Symptoms

Most commonly, ringworm appears as one or more round or oval patches of baldness or scaly skin on the scalp or beard. Typically, the circular patches spread along their outer borders while clearing at the center, which gives them a ringed appearance and the name "ringworm." But you don't always see this pattern.

Other patterns include:

• Patchy dandruff.
• Scalp hair that breaks off at the surface, resulting in a "black dot" appearance, with mild to moderate dandruff.
• Inflamed, reddened, crusty, tender, and swollen areas with small bumps that look like blisters.

Sometimes swollen lymph nodes and fever occur with ringworm infections.

When fungal infections occur, other areas of skin may have a delayed allergic reaction in the form of a rash that looks like blisters, known as an "id" reaction. Id reactions from ringworm of the scalp usually appear on the face.

Early diagnosis and treatment of ringworm of the scalp or beard may stop the infection from becoming uncomfortable and prevent scarring and permanent hair loss.

Ringworm can be confused with other conditions with similar symptoms.

What Happens

At first, ringworm of the scalp or beard may look like dandruff with flakes of dead skin on the hair or beard. There may be round or oval patches of baldness. The skin under the hair or beard may be itchy, red, and peeling. The infection can spread gradually and cover a large area.

As fungi invade the hair, the hair becomes infected, brittle, and breaks off near the root, resulting in patches of baldness. If you treat ringworm early, hair loss is usually temporary.

The scalp or the skin under the beard may become very tender if swollen areas and bumps that look like blisters or nodules with pus (kerions) develop. Skin blisters can become infected.

Ringworm of the scalp or beard can cause scarring and permanent hair loss.