What Is Ringworm?

Answer:

This patient presented with ringworm of the bearded areas of his face and neck, known as “tinea barbae”, or “barber’s itch”.

Ringworm is a common skin disorder caused by a fungus. It’s highly contagious and can be spread multiple ways: from an infected person, animal, object, or even soil.

Heat and moisture help fungi grow and thrive, which makes them more common in areas of frequent sweating as well as in skin folds such as those in the groin or between the toes. When this fungus affects the skin of the body, it often produces the round spot of classic ringworm.

The infection can occur on skin in different parts of the body, including the scalp.