Ringworm on Baby, Face, Scalp, Butt, Causes, Pictures, Treatment & Home Remedies

Ringworm on baby appears especially on the face, scalp, buttocks, arms or legs. It is typically characterized by a rash and dry scaly skin. Explore facts, including pictures, causes, signs, and symptoms of ringworm in babies. Also, learn how to get rid of and prevent it with medical treatments and home remedies.

Signs and Symptoms of Ringworm on Baby

Ringworm is a type of fungal infection that typically affects the skin surface. This infection is also known as tinea. Ringworm does not relate to worms infection. However, it may appear as a circular patch like a worm on your skin.

Ringworm infection is highly contagious and it can affect the skin of anybody. But the infection is very common in babies, toddlers or children. The infection of ringworm on your baby can appear on scalp, face, neck, arms, and legs or anywhere on the body parts.

Usually, the infection of ringworm on the skin of the baby can show up as red scaly or dry patches on the affected area. These patches can appear as ring-shaped especially scalp. Also, ringworms on other parts of the body may rarely show up as ring-shaped patches but instead they can be in form of a red rash.

The common signs and symptoms that are usually characterized by ringworm infection on the skin of the baby include the following:

Ring-shaped dry patches on scalp, face, and other skin parts on the body
Irregularly shaped scaly or dry patches on the skin
Red, pink, brown, grey, white scaly rash on skin
Redness, tender and inflamed skin of the affected area
Itchy rash on scalp, face, and other body parts

Your baby can also show up other symptoms that are accompanied by ringworm infection on the skin. They include restless, continuous scratching of the affected area, crying, and loos of happiness.

Baby Ringworm or Eczema

Baby ringworm sometimes can appear like eczema. The two infections might show up symptoms that can look almost similar. This can really confuse you especially if the skin of your baby develops eczema that looks like ringworm.

Eczema on the baby skin is usually associated with red itchy patches. Also, the affected skin area might become red inflamed, scaly, dry and rough. In addition, this condition can make the skin of your baby to develop oozing blisters that may crust over.

In contrast to eczema on the baby skin, ringworm is always characterized by scaly and dry itchy patches on the affected area that are ring-shaped. These patches can appear as red, pink, brown, white, or grey in color. Sometimes scalp ringworm can look like eczema on the skin when it forms weeping blister that crust over.

Ringworm on Baby Pictures

How does ringworm on the skin of the baby look like? To see how they might appear, we have included illustrative pictures of ringworm on the baby skin in various section of this post. These pictures of photos show the shape and color appearance of skin ringworm.

The provided pictures are the good source of reference you can use for comparison to assess the skin condition of your baby. If you notice that the skin of your baby looks almost similar to the condition in these pictures, it is advisable to look the help of your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Causes of Ringworm on Baby

The infection of ringworm on the baby skin is caused by different types of skin fungus. This skin fungus is also known as a dermatophyte. Usually, the skin fungus may attack the outmost skin layer on the body of your baby.

The saprophytic skin fungus on the baby can live and feed on dead skin tissues. Also, the fungus can live on the hair of your baby. This includes scalp ringworm that typically affects the skin of the scalp and the hair shaft.

The common types of skin fungi that can lead to ringworm on the baby include the following:

1. Tinea faciei

This form of dermatophyte typically causes ringworm on the face. They can lead to dry patches on cheek, chin, under eyes, on the nose, lips, and eyelids. Facial ringworm on your baby can appear as red rash associated with a dry scaly itchy patch on the skin.

2. Tinea capitis

Usually, this form of ringworm may occur on the scalp and forehead of your baby. The scalp ringworm can lead to hair loss on the head of the baby leaving red dry and scaly itchy patches on the affected area.

3. Tinea corporis

Tinea corporis is a type of skin fungus that can cause dry itchy patches of ringworms to show anywhere on the skin of your baby.

4. Tinea pedis (athlete’s foot)

This form of skin fungus typically affects the lower feet. They can lead to patches of ringworm between toes of the baby.

5. Tinea cruris or jock itch

The type of skin fungus can lead to patches of ringworm around the genital area of the baby. Also, the ringworm rash can spread to thighs and buttocks.

The skin fungi that cause ringworm infection is highly contagious. Your baby can contact the infection from other children or from the pet. The common mechanisms through which your baby might get ringworm infection include:

Form one individual to another: your baby can be infected by ringworms through direct skin contact with infected person.
From pet animals to human: the bay skin can be infected by ringworm when the child interacts with an infected pet. The common domestic animals that can be affected by ringworms include dogs, cats, goats, cow, pigs, rabbits, and
From contaminated objects. Ringworm infection can spread easily through the sharing of towels, cloth, comb, and hairbrush with an infected person.

Risk Factors for Ringworm Infection on Baby

Your baby can develop patches of ringworm of the skin if exposed to various risk factors. The common predisposing factors of ringworm infection include:

The underdeveloped immune system in babies, toddlers and children is a major risk factor that may encourage ringworm infection.
The weakened immune system of the bay due to certain underlying infection such as HIV and tuberculosis.
Damp condition around the skin of the baby can encourage the growth of skin fungus. The wet baby diaper can favor the growth of ringworms on the skin.
Too close interaction of the baby and the pet especially if it is affected by ringworms on the skin.
School age is a risk factor when your baby gets into the direct skin in contact with other children at school.

How to Get Rid of Ringworm on Baby

You can use various treatment methods to get rid of ringworms from the skin of your baby. You can use either natural home remedies or medical treatment. Home remedies can work effectively when the patches of ringworm are tiny and small.

Alternatively, you can go for medical treatment by visiting a dermatologist. This treatment method is suitable if your baby has chronic itchy patches of ringworm that are likely to advance into a serious health problem.

Treatment

After taking your baby to a dermatologist, he or she will determine the cause of skin the problem of your baby by using accurate diagnosis method. From diagnosis results, your doctor will give your baby appropriate medical treatment that can help to cure her skin condition.

The common ringworm treatment methods that your doctor might give your baby include:

Prescription of oral drugs that can help to treat skin fungus
Prescription of antifungal creams, gel, and lotions that can help to cure patches of ringworm on baby skin
The prescription of medicated shampoos and soap that you can use to wash your baby

Home Remedies

You can use the following natural treatment methods to treat ringworm patches on the skin of your baby. They include:

1. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera has antifungal properties that can help to cure dry patches of ringworm on the skin of your baby.

How to use:

Wash your baby with warm water and dry her using a towel
Use your hands to apply the Aloe Vera cream or gel to the affected parts of the skin on your baby
Leave it to stay on her skin the whole day or night
Repeat to apply it twice daily until patches of ringworm on baby clear away

2. Lemon juice

The antifungal properties of lemon juice can help to kill skin fungus and also clear away ringworm patches on the skin of the baby.

How to use:

Get ¼ glass of fresh lemon juice
Use a cotton ball to apply it to the ringworm baby on the skin of your baby
Leave it to stay on her skin for about 30 minutes before rinsing it off with water
Repeat to apply it three times in a day for few weeks until dry patches of ringworm on the skin of your bay clear away.

3. Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is an excellent natural antiseptic that can help to kill and clear away skin fungus.

How to use:

In ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar, dilute it with equal amount of water
Use cotton ball to apply the solution to the skin of the bay that is affected by ringworm
Let it dry off before washing it with water
Do this procedure twice daily until the ringworm patches on skin of your baby disappear

4. Coconut oil

You can also try coconut oil as a remedy that can help to cure patches of ringworm on the skin of the baby. Coconut oil has natural antifungal properties that can help to kill skin fungus.

How to use:

Wash your baby with warm water and pat dry the skin with a towel
Use your hands to apply the coconut oil to the ringworm patches on her skin
Leave the oil to stay on her skin for the whole day or night
Ensure you apply it twice daily for few weeks until red dry patches of ringworm on skin of your baby go away

5. Ginger juice

Ginger juice is a natural antifungal reagent that you can use as a home remedy to treat skin fungus on the baby.

How to use:

Crush few cloves of ginger, add 1 cup of water and extract the juice
Apply the juice directly to the affected area on skin of your baby with patches of ringworm
Let it stay on her skin for about 20 minutes before washing it off with water
Repeat this steps twice daily until patches of ringworm on the skin of your baby clear way

How to Prevent Ringworm on Baby

You can prevent ringworms from infecting your baby by using the following tips:

Always maintain good skin hygiene of your baby by washing her with antifungal soap and pat dry her with a clean individual towel
Prevent your baby from sharing cloth, towel, hairbrush, and comb with other people
Help to protect your baby to stay away from ringworm infected pets
Guard the baby to avoid direct skin contact with other children that are infected with ringworms
Provide a balanced diet for your baby that can help to build strong immune system
Educate your toddlers or children on how to avoid ringworm infection

When to See a Doctor

It is advisable to seek the help of your doctor if you notice the following condition of ringworm on baby that includes:

When the dry patches of ringworm on skin of your baby has persisted for more than three weeks without healing
If the ringworm on the skin of your baby develop into kerion or spongy sores on the scalp or any other parts of the body
If the ringworms patches are large and are spreading to whole body parts of your baby
When the skin of the baby develop oozing sore that crust over on scalp and other parts of the body
If your baby or toddler is restless and keep on scratching itchy patches of ringworm