What is the best way to treat pytriasis vesicolor?
Question:
Answers:
Pityriasis versicolor is caused by commensal yeasts which overgrow, especially in hot humid conditions (which is why it often spoils an expensive beach holiday abroad :))
A topical antifungal drug (usually an imidazole) is applied at night to all affected areas for 2-4 weeks....this should be effective and is quite simple to carry out. Do not use the common dermatophyte antifungals like griseofulcin or terbinafine since these are useless. It is important to mention your condition to the pharmacist is you plan to buy over the counter as just saying "fungal infection" you're bound to end up with one of these.
Equally effective is Selsun shampoo which can be lathered on the patches after an evening bath and allowed to dry and then washed off in the morning (more messy and annoying in my opinion but to each his own) Three applications of this at weekly intervals should be aqeduate.
For very stubborn infections you will have to take itraconazole pills, usually 200mg daily for a week does the trick.
Remember that the pale patches will not disappear straight away even if you treat them immediately. They can be quite slow to regain their former colour.
This might not be good news but recurrence is very common whichever treatment you choose and unfortunately can't really be avoided except perhaps by avoiding very hot humid conditions.
If the condition persists, or returns, you may want to check out www.hufa.org - the yeast link. Yeast can infest the entire body internally (I am on a yeast cleanse regimen), and can sporadically cause stuff on the surface.
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