We often see dermatologists in the clinic who say that they have ringworm and that the so-called “ringworm creams” they buy on their own are not effective and have gotten worse. At this point, the dermatologist must be helpless, because the patient is not suffering from the so-called “ringworm” at all, so how can a topical “ringworm cream” be effective? First of all, let’s clarify what ringworm is. Ringworm as we know it is a disease of the skin, hair or finger (toe) nails caused by a superficial fungal infection, such as ringworm of the head, ringworm of the body, ringworm of the femur, ringworm of the hands and feet, ringworm of the flowers, ringworm of the nails, etc. This type of ringworm can often be effectively controlled or even cured with the use of topical or oral antifungal medications (i.e. ringworm medications). Tinea corporis In addition to this type of disease, there are other diseases that we usually hear called “ringworm”, such as ringworm of the breast, ringworm of the peach, psoriasis, ringworm of the armpit, lichen planus, and so on. Although these are called “ringworm”, they are not caused by fungal infections, so the use of ringworm medication is ineffective and can lead to aggravation of the disease. Let’s take a look at what these “ringworms” are not. 1. Ringworm: This is actually a common folk name in China and is roughly equivalent to baby eczema. It usually starts to appear 2 to 3 months after birth, mostly on the cheeks, forehead, scalp and, in severe cases, on the trunk and limbs. In addition to baby eczema, many adults eczema is also the most likely to be mistaken for “ringworm” and the indiscriminate use of “ringworm cream”. The actual fact is that you will find a lot of people who are not able to get a good deal on this kind of things. This is the common name for some facial scaly skin disease. The scientific name is white pityriasis also known as simple pityriasis, adolescent spring rash, seasonal contact dermatitis and other diseases. This is because the spring is warm, the sun is bright, the ultraviolet content increases, the air is suspended with pollen, willow and other particles, for adolescents and some people with high skin sensitivity, the exposed facial skin will appear a series of inflammatory reactions, manifested as white spots, flaking, etc.. There is usually no abnormal sensation. Mostly spring onset. 3, psoriasis is actually the common name for psoriasis, which is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease with the characteristics of stubbornness and recurrence. The typical skin lesions can be summarized in sixteen words: “red rash, silvery white scales, film phenomenon, and punctate bleeding.” Many psoriasis patients are afraid to go to public places to participate in activities for fear of being eyed by others, in fact, no one has been able to culture fungi or detect the presence of bacteria in psoriasis skin lesions, and psoriasis is not contagious. As for the cause of its pathogenesis is still not very clear, it may be related to polygenic inheritance. In addition, the occurrence, aggravation, remission and cure of psoriasis are closely related to mental tension and psychological stress, and belong to the category of physical and mental diseases. Mental tension and make the body metabolic imbalance, the body immune function disorder. All these factors are affecting the changes of the disease from different aspects. 4, armpit hair ringworm is also not ringworm, but is caused by a bacterial infection, which is caused by a pathogenic bacterium called Corynebacterium ciliatum, which generally does not invade the hair roots and skin. Patients may notice a yellow, black, or red coating around the hair shaft of their armpit or pubic hair in the summer, with yellow being the most common. These wrappings can be hard or soft, small nodular or diffuse, making the hair shaft brittle and easily broken. The skin of the affected area is normal, but usually sweaty. The sweat may be yellow, black or red due to the color of the encrustations. Generally no conscious symptoms, patients are often found inadvertently. 5, lichen planus Lichen planus, the Chinese medical name of the disease “purpura”, clinical is not rare, and in recent years the incidence of the trend has increased. It is often misdiagnosed because of its varied skin manifestations. The most typical damage is a flat papule slightly above the skin surface, the size of a small rice grain to green bean, in a well-defined polygonal or round shape. The color is mostly purplish red or purplish blue, but can also be dark red, reddish brown or dirty gray. From the above, we know that ringworm is not always caused by fungal infections and ringworm medication cannot solve all ringworm diseases. If you have a skin problem, you should not use ringworm medication indiscriminately. You should first go to a dermatologist and get a clear diagnosis from your doctor and then undergo targeted treatment under his or her guidance.