How is tinea versicolor treated?
There are many antifungal agents available to apply to the skin for the treatment of tinea versicolor. Over-the-counter (OTC) remedies include clotrimazole and miconazole. These should be applied twice a day for 10-14 days but come in small tubes and are hard to apply to large areas. Another OTC option is selenium sulfide shampoo 1% (Selsun Blue) or 1% ketoconazole shampoo. Some doctors recommend applying these for 15 minutes twice a week for two to four weeks. Others suggest applying them overnight and washing them off in the morning for a week. This treatment can be irritating, however, and may lead to missing hard-to-reach spots on the mid-back. There are also many prescription-strength antifungal creams that can treat tinea versicolor, as well as a stronger form of selenium sulfide (2.5%) and prescription-strength ketoconazole shampoo (2%). However, these pose the same application problems as their OTC counterparts. Oral treatment for tinea versicolor has the advantage of simplicit
