How To Get Rid Of Ringworm - Best Way To Eliminate And Prevent Ringworm

Want to know the best way to eliminate, prevent ringworm and the embarrassing moments it has caused you. You are not alone, ringworm is a common infection these days. But the most important thing is to know how to get rid of ringworm fast, permanently and without any side effects.

Ringworm is a fungal infection that is very contagious even before the symptoms start showing externally which gives enough time for the infection to spread like an inferno all over the body.

There are different types of ringworm like scalp,nail, finger, skin and foot, they are all caused by different fungus. Ringworm just like other fungi thrives on water so it is most likely to appear in a moist and warm area.

Before knowing how to get rid of ringworm, you should need to know how ringworm spreads.

The most common way that ringworm spread is from human, animals and sometimes soil. So the next thing you need to know is how to prevent it. One of the first things you need to take into consideration is staying away from infected people also try to stop sharing things like hats, gym suits and towels with them.

So what is the best way to eliminate ringworm?

When you want to know how to get rid of ringworm, you need to first know that the approach you use should be able to address both the root cause and the external symptoms.

The best approach to eliminate ringworm permanently is using home remedies that have being proven over time and not creams and medication like you have being informed by health practitioners who want to sell their expertise. This natural approach helps you eradicate the root cause from the system and also the external symptoms.

One effective natural home remedy to get rid of ringworm permanently is Raw Vegetable Juice: the most effective mixture is carrot juice in combination with spinach juice which has proved useful in the treatment of ringworm. The formula proportion considered helpful in this combination is 300 ml of carrot juice and 200 ml of spinach juice to make 500 ml or half a liter of juice.

This is just one home remedy that can help you treat ringworm without using medication. You need to know more natural home remedies that will help you get rid of ringworm permanently and the right usage to get the desired result.

Importance of Your Skin's pH

One of the most important roles of our skin is to protect our 'insides' from the external environment, acting both as a barrier and a filter between 'outside' and 'inside'. In addition, the skin is involved in regulating our body's temperature, like when we have a fever or we're physically working hard, we tend to sweat, which is the body's way to attempt to lower the temperature.

Another important role of our skin is to protect us from harmful substances entering our body, and in eliminating toxins. This takes workload off our Liver and Kidneys to filter out by-products from our body's metabolism. The skin also breathes!

Hormones, Sweat glands and pH

The pores of our skin are made up of a combination of oil and sweat glands (sebaceous and sudoriferous glands) helping to keep our skin healthy and elastic. An excessive sebum secretion is often associated with oily skin and acne. This is particularly common in adolescents as the increased levels of sex hormones stimulate sebum production and secretion. When in balance, the combined excretion of oil and sweat from the skin's pores has a pH of about 5.5.

The Acid Mantle, Age and the importance of the skin's pH

This slightly acidic layer, also referred to as the "Acid Mantle", is our body's first defence mechanism against bacteria invading it and is not a favourable environment bacterial growth to occur. This defence layer develops at puberty, which is why children are more susceptible to disease, viruses and fungal infections such are ringworm. The pH of children's skin is closer to neutral (pH 7).

At puberty, however, we start to produce more hair on our bodies. Hair follicles have an associated sebaceous gland or glands which become active as hair growth increases, causing changes in the skin's pH. The hormones that control sweat also become active and the whole surface of a teenager's skin is totally different to that of a young child. This is our body's way to increase our defence system.

The pH of normal, healthy human skin is somewhere between 4.5 and 6. However, this varies with age. Typically, newborns have a pH closer to neutral (pH 7) that quickly turns acidic in order to protect young children's skin.

In the late teens to early 20's, our Acid Mantle is well developed and provides good protection against potentially harmful, external environmental factors. Our skin usually looks healthy, heals quickly when injured and seems to take care of itself.

With increasing age however, the skin's pH becomes more and more neutral, and thus more susceptible to bacterial growth. This reduced acidity kills fewer bacteria than before, leaving the skin susceptible to bacterial growth and infections. The skin weakens as a result and begins developing problems with increasing age. (Interestingly, the pH value rises beyond 6 when a person actually suffers from a skin problem or skin disease.)

The aging process of the skin causes biochemical changes in collagen and elastin, the connective tissues underlying the skin, which give the skin its firmness (collagen) and elasticity (elastin). The rates of loss of skin firmness and elasticity differs from individual to individual, depending on their genetic makeup, general health, over exposure to the sun, skin care regime, or lack there of, and other factors.

As the skin becomes less elastic, it also becomes drier; the underlying fatty tissue begins to disappear resulting in the skin beginning to sag. Our skin is less supple, and wrinkles begin to form. At this stage, our skin is more easily injured, heals more slowly and tends to dry out more quickly.

The role of pH in Acne

As outlined above, the skin's pH is important and maintaining a slightly acidic pH of around 5.5 is critical.

The skin's pH value is one of the major contributors to acne and other skin problems. Propionibacterium acnes is a bacteria that normally lives on the skin and is a normal bacteria found in all persons regardless of the presence or absence of acne.

However, in individuals prone to acne, the number of P. acnes is greatly increased. It has been found that the growth of this bacteria is very much dependent on the pH value of the skin and its growth is at its minimum at the normal skin pH of 5.5. A slight shift towards the alkaline pH would provide a better environment in which it can thrive.

Importance of the skin's pH: Do's & Don'ts

One of the major culprits that radically alter the pH of the skin, is soap. Ordinary, commercially available soaps are highly alkaline (pH range 9-11) and raise the skin's pH to be much more alkaline. This can be adjusted by using products such as Wildcrafted Herbal Products' Wild Herb Toner or Milk of Roses Toner, depending on your skin type. These toners restore normal pH of the skin and thus provide an environment not conducive to the growth of bacteria. In addition, soap dries out the skin, because of its high alkalinity.

Thus if you choose to use a commercially available soap, you must restore the pH of your skin to prevent loss of moisture and the excessive growth of bacteria. It is important to remember that this applies to the entire surface of your skin, not just the face.

Instead of using ordinary soap, you need to use products such as the Skin Renewal Gel from Wildcrafted Herbal Products, which cleanses your skin, removing dead skin cells and leaving your skin's pH as it is meant to be. Following this with the use of a Toner will close the open pores, preventing blackheads and loss of moisture from the skin.

Other factors influencing your skin's pH

Another factor that helps in regulating your skin's pH is the presents of microflora on your skin. Staphylococcus epidermis is involved in the breakdown of fatty acids, and is therefore partly responsible for the acidic pH of skin. The use of ordinary soap, not only changes the pH of the skin to be more alkaline, effectively removing the protective acid mantle, but also kills the bacteria responsible for creating, at least in part, the acidic pH of your skin - a double whammy.

It is therefore of great importance to have a good skin care regime in which high quality, natural skin care products are employed. There are a couple of simple steps to take before buying a particular brand of natural skin care products.

Identify the skin type(s) on the face. There are usually two or more. One skin type is usually isolated to the T-Zone (forehead and nose), the other applies to the rest of the facial skin.
Carefully select your natural skin care products. It is not good enough to choose products, which add natural ingredients to an otherwise non-natural base crème or lotion, as is the case in many supermarket brands. READ the label carefully, ask questions and if you are buying the products on-line, make sure there is a guarantee that allows you some time to evaluate the products before they need to be returned for a refund.
Look for manufacturers that have qualified herbalists or naturopaths on staff. These people generally do not support the use of artificial ingredients because it goes against everything they teach their patients, friends and family. - For the most part, it's a pretty good indication that the products are pure, when natural therapists are in charge of the formulation of the products.

All About Ringworm Symptoms and Treatment

Ringworm is a common infection of the skin that can be found both at humans and animals, especially cats, which are the most common ringworm carriers.

Although its name suggests that it is caused by a worm, in fact it is caused by a fungus. This fungus grows on the skin and feeds with the dead skin and hair cells there. The areas of skin that are infected with ringworm are usually round, and they have a red color at their edges, but in their center the skin looks almost normal. The red areas are shaped like a ring and they are also swollen because the fungus irritates the skin, so the place looks like a red round worm. This is where the name ringworm comes from.

The symptoms of ringworm can be seen on the skin surface. A doctor can diagnose ringworm just by taking a look at the infected areas. In some cases a more thorough analysis needs to be made to determine the nature of the fungus, so the doctor may take a small sample of skin tissue from the places where the fungus grows.

In the beginning ringworm looks like a small pimple or mosquito bite. Then it starts to grow as the fungus begins to evolve and spread. If hair grows in the area then the infected place will lose it, so red bald patches of skin will appear. Some patients also have a yellow crust over the infection.

As ringworm progresses the areas get bigger and they begin to be shaped like a ring. The skin in those areas in always itchy and soon more red patches will appear if it is not treated.

Depending on where the symptoms appears ringworm is called ringworm of the scalp, ringworm of the groin, or athlete's foot if it appears on the feet.

The treatment for ringworm is easy, especially if the doctors discover it early.
If there are only a few places with the fungus on them then the doctor will prescribe you an antifungal cream. These ointments can be purchased without a prescription but it's best to ask the doctor before deciding to use one. The cream must be applied directly on the infected skin for as long as it takes to for ringworm to go away and some time afterwards to make sure all the fungus cells are dead.

However if ringworm has spread to too any areas then antifungal pills are required to cure it. They are usually taken once a day and they are pretty strong so the effect should be seen in a few days.

IT's easy to cure ringworm, but first you must recognize it from its symptoms and go to a doctor for an accurate diagnosis as soon as you see any signs of it. If you want to prevent it, always wash and clean yourself and avoid using items that are regularly used by many people.

What Is The Best Treatment For Ringworm

Ringworm is the name of a common skin infection that is caused by fungi. It doesn't have anything to do with worms, the name ringworm comes from the fact that the infected areas have the shape of a ring, they are circular, more colored towards the edge and less colored in the center.
The areas where ringworm appears are itchy and irritated, so the skin from the margins of the circle is a little irritated, so it resembles a worm.

Ringworm is very contagious and it spreads quickly in a warm climate, because warm and humid areas are the ringworm's fungi favorite places. It can be taken if you touch the skin of an infected person or if you touch an infected animal, for animals can carry it too. Cats are known to be the most common carriers of ringworm.
You can prevent being infected if you live in an area where ringworm has started spreading by always washing your skin, avoiding to touch things that might have been touched by infected people, and finally by wearing loose clothes that do not touch and press against the skin like tight clothing.

The symptoms of ringworm are the red itchy worm-shaped patches of skin that appear where the fungi develops but if they are not treated the infection can eat through the skin and reach the blood, infecting it too. In this case antibiotics are needed to kill the foreign organisms from the blood.

Ringworm has an incubation period of 4-5 days, after which the symptoms start to show up. You must visit a doctor as soon as you discover that you have ringworm, in order to avoid its spreading to other areas of the skin and to other people. The most common medication that can treat ringworm are special ointments and antifungal pills. The ointments must be applied to the infected areas of the skin until the ringworm goes away and afterwards, because some of the bacteria can re-appear.
It is very ease to diagnose ringworm, doctors usually do it by simply looking at the infected areas, sometimes a sample from the skin surface is taken and analyzed, but not too often. Since it's easy to put the ringworm diagnose most of the ointments are available without prescription. However asking for a doctor's opinion is recommended.

The pills are prescribed when the infection has spread to many places and something stronger is required. These should be taken only when the doctor advises you to do so.

If it's treated properly ringworm will disappear in a few days, and if it's not it will spread and irritate more and more areas of the skin, reaching deeper and deeper, so if you have ringworm start treating it right away.

How To Get Rid Of Ringworm In The Home - 3 Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Ringworm

Are you desperately looking for how to get rid of ringworm in the home? You have tried all that has being advised and you still can't get rid of the infection totally. You are not alone as there are a lot of people also in your shoes looking for the best treatment for ringworm.

There are several treatments out in the market claiming to have the magic wand to clear your skin and some of them actually work but you always face a recurrent infection which makes you wonder how to deal with it permanently.

even the health practitioners have told you to use so many things but they have not really helped, you have tried all the creams available but to no avail. then what is the next thing to do?

The best way to get rid of ringworm in the home is the use of natural home remedies that will not help you clear the external symptoms and also the root cause of the outbreak.

Below are 3 home remedies to get rid of ringworm in the home

1. Mustard Seeds

Add some water to powdered mustard seed and make it into a thick paste so that you can apply on affected areas. Before applying on the affected areas, you need to first clean affected area thoroughly with warm water. When you are through with cleaning, apply the paste on the affected skin area and leave for 30 minutes. Finally wash off the paste with cool water.

2. Holy Basil

One of the home remedies readily available in our home is holy basil which can be used to treat ringworm. Extract juice from the leaves of basil and apply on the skin area that is affected by ringworm until you start seeing result in few days, you need to apply it on regular basis.

3. Turmeric

Another excellent home remedy for ringworm is juice from fresh raw turmeric. One unique attribute of this particular home remedy is that it can be used both internally and externally. For internal use, mix one teaspoon of turmeric juice with one teaspoonful of honey and take every morning. For external use, apply turmeric juice on affected skin area daily until you start seeing results.

Here are few tips on how to get rid of ringworm in the home that really works. You need to know the best mixture, application and when best to use the home remedy to be able to start seeing changes on your skin.

Balding Itchy Scalp - Natural Remedies to Treat a Balding Itchy Scalp

A balding itchy scalp can be a difficult thing to endure. The hair loss can be sudden, and the accompanying itch can drive you mad. What can you do to treat an balding itchy scalp problem, and are there any natural remedies to take care of, and cure it?

Is A Balding Itchy Scalp A Normal Part Of Pattern Baldness?

An irritated scalp is not a symptom of male or female pattern baldness (the most common natural form of balding and hair loss. The fancy medical name for this is Androgenetic Alopecia. Pattern baldness is currently understood to be mainly a genetic and hormonal problem due to androgens particularly an androgen called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and is not seen to be accompanied by an irritated scalp.

This could be good news as in most cases of balding itchy scalp, the hair loss is only temporary and not permanent. So by treating and curing the itchy scalp condition, your hair should eventually grow back.

Therefore, if you are suffering from a balding itchy scalp it could be one of the following:

Ringworm (tinea capitis) - this is a particularly aggressive and contagious fungus that can produce symptoms like red, itchy burning patches on the scalp, hair loss and if left untreated can lead to cicatricial alopecia, i.e. permanent hair loss.

Ringworm requires some pretty tough treatment to clear it up and I would recommend you see your doctor or dermatologist for advice on this. Most prescriptions involve a medication like miconazole, clotrimazole or similar ingredients. There are natural antibiotics available that can be used to tackle this nasty fungal infection.

Psoriasis is an extremely common condition, and psoriasis of the scalp can lead to temporary hair loss. It is normally identifiable as white scales on patches of very red skin, severe itching and temporary baldness on the affected areas.

Natural Remedies To Treat A Balding Itchy Scalp

First thing to do is look at your shampoo and bathing habits. Have either of these changed lately? Are you using a new shampoo? Have you recently had your hair dyed or been to the hairdressers?

Often times the beginnings of scalp reactions and infections can be traced back to the products we put on our hair. Look out for harsh chemicals that dry out your scalp like Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLS) - as this will only serve to aggravate your balding itchy scalp problem.

Try using a shampoo containing Zinc Pyrithione (the natural stuff, not the synthetic one). This is commonly used as an anti-dandruff ingredient, as it has very strong anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.

Home remedies that make use of birch or avocado oil are extremely effective in soothing and healing psoriasis.

Natural essential oils such as Tea Tree, Rosemary, Lavender and Manuka are superb at treating balding itchy scalp problems and can even stimulate hair growth. Combined with a scalp massage they can alleviate the symptoms of balding itchy scalp.

How to Cure Ringworm in Cats

It can be quite a nightmare when your pet cat has ringworm. Though there are telltale signs of it-the cat would have bald patches on its skin, it wouldn't be so obvious at the onset when what's happening is just some thinning of the hair. That is normally a sign that a cat is malnourished.

But when you start developing a ring-shaped rash on your hand or forearms, then for sure you are dealing with fungal infection. It is commonly found on the cat's head, ears and tail then spreads readily to the face, lips, nose and chin. On your cat, they appear as lesions where hair does not grow. The skin also appears scaly at the center and the patches are usually round. On your skin, they come up as rashes with scaly or crusty skin at the periphery that are usually inflamed.

Ringworm, the common term for skin fungi, spreads fast. It can be transferred between and among persons and animals, and whatever comes into contact with their infection. It is also present in the soil and is thus readily transferred to animals and so on.

Mercifully, fungi are easy to kill too. But it will take some effort on your part.

The first thing to do is to treat the cat and yourself with anti-fungal cream or lotion. These are readily available in CVS or any drugstore. Clean the affected area before applying the medicine. Just spread it thinly two times a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, on the infected skin and the area around it. It is important to do this continuously for about two weeks, even if you no longer see the rashes.

For more serious cases, let your friendly veterinarian take over. Among the remedies available to cats are antifungal shampoo, lime sulfur dip and even oral medication when the situation calls for it.

The major effort on your part has to do with disinfecting your home. This means daily washing with hot water and bleach of fabric and other surface materials like gym mats and rugs that the cat has been on. You can also use Lysol or other disinfectant spray on your furniture and other surfaces that cannot be washed. If your home is carpeted, steam cleaning would be a good idea. There are also child-friendly disinfectants available in the market so that the whole process is safe for your child.

Disinfecting has to be part of antifungal treatment, or else the disease will just keep coming back. This daily ritual also applies to your beddings and that of your cat. If you have other pets, it is also necessary to treat them as a precautionary measure. It may take weeks before things return to normal. In the meantime, limit your contact with your pet until the vet returns with positive results. This means two successive lab tests showing that your cat is finally free of ringworm.

Ringworm: A Non-crawling Fungus That Can Spread Over the Entire Body

Tinea

A rather common ailment has gone by a very unattractive name and one that is somewhat misleading. The scientific name for this ailment is Tinea; however the more common name is simply Ringworm. Tinea is Latin for 'growing worm' and may have led to the more common English translation.

Ringworm Defined

Ringworm is a simple fungal infection that zeros in on several key areas of your body including feet, scalp, nails and in the general area of the groin. The hallmark of ringworm is itching, skin redness and a patchy lesion that is clear in the center.

Transference

The fungal agent associated with ringworm is found among humans and animals. There is also a small variety of ringworm fungus that is found in certain soils. The transference of the fungus from carrier to host generally takes place through direct contact with either the infected animal or individual. Transference can also happen, to a lesser degree, from touching surfaces that the infected person has been in contact with.

Incubation

Scalp ringworm is generally noticed 10-14 days after contact with an infected animal or human while skin ringworm can appear 4-10 days following direct contact.

Prevention

One of the most effective ways to reduce conditions conducive to the spread of ringworm fungus is to keep areas that find common use clean. In the home this would be places like the dining room, living room and bathroom. In school this would be lockers, gyms and gymnastic mats.

Avoid sharing personal items like towels, hairbrushes, hats, and clothing items. If you are involved in school sports consider wearing flip flops when taking a shower or using the pool. You might also make a habit of washing sport uniforms on a regular basis.

When petting animals it is always a good idea to wash your hands or use antibacterial hand gel until hands can be washed.

Learning about how ringworm is spread is a perfect preventative measure because the more you know about how it is spread the less likely you will be to put you or your family at risk. Knowledge is a key preventative step in reducing the incidence of ringworm.

Other Common Names

There have been numerous names given to various aspects of ringworm that many may find surprising; athlete's foot and jock itch are two such examples. These infections are the result of a classification of fungi known as dermatophytes that gravitate toward dead skin tissues, nails and hair.

Nature's Assistance

While the purpose of this article is not to diagnose the existence of ringworm or how to treat it from a medical standpoint, we can recommend two natural products that act as a natural anti-fungal agent. The mineral colloidal silver has been shown to kill more than 600 diseases and may be effective in treating ringworm. Another natural product that has show promise in reducing the effects of ringworm is tea tree oil.