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Tinea Versicolor
These lectures are not meant to replace your physician and are simply provided as
a free educational service to all our visitors. If you feel that you have a
skin problem, please see your doctor.
Tinea versicolor is a common chronic skin condition that is caused by a yeast
which normally lives on the skin of all human beings. The yeast has been known
by several names including Malassezia furfur, Pityrosporum ovale and
Pityrosporum orbiculare. This yeast lives in the opening from which the hairs
grow out of your skin. The organism gets its nourishment by eating the oil
produced by the glands attached to those hairs.
In some individuals this yeast, instead of remaining confined to the hair
opening, where it belongs, multiplies and spreads to the skin surface. Their
growth on skin surface is irritating to the skin and causes redness, itching
and flaking.
At first, these spots are tiny and are seen about each hair opening. With time,
they spread together forming large patches. Finally the scaling areas may turn
white as the skin loses its color in reaction to the yeast. In some individuals
the flaking areas can be yellow, orange, red or brown in color - hence the name
"versicolor" or many colors.
TINEA VERSICOLOR IS CAUSED BY THE OVERGROWTH OF A YEAST FOUND NORMALLY IN THE
SKIN OF ALL PERSONS AND IT IS NOT A CONTAGIOUS CONDITION. MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS
CONDITION WHICH TENDS TO BE MORE SEVERE IN WARM CLIMATES AND IN THOSE WHO SWEAT
A GOOD DEAL.
CURING TINEA VERSICOLOR
Because you can never entirely get rid of this yeast from your skin, the
condition is only controlled and never completely cured by treatment.
For more on Common Skin Disorders,
click here.
For more topics, click here.
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