely. To know if your hair follicles are still active, just take a look at the scalp on your head. If you see any hairs on your scalpâno matter how sparse, thin, short or fuzzyâyour hair follicles are still alive and kicking and sprouting new hairs.
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How Is Tinea Capitis Spread
Tinea capitis is a contagious infection. Anthropophilic species are spread following contact with infected persons, including asymptomaticcarriers, or contaminated objects . Fomites that can harbour anthropophilic dermatophytes include hairbrushes, hats, towels, bedding, couches, and toys fungal spores may remain viable on these for months. Zoophilic species are transmitted from infected animals, including household pets or stray cats and dogs. Zoophilic species can spread person-to-person.
Fungal Infections That Cause Hair Loss: Dermatophytes
Hair infection from fungal agents, also called trichomycoses, is one of the common concerns in humans. Fungi or fungus are single celled or multinucleate organisms that decay and absorb the organic material in which they grow . There are three common agents causing hair infections:
- Malassezia infections
Through a series of blog posts, we will take a deeper look at each type of fungal scalp infection, including the most common diseases impacting the hair follicle.
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How Is Tinea Capitis Diagnosed
Your childs healthcare provider will ask about their symptoms. Theyll also perform a physical examination. Theyll look at your childs hair, skin and scalp. They may be able to tell its ringworm just by looking at it.
Your childs healthcare provider may want to collect a sample of the infected area. Theyll pluck some hairs and/or take a small scraping of your childs scalp. They may want to order other tests to confirm a tinea capitis diagnosis.
Can Wet Hair Cause Scalp Fungus
Fungal infections Though sleeping with wet hair won’t give you a cold, Dr. Shah says that it does increase your risk of developing a fungal infection of the scalp. Fungi, such as Malassezia, can lead to conditions like dandruff or dermatitis, according to Shah, who recommends going to sleep with dry hair when possible.
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How Do You Treat A Scalp Infection At Home
Treating a scalp infection at home isnt recommended because you wont know what treatment is right until youve had a proper diagnosis. For some conditions, home remedies can be used to help relieve symptoms, such as over-the-counter anti-itch creams or a cold compress to help with the itching and pain. If you think you may have a scalp infection, treatment at home should only be explored after getting a diagnosis from your primary care physician or dermatologist.
Skin Conditions Of The Scalp
Other conditions affect the scalp because theyre skin conditions or they cause skin rashes:
- Seborrheic eczema, or dermatitis, is a common inflammatory skin condition that causes flaky, scaly patches on the skin, especially the scalp. When those flakes fall off, its called dandruff.
- Cradle cap is seborrheic eczema in infants.
- Psoriasis is a common inflammatory skin condition. In many cases, it affects the scalp, which develops red, scaly, dry patches.
- Ringworm, or tinea capitis, is a fungal skin infection that produces ring-like patches. Its common in children.
- Scleroderma is a rare disease of the skin and connective tissue. It causes skin to develop patches that are tight and hard.
- Ito syndrome, or incontinentia pigmenti achromians, is a rare birth defect that causes light patches of skin to develop on the body.
- Graft-versus-host disease is a potential complication after having a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. A skin rash may form when the host rejects the transplanted tissue.
- Leishmaniasis is a tropical parasite that sand flies spread. It can cause skin lesions.
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How To Distinguish Between Tinea Capitis And Other Scalp Conditions
Most scalp conditions are associated with similar symptoms, which make it difficult to identify a particular condition just by taking a look at the affected hair and scalp.
Although an experienced dermatologist may be able to easily diagnose ringworms, the best approach involves scraping the affected area with a blunt scalpel. The harvested hairs are subjected to microscopic viewing. The presence of spores is considered a positive diagnosis.
Scalp Fungus And Hair Loss
Cosmedica Team
fungus that develops on the scalpwarm and humid conditions which can occur under the hair.weakened immune systemskin fungus does not heal on its ownDont worry: a fungal skin infection is not a sign of poor hygiene!
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Do Fungal Infections Cause Hair Loss
- Medically reviewed by: Dr. Anil Simhadri
If you are suffering from a fungal infection that is causing hair loss or making you worried about losing hair, then you need to take immediate action to stop the infection spreading.
This article will teach you about the different types of infection. You will also learn steps you can take to rid your scalp of fungus and even regrow your hair.
What Are The Complications Of Tinea Capitis
Alopecia can result in psychosocial distress for the patient, especially when scarring alopecia following inflammatory tinea capitis results in permanent bald patches. A secondary rash may occur with inflammatory tinea capitis, particularly after initiating antifungal treatment this is known as a dermatophytide or id reaction. Rarely, erythema nodosum has been known to occur. Secondary bacterial infection may develop.
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Strut Health Prescription Hair Loss Treatments
Here at Strut, we do not treat scalp fungus infections, but we do treat the most common cause of hair loss — male pattern hair loss and female pattern hair loss.
Patterned hair loss, also known as androgenetic alopecia, does not develop from a fungal issue but from a combination of a genetic predisposition to hair loss and a sensitivity to the hormone DHT.
We offer male pattern hair loss treatments in oral and topical formulations. Our innovative formulas utilize active ingredients like Finasteride, Dutasteride, Tretinoin, Minoxidil, and Biotin, and they can be customized to fit your hair loss needs.
How Is A Scalp Ringworm Diagnosed
Sometimes the symptoms strongly suggest a fungal infection. However, scalp ringworm may be confused with other problems at first. For example, some cases can look like psoriasis or bad dandruff and fungal infection is just one of several causes of bald patches and hair loss. To confirm the diagnosis, a doctor will usually send a hair sample or a scraping of affected skin to the laboratory. This is looked at under the microscope and cultured to confirm that a fungal infection is the cause of the problem.
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Tea Tree Essential Oil
Shutterstock
Tea tree oil exhibits antifungal actions and has membrane-altering effects on fungi .
You Will Need
- 3-4 drops of tea tree oil
- 1-2 tablespoons of sweet almond oil
What You Have To Do
How Often You Should Do This
Do this at least twice a week.
Caution: Tea tree oil is extremely potent. Hence, use in the recommended quantity and after diluting with a carrier oil.
Keep Drinking Natural Juice
Nutrients like vitamins have the potential to combat the fungus. Therefore, a huge amount of natural fruit juice, consists of vitamins are essential part of the hair and scalp fungus treatment at home. Homemade juices made from cucumbers, carrots and aloe-vera are also a positive option. If natural juice is not available, one can also opt for supplements such as B complex, folic acid and Vitamin E etc. Including these juices in your daily diet will help to cure hair fungus naturally. Read here best vitamins for hair fall control.
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Whats The Difference Between Tinea Capitis And Tinea Barbae
Tinea barbae is a fungal infection like tinea capitis, but it affects the beard and mustache areas of your face. Its less common than tinea capitis and generally only affects adults assigned male at birth. Tinea barbae most commonly affects farmers. The infection spreads through direct contact with an infected animal. It very rarely spreads from person to person.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Tinea capitis infections can be itchy and uncomfortable for your child. With early and persistent treatment, you should be able to help clear up your childs infection. But it can take some time. Its important to follow your childs healthcare providers instructions. Your child needs to complete the treatment. It can take at least six weeks for a fungal infection to clear. If the infection isnt going away, reach back out to your childs healthcare provider. Theyre there to help you and your child.
