What is Fungal Infection in Hair? Hair fungus Treatment, Causes, Symptoms & Preventions

Many of us go through hair related problems, but some problems differ from the common hair problems like a fungal infection in hair. This problem happens due to the ringworm of the scalp, and this ringworm is also called tinea capitis. 

This is an infection of the hair shaft and scalp. And today, we will discuss the symptoms and causes of the fungal infection that leads to hair loss, scaly, itchy, and bald patches on the head. 

The fungal infection in hair is common in babies and children who go to school. The hair fungus treatment comes in both shampoo and tablet form so, if someone is suffering from fungal infection hair loss including other symptoms, they can choose to use medicines and medicated shampoos to prevent the spreading of the infection. 

It is important to get the hair fungus treatment as soon as possible to avoid further infection and severity of the symptoms. If you avoid or delay the hair fungal infection treatment, this may lead to severe inflammation, permanent hair loss or scarring. 

Symptoms of fungal infection in hair:

1. Patches on the head that enlarge or expand slowly. 
2. You will notice scaly skin and round patches (one or more than one) above the scalp. 
3. Your hair will become fragile and brittle, that can be pulled out easily. 
4. You will notice grey, scaly and reddened areas on your head. 
5. You will notice black dots like patches on the area where the hair has broken off the scalp. 
6. Some painful and tender areas on your scalp.

Once you notice the above symptoms of the fungal infection in hair, you should also understand when you should see a doctor.

If you see any of the above symptoms affecting your child’s scalp or any family person like:

• scaling, 
• the unusual appearance of the scalp, 
• itchiness of the scalp, 
• hair loss, 

You should consult a doctor immediately. It is beneficial to get an appropriate diagnosis to understand what type of type is best to cure the fungal infection in hair. 

Here are the causes of fungal infection in hair:

1. The fungal infection in hair or say the ringworm of the scalp develops because of various types of mold-like fungi that are called dermatophytes. 
2. In the fungal infection in hair, that fungi damage the hair shaft and the outer skin on the scalp. 
3. People get confused by the name ringworm but ringworm is not caused by a worm. The reason the name is ringworm because of the symptoms of the fungal infection in hair that leads to the circular ring-like appearance of the infection on the skin. 

How fungal infection in hair spreads?

1. The fungal infection in hair spread from human to human, like if the skin of an infected person comes in direct contact with the other person, the chances of getting infected are high. 
2. If an object like towels, combs, cloth, brushes and bed linens comes in contact with an infected person and used by some other person, the chances of getting infected are high. 
3. If an infected person comes in contact with an animal, then the other person can also get infected through that animal. 
4. The ringworm infection can directly infect a human from an animal because dogs, horses, cats, goats, cows, little kittens, pigs, and puppies are mostly the carries of ringworm. Be careful while grooming or petting an animal. 

Risk factors that come with the fungal infection hair loss:

• Age is one of the risk factors that may lead to fungal infection, mainly in school-age kids and babies or toddlers.

• Child’s care centres, where the physical or direct contact with other children’s is common, such places increase the risk factor related to the outbreak of the ringworm infection or fungal infection in hair. 

• If you have a pet, or you are a pet lover, you need to take more precaution because cats and dogs can be a carrier of fungal infection in hair, without any signs and symptoms of the fungal infection hair loss. 

• If you have small kids at home and pets as well, make sure you keep your children away from petting or touching the animals because children or toddlers seems are more prone to this infection than adults. 

There are some complications related to the fungal infection this may happen if you do not get a proper hair fungal infection treatment on time. 

• In some cases, you might face kerion problem in ringworm infection this leads to symptoms like painful and severe inflammation of the scalp, thick, yellow crusting on the scalp area, kerion looks soft, raised and these swelled kerion drain pus. 
• Kerion is a vigorous reaction to the fungus that leads to easy breakage of hair, hair loss, and permanent scar. 

Prevention from fungal infection in hair: 

However, it is difficult to prevent the fungal infection in hair because this infection is extremely contagious. So, you can follow some preventive measure to reduce the symptoms of the ringworm.

1. Maintain direct contact or try to be in another room or area to maintain a distance from a person or animal to prevent you, toddlers, and children. 
2. Use the prescribed shampoo daily on your or the on the scalp of the toddler, as suggested by the doctor and if possible, go for a haircut. 
3. Try to wash your hands more often to prevent the spread of the fungal infection in hair. 
4. You share some areas try to clean those areas more often like gyms, schools, child care centres, kitchen, washrooms, and locker rooms, etc.
5. Try to avoid complete contact with infected animals because it is not possible to limit and stop animal or pet to not come near to you or not to touch certain things and places. So, it better to separate the area where you want to keep your pet until they are recovered from fungal infection. Avoid using personal stuff like towels, personal items, clothes, pillows, blankets, hairbrushes. 

We hope that after reading the above information; you are well-informed related to the hair fungal infection treatments, hair fungal infection causes, symptoms, prevention and severity. 

You know what steps you need to take if you are suffering from a ringworm infection.