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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffYour doctor may recommend that you wash your child's hair with a medicated shampoo that contains selenium sulfide (Selsun, others). This may kill the ringworm spores and prevent the spread of the infection to other people or to other areas of your child's scalp or body.
For best use:
- Lather your child's hair with the medicated shampoo. Let the shampoo sit on your child's scalp for five minutes before rinsing.
- Use the medicated shampoo two to three times a week for about a month, or as otherwise directed by your doctor. Use a milder, nonmedicated shampoo on the other days.
Have your child wear a hat or scarf if he or she is self-conscious about the bald patches. You don't need to shave the scalp.
- Goldstein AO, et al. Dermatophyte (tinea) infections. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 24, 2008.
- Habif TP. Superficial fungal infections. In: Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2004. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/104355536-2/742469442/1195/81.html?printing=true. Accessed Nov. 24, 2008.
- Andrews MD, et al. Common tinea infections in children. American Family Physician. 2008;77:1415.
- Lamisil approved to treat scalp ringworm in children. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/lamisil100907.html. Accessed Nov. 24, 2008.
- Ringworm and animals. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases/ringworm.htm. Accessed Nov. 24, 2008.
- Verma S, et al. Superficial fungal infection: Dermatophytosis, onychomycosis, tinea nigra, piedra. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2996600&searchStr=tinea+capitis. Accessed Nov. 24, 2008.
