Summer has already begun, it is hot and humid; we sweat a lot.
We need to wash regularly to remove sweat and keep our body cool.
If we do not do this, the heat and sweat gets trapped in our body, specially in the folds such as groins and armpits. This moist and warm environment is ideal for superficial fungal infections such as P. versicolor to grow, multiply and cause skin infection.
It presents as brown patches initially and later becomes hypopigmented, covered with fine, branny scales. The sites commonly affected are neck, trunk and arm pits.
Prevention
1. Wash regularly with water to remove sweat.
2. Keep your body cool - wear loose cotton clothes, keep the environment cool by proper ventilation.
3. Change inner clothes everyday.
4. Do not self medicate with creams, which may contain steroids; this will initially resolve the rashes, but after stopping, the rashes will increase more and may become resistant to treatment.
4. Use less soap, as it makes skin alkaline, which favours fungal infections.
Treatment
The treatment is with antifungal medications, to be taken only under dermatological advice.
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