The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Howard (New York, New York) on 10/22/2009
★★★★★
Apple cider viniger certainly works its amazing. my son had ring worm as small as a dime it was confirmed by the doctor who gave us a treatment for it. so we used what they gave us and thought nothing of it i never had ring worm or seen it before. i noticed that after a while it was spreading. so i went back to the doctor who then gave him a topical cream and medicine to take for 6 weeks. he then assured us it will be gone. But after 6 weeks only affected the site in a extremely small way. so i brought him back and they gave us a stronger medicine that they said would not only kill ring worm but kill any eggs laying around. but this too did not do much so i took things into my own hands and decided to find the solution before it took over his whole head and thats when i found your website praise God. i learned about ACV and went immediatlly and purchased it along side vick vapor rub. i read how it took 3 to 5 days some for some people but i took a cotton ball and put ACV on it and rubbed the infected sight and immediatly the sight bump got white and big. i let it dry for 7 min and repeated again and the infected sight started to bleed. i let it dry and repeated 5 times my son was really a trooper i can see that he was in pain but he hung in there. after the 5 time i let it dry and removed any blood from the site i was amazed and awwwwed. His head was back to normal i still cant believe it but there it was i stared at his head for 1 hour not believing what just happened. i spent hundreds at the doctor for garbage and the Organic ACV only cost me $2.50. I will certainly keep treating his head for 5 more days to make sure it will not come back and i am giving him 1 table spoon of organic ACV to drink to kill whatever is in his blood.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Emily (MO) on 04/11/2009
★★★★★
I used acv on ringworm, it does leave a hole where the ringworm had grown in the skin, a big circle, use polysporin on it for a couple of weeks and you can hardly see it.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Teia (Detroit, Mi, Usa) on 05/04/2011
thanks so much for posting- I put Apple Cider Vinegar on my 6yr old daughter tonight- the cream from the doctor's is useless- I will keep everyone updated.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Leah (Philadelphia) on 08/10/2017
★★★★★
BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
Apple cider vinegar works for ringworm. But I soaked it in cotton balls and taped it to my skin and left it over night. Do not do what I did. When I woke up my skin was scabby and had scarred later on. About 1 year I noticed that later most of my scars have faded without me even trying to fade them. I didn't use shea butter or anything so if you did what I did your scars will probably fade away too. But I do have just a few scars that are visible by not noticeable like they were b4. Also, it's possible that my scars faded sooner than a year cuz after some time I just forgot about them and didn't even realize that they were fading. The point is that apple cider vinegar works wonders, but do not leave on too long cuz it is very powerful.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 03/05/2015
Dear Chris,
I would use castor oil on the blemishes once or twice a day. You could make a mixture of half castor oil and half extra virgin coconut oil, if you want it to be less greasy. Both are healing for the skin.
~Mama to Many~
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Debbie (Alabama) on 12/28/2015
Use vitamin e oil to get rid of the circles and any scar you have. AWESOME stuff.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Heidi (Sierra Nevada Foothills, Ca) on 06/29/2012
Hello, You said you used 1:1 ratio of DMSO and ACV. Was the DMSO 99.9%? And did you apply for all three days? Thanks
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Idahoinwa (Burien, Washington) on 06/30/2012
Yes 99.9 % and applied morning and Night for 3 days. Be sure to mix in small batches as it made the glass bottle warm when I mixed it up. Dont know how long it will be gone. Should probley do it for a few days after its gone to make sure. Also I used raw organic apple cider Vinegar.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Dan (New York, 10017) on 06/10/2013
It should bleed. Then you know the Apple Cider Vinegar is going deep enough. You get the skin to bleed by continuosly rubbing it with ACV. What's happening is that the acidic nature of ACV is burning off the top layer of the skin. The skin will eventually scab over and it will heal. There will be no scar when it heals because the Apple Cider Vinegar only burned off the superficial layer of the skin.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Bvshah (Mumbai, India) on 10/31/2011
Hi, Thanks for your reply. But I keep on getting new spots of the ringworm and after applying ACV, the lesion has become very dark and ugly. Will this leave a mark on my body amd What about Extra virgin Coconut oil, does it burn when applied on the skin or does it leave a mark?
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Rg (Tx, Usa) on 12/17/2013
If you're having that much of a reaction to the ACV I would stop using it, or use it and then apply REAL honey right afterwards. (Real honey, aka organic honey, is expensive but if you have any left over you can use it for treating scars, healing wounds, or pulling out blackheads).
You should try slicing up garlic and taping it to the wound, and then apply organic honey or organic aloe vera gel.
Healing scars with organic honey- mix 4 teaspoons of lemon juice, 3 teaspoons of plain yogurt, 4 tablespoons of organic honey, and 1 egg white. Put that mixture in a container of some sort like a jar (store extra in the fridge). Then get some baking soda (about a tblspoon) and pour however much of the mixture you think you'll need that day onto it. Mix together into a paste and let that sit on your scars for at least 15 min, once a week. I did this for 15 min a day, 4 days a week for a month and all my acne scars are gone (and I had really bad acne)!! I'm also using it on deeper scars I've had since I was a kid about once a week, it's working slowly but surely.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Anita (Glenview, Il) on 02/03/2010
★★★★★
The apple cider treatment worked very well to cure ringworm on my face and neck. It takes a while, possibly 2 weeks, and it does burn, but it really works. I followed with a mild facial scrub to get rid of circle marks and dead skin. Thanks for the help.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Camille (Brooklyn, Ny) on 12/30/2009
Howard from NY, NY- did the ringworm come back?
My 4 1/2 year old and my 6 yr old have it. I am thinking of trying the ACV on my 6 yr old- it's in her head; and the Black Walnut tincture on my 4 1/2 yr old-it's on his face, in two places. We got Lotrisone for my son, but I am leery about it after reading the side-effects (it contains a steroid).
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Om (Hope, Bc Canada) on 05/20/2015
Devona (Ohio) ---
Devona, I have used turmeric powder exclusively for years for ring worm which is a fungus. Even dousing a cat while sitting in a box. It has always worked. Meds from the vets do not remove it.
You could also warm any kind of milk and boil half a teasp. turmeric for your skin. It works well.
There is also a recipe with lemons, turmeric, cayenne and ginger which I have posted here recently. It is an anti inflammatory treatment whenever using turmeric. I have lots of rescues.
Namaste, Om
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sheri (Minneapolis, MN) on 08/08/2007
★★★★★
ACV cured my ringworm!I recently found out a rash that kept appearing and disappearing over the course of many years was not the eczema I had thought it to be. After a visit to my medical clinic I found out I had ringworm. I was given a prescription of ketoconazole and told to use it for a week then rest for a week repeating until it was gone. I started the cream immediately and my fungus grew to over 10 times the size it had been. The rash was getting worse and the itching was driving me out of my mind. I began researching natural remedies and found this site with so many remedies to try. I immediately bought the tea tree oil and the apple cider vinegar. After completing the week of the fungal cream I started using the tea tree oil in one location and the ACV in another. I began noticing results right away. My family objected to the odor of the tea tree oil so I began using the ACV exclusively. I applied it several times per day with a cotton ball rubbing until I could feel the tingling. I began feeling relief within two days. The treated areas began to become scaly and dry. A week after starting the ACV treatment my fungus is totally gone. I can't wait to tell my nurse practitioner the natural cure was the way to go. Thanks for the remedies I found on this page, I now live an itch free life!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Kyle (Elburn, Illinois) on 03/18/2007
★★★★★
I had ringworm on my leg and I tried a bunch of different cures and the one that worked best was apple cider vinegar! i was so surprised! if you rub it on the area until it burns slightly, 2x a day it should dissappear within 1 week! works great!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Michelle (Mon Louis Island, AL) on 02/18/2006
★★★★★
I had horrible allergies and I had noticed that I had a ringworm on my stomach. I had a friend that had a ringworm not to long ago and she went to the doctor. He gave her a Rx she had to take for two weeks. It made her feel sick. I had started reading Natural Cures and I refused to go and get an Rx so I started to research. Then I became my own guinea pig. I wake up and take a shot of AVC in a shot glass then I chop two cloves of garlic in the shot glass and wait ten min. Then I add water to the garlic and shot it. Then I brush my teeth with baking soda. I have not had to take allergy meds. and I noticed by the fourth day my ringworm was gone. I have been doing this going on four weeks. I now give my son 2tsp of AVC then a glass of water and his allergies have cleared. I have felt better for the past three weeks than I can remeber. You should try it.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Judy (Tallahassee, FL)
★★★★★
I recently found a kitten with spots of ringworm on its body. It frantically chewed its paws so I poured a pint of natural ACV in a small dishpan and soaked the kitten twice a day for several days, sponging the liquid all over its body. Within 24 hours, the feet chewing stopped and in a week's time, new fur was beginning to grow on the bare areas. Sure beats typical 3-4 weeks treatment vets want to use.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Michelle (Omaha) on 12/11/2017
★★★★★
We adopted a kitten a few weeks ago, and about 2-3 days ago I noticed ringworm on my arm. I had read about using ACV but also used Lotrimin. The only thing between the two that seems to be working and providing itch relief is ACV. Whenever I've treated the spots with the Lotrimin they just seem to swell and still itch. Cleaning with soap and then swabbing with ACV seems to dry out the spots immediately. I've heard Lotrimin can take up to 8 weeks to totally heal, which sounds miserable. Our kitten will be quarantined for a week (until the vet says she won't be contagious), I'm trying to disinfect our home using a clorox spray for furniture then doing laundry and vacuuming. No way to know if its working until none of us is ringworm free for a while. Any tips on home cleaning and prevention?
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Alei14456 (Texas) on 09/29/2016
★★★★☆
Dilute definitely dilute! I had the bright idea of using a bandaid damp with Apple Cider Vinegar undiluted overnight to cure my ringworm faster. I let it breathe at work and put one on when I got home and changed it before I went to bed. After the second night, it started burning as I put the bandaid on. I dealt with the mild irritation for about 30 minutes and it only got worse. My ringworm is now half cured scaly, itchy, dry and full of scabs due to the acv. I love Apple Cider Vinegar to death and am all for home remedies, but next time I'm using a ringworm ointment.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Reyna (Seabrook) on 12/12/2016
I have never had ringworms. So, when I got home from my vacation in Hawaii I had no idea the "bit" or so I thought it was would spread all over my breast and stomach area. I have tried to use the antifungal creams and it started to clear the one on my neck but that was once they spread all over. I continued trying to use the creams and nothing happened. I read online about ACV and today is my first time trying. I rubbed it all over my body and almost cried because it burned so bad. But I am willing to suck it up to get rid of these dang things. I rubbed some on each one with a cotton ball. I am also going to drink some everyday. Twice a day should be sufficient right? I just want them to go away ASAP. Anyone have any thoughts on addition Apple Cider Vinegar cleansing?
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Mildred (University Park, Illinois ) on 12/20/2016
I don't know, but I hear apple vinegar is the best medicine. Good luck.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Smokymtnlady (Tn) on 08/06/2017
Breast and stomach area? This sounds more like Pityriasis Rosea, which can be treated with a sunlamp.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Chris (England) on 03/06/2015
Thanks for your advice, I will try the castor oil. Best wishes.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Anonymous (Texas) on 12/04/2014
If u do get scars use aloe vera ... it helps heal the scar and it is faster as well.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Julio (Dallas, Tx, Usa) on 01/02/2012
Hi, About a year ago ringworm started on my face's left side cheek. It started as a little itchy thing which I scratched n didn't know what it was. I thought it would go away soon but it didn't instead it started to spread. I went to see the dorctor which prescribed me some cream to apply n a pink pill to take once a week. But the only thing it helped with was the itching. I went back n this time they prescribed me lasimil pills. Which I only was authorized to take for two weeks. Then I bought lamisil cream but none of that helped. The ringworm is visible now.
It wasn't till two days ago that I found this site and saw that apple cider vinegar can help. I been applying it for three days now but I'm not sure if it has helped or if it's going to help me. I scratched it hard till it bled and then applied it. It burnt and now it looks like a wound. I don't wanna repeat the proccess because I don't want an ugly scar in my face but I do wanna get rid of that sht. It's embarrasing. What should I do?? Should I just apply it gentle now since I already made it bleed once?? I'll be waiting for your replies. thank you.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Nicole (Glendora, Ca Usa) on 05/20/2011
I have a question, I came across this site and read about Apple Cider Vinegar and its a great tool to treat ringworm. I read somebodys situation and what she did was she soaked Apple Cider Vinegar on a cotton ball and rubbed it on the affected site till it bleeds then repeat and after 2 days her ringworm is gone. I did the same thing and it stings so bad and the outer skin just fell off and I can see the skin. Is that normal? My ringworm is at the back of my hand. Pls help
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Bvshah (Mumbai, India) on 10/25/2011
Hi, I am suffering from ringworm since past four months. Hate taken couple of antibiotic creams and medicine but no effect. One doctor gave me steroids and it worsened the case and now no medicines are suiting my skin. The infection is growing and from both the thigh and groain area now it has come on my hand as well. I was thinking of using ACV. Can anyone tell me as to how to use ACV for ringworm? I applied white vinegar yesterday on one of the lesions and itching went away but entire thing is inflamed and turned red. So is it safe to use ACV or this is how skin reacts once ACV is applied? How do I know whether ACV is suiting me or reacting adversely?
Thanks, Miss Shah
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Jay (Toronto, Ont, Canada) on 10/25/2011
To Bvshah from Mumbai, India:
Bvshah, although rinsing the areas with diluted ACV can be of some help, you can completely eliminate the problem with organic extra virgin coconut oil.
What you have is a fungus and coconut oil is antifungal as well as antiviral and antibacterial.
Use the coconut oil both topically on your skin wherever necessary and also eat some every day to help fight the fungus. Start with 1 tablespoon per day and work up to 3 tablespoons per day.
You should see some improvement fairly quickly but continue with the coconut oil for a few weeks beyond the end of obvious fungal irritation to be certain of complete success.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Morgan (Kansas City, Missouri/unite States) on 07/01/2012
I used Apple Cider Vinegar (but any vinegar will do) for athletes foot on my hands, and it worked very well. Ring worm is a from of athletes foot, so Apple Cider Vinegar should work on ring worm as well. I too have ring worm on my leg and have been applying apple cider vinegar to it (not daily) so I think it is my body mostly fighting off the infection and not the acv. But it seems it did work for everyone above. When I used it on my hands, there was some burning and the athletes foot began to flake away. I health site where I learned to use vinegar said that burning was normal.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sandra (New York, US) on 03/03/2015
I have ringworms omg this is my first time and I'm freaking out. My doctor gave me terbinafine and my husband bought me an anti fungal cream but nothing is working!!! I literally was crying they have spread all over my body..... I found this site and I'm praying the ACV works I have 2 tbs in a glass of water at morning and again at night. I also rub on the affected area morning and again at night. They are scabbing but how do I know when to stop? It does burn when I apply the ACV but I don't care. I want these things gone! I follow the ACV with an anti fungal cream. Any advice you can give me would help. Thanks, Sandra
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Dave (Fountain Inn, Sc) on 03/04/2015
Hello Sandra;
Re the ringworm fungus... I had success with Lamisil anti fungal cream.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by KT (Usa) on 03/04/2015
Hi Sandra, A nurse practitioner advised me Miconazole Nitrate Cream works too. Years ago our daughter had one appear after taking swimming lessons at the Y. Until I got a handle on problems with yeast, I had all these little tubes of the cream that I had saved. I purchased the generic brand at a dollar store because it was cheaper. Anyway, it worked great. In addition, just FYI, the NP advised me the cream was also used for athlete's foot...same fungus.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn. ) on 03/04/2015
HI U KIT, , , , , , cover the spot with tincture of walnut and the game is over. Read, read, read.
======ORH============
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 03/04/2015
Dear Sandra,
You asked when to stop the treatment you are using...I would use it until it is cleared up and then maybe continue the Vinegar for another week.
If it reoccurs, though, you may want to look into Bill's Thompson's book, Candida: Killing So Sweetly. If you have ringworm all over, it could be a systemic fungal infection.
I would also wash sheets a couple of times a week and use a cup of white vinegar in your rinse cycle for all clothes, towels, and sheets. Use hot water in the wash for whatever is safe to do so.
I hope this is all behind you soon!
~Mama to Many~
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Nikecia (Mattapan, Boston, United States) on 05/14/2010
My daughter came home with the ringworm from school first time on the skin which was treated with a cream the second time around it was in her hair. The doctor put her on oral meds which was working until my son got it in his hair. He went on oral meds. as well (6 wks) only to have an allergic reaction and switched to a 12 wk medication. During that time I caught the ringworm on skin (21 day treatment w/ cream). My daughter finished her meds (6wks) as my son was still on meds (12wks). When my son completed his meds. literally the next day my baby, husband had ringworm as well as my daughter AGAIN! So another 6 weeks for her. Now she's off and my son AGAIN! I began looking for home remedies and came across this website and am excited to try something new.
I have only dabbed acv on my son's scalp for 2 days now (total 4 times) and can't see the lesion. Though he is on oral meds taking once a week for 12 wks this is the first the lesion is not visible. I have a small dog whom I think is adding to my problem so a few questions... besides applying acv directly to the scalp what dosage can I give to my small kids 4,3,1 and to my dog oh and cat... can I use this in my laundry and what about cleaning my house. will it kill the ringworm spores...
I NEED HELP PLEASE I CANT DEAL WITH THIS ANYMORE!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by T (Brooklyn, Ny) on 05/19/2010
Hi. I've heard ACV is good but I would recommend trying Oil of Oregano or grapefruit seed extract. Both are far more aggressive and potent because they possess STRONG anti-fungal properties. Some say ringworm is caused by a virus - others, a fungus. Its a fungus - and thus, needs to be treated with an anti-fungal agent.
So, I would clean the area w/ hydrogen peroxide (since fungus do not "like" anything oxidizing)....THEN...pat dry w/ a cotton ball. Place a single drop (or two) of either the GSE or Oregano Oil on a q-tip gently pat into the affected area (but never rubbing - u will spread the spores) until all is covered.
AND as a dual attack - have your children husband take a 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of coconut oil/day (until the patch has cleared). EVCO has great anti-fungal properties and contains a compound called caprylic acid. Caprylic acid is the reason why EVCO is anti-fungal in nature. By having them ingest the EVCO - it will help address any underlying (internal) fungal issues so that it will not return. This way - you are attacking the problem from both ends.
My many blessings to you - and I pray they get better soon!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by April (Covington, Ga) on 09/11/2010
Apple cider vinegar can be used in the laundry - about 1/4 cup for an average-sized load.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Merryanne (Orange City, Florida, USA) on 01/01/2010 113 posts
This is Merryanne in FL,,I have been using the Apple Cider Vinegar on the ringworm itch,,and it can burn/sting real bad on open wounds, and I do not think children can take it,,,a better and also very effective treatment to start with open wounds is Neem oil,,I wish I had remembered this 3 weeks ago for my self, ACV is not painful if it is not an open wound area, I have put neem oil on my self and have had in on for 2 days (it is a very strong spelling oil)while I am off work,,I put it only head, in my ears, behind my ears, everywhere I itched,,will report results in two days..Merryanne in FL
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Tf (New Haven, Ct) on 12/01/2011
I have had ringworm for a few weeks now on both arms. I have been using a topical perscription antifungal and have used it in the past with success. It was not working quickly this time, so I turned to ACV.
I only applied it to my left arm, which was far more severe than my right, though my left started weeks prior to my right. Strange enough my right has almost fully healed and my left, after having applied ACV topically 4 or 5 times in the last 5 days and drank orally the same amount (2 tablespoons), it looks like the ringworm on my left arm is spreading.
Could it be a mistake to vigorously spread the ACV (with a cotton ball) so much that it actually bleeds? Could that be spreading the pores and doing more harm than good?
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Timh (Louisville, Usa) on 12/02/2011 2048 posts
TF, my 2 cents. It appears your fungal issue could be fueled by something else or a continual fungus exposure. Antibiotics are notoriously spotlighted for causing fungal infections, but another common pharmaceutical also causes fungus ---the H2 antagonist like Tagamet, Zantac, Pepsid etc. Zantac caused my only ringworm infection. If memory serves me correctly, I used povidone iodine applied with q-tip successfully. Also your immune system may need some extra vit-C, Zinc/vit-A, and some Echinacea/Goldenseal.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Samantha (Houston, Tx, Usa) on 12/11/2011
I just used apple cider vinegar on ring worm on my arm. I wet a cloth and tied it to my arm for about 40 minutes. When I removed it, there were lots of tiny white raised bumps all over the area that was infected by ringworm. Has anyone else experienced this? I dont think I have an allergy to the apple cider vinegar, because the white bumps are specifically only where the ring worm is. Please let me know if this is normal... I'm a little nervous right now.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Krystal (Washington, Nc, Usa) on 09/17/2009
My 8 yr. old daughter has a ringworm directly beside her eye. I have tried many otc products and I am considering using ACV. Does anyone know if this will leave a scar, considering it is on her face and I'm very concerned with it being so close to her eye! Please HELP!!!!!!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 09/18/2009 490 posts
For Krystal from Washington, NC
Hello Krystal, I don't know how you plan to use ACV on that ringworm, but be aware that fumes getting into the eye will cause severe burning or stinging. I don't think there will be any scaring.
Your topography there is pretty much the same as here, so you should have plenty of opportunity to gather black walnuts there now. What you want for this ringworm though, is not the walnut, but the green hull covering the walnut. When you get those green walnuts, the way I used it on my son's scalp years ago, cut shallow slice (about dime size) off one area of the hull. This should be sufficient, but can be cut larger if ringworm is larger. Give it a few seconds to start oozing that brown staining liquid and just rub it gently over the ringworm area, being sure to cover all of it. You only need to repeat this 4 times a day. I kept the cut walnut hull in a plastic bag in the refrigerator between uses. When you think it is depleted of the liquid, slice another area off the same hull. When new cuts don't ooze, start on a new walnut hull. You will probably notice a difference after the first day of using this.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn Usa) on 09/18/2009
YES, we use acv to remove moles , etc and it works , but leaves a white spot. Have used the juice from a green walnut shell to cure ringworms. You can find tincture of walnut at a nutrition store if green walnuts are not available to you.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Rich (Traverse City, Mi) on 04/30/2009
I have been battling an outbreak of ringworm for 22 years now. In 1987 when I was 17 and living in the hot desert of California, my parents bought a cocker spaniel that ended up having ringworm but no one knew what it was and held that dog like it was any other day. We thought it was an allergic reaction. A few weeks later, before my parents took the dog to the Vet, I was off to Michigan for college, never knowing what the diagnosis was for the dog and never hearing from my parents what became of those lesions.
Shortly after my move to Michigan I noticed small red, scaly, itchy spots that became worse (raised and itchy) in hot humid weather, along the parameters of my armpits and on my buttocks and stomach that gradually spread in mostly just these areas. It eventually spread to my chest, forearms, wrists and behind the knees as well as my groin area..... in the course of 1-2 years.
It was diagnosed, through a skin sample, to be ringworm. I have mainly used over the counter anti-fungal medications to battle this outbreak such as Tolnaftate cream and a few other creams and sprays.......and "coal tar" dandruff shampoo. After about 2 weeks the ringworm seems to disappear completely. Then.... a few weeks to a few months later the ringworm comes back. Sometimes even worse than before and in different areas (in the same places) and I spend more money to buy more creams and sprays ect. to battle it again. How long it remains gone, I noticed, depends on the temperature and humidity factor. If it is winter time, it sometime stays away for a few months. If it is summer time it can reapper within weeks of thinking it is cured. This ringworm is more like a rash than sores. I see pictures of ringworm on the internet and they, for the most part, all look like one big scabby sore or ping pong ball size lesion that looks like an open wound like psoriasis. I have never experienced this sort of lesion with my ringworm. My ringworm looks more like the discolorated pinkish skin spots that are from 1/4 inch to no bigger than 1/2 inch in size like pityriasis rosea. When I first seen pictures of pityriasis rosea recently I thought it looked more like what I have, but I know I have ringworm because I have been to doctors on a few occasions over the many years and from town to town and they all diagnose it the same (from skin samples).
I just came to this website tonight and read up on the natural remedies and found great interest in all the positive experiences....especially with apple cider vinegar. So I fetched a bottle from the cupboard at 10:30pm and poured on a clean wash cloth until it was soaked and wiped down my entire body. The smell was and still is rank, and my cats are no where to be found. I waited 1 hour and recorded my observances.
1. I still smell bad but it has subsided from nose tinging to just an acidic urine smell.
2. There was no burning sensation when I first applied it but I can now feel a slight burning along my forearms especially and there is slight redness of the skin.
3. There is a considerable difference in appearance or a lightening of the spots especially along my left forearm (where I first applied it). It looks very faint and the rest of the body looks lighter but not as noticable as my forearms.
Some other things I should point out about ringworm that I have noticed over the last 22 years is that when it appears to be gone it may still linger. I can usually tell how much it has gone by holding an area that is affected at an angle to the light so I am looking at it like I am looking through a scope of a gun and it will show it's shape still. Even if it appears gone by looking directly down on it. Also, the ringlets, when looking at an angle, in the light have a grain or fingerprint wavy line look to them different from normal skin texture. This is how I try to determine if I have medicated the ringworm to oblivion but it is not full proof as it keeps reoccuring.
As far as I know, I have never infected anyone else including my wife of 7 years now. We did have some worries with our new born after she was born with spots appearing on her forehead once and another area of her face once but with topical applicatio of anti-fungal cream a few times it disappeared for good.
I wondered for a long time why my daughter could have caught it so easily and my wife didn't and I am wondering if it is because my daughter and I are of the same blood type and this ringworm can survive better with this blood type which is type O negative. I would suspect this has nothing to do with it whatsoever but curiously intrigued with the thought.
I will post in a few weeks (or sooner maybe) to report on my outcome with the ACV.
I am going to keep with the ACV for a few days and even try the vinegar tablets to see if this will finally cure this awful, evil and itchy deformity.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Betty (San Jose, Ca) on 02/02/2010
I have bumps on my head and they really itch. I also have a ring on my stomach. what can I put on my head?
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Posted by Charlotte Clare (Gold Coast, Qld Australia ) on 12/07/2011
I'm an 0- blood type as I'm also married to someone with A and he has yet to catch my ring worm after several months of having it. The main one was even on my left leg and he sleeps on my left side and has yet to get it. We eat the same diet except he eats far more sugar than me and I'm putting peroxide, iodine and tea tree oil. I def. think diet is of utter most importance to make your blood as alkaline as possible. More greens absolutely no sugar. Caffeine and sugar free is the only way if you really wanna get rid of it you gotta clean yourself out and keep your blood alkaline- that's no meats, lots of veggies, raw salad, Vegie juice and apple cider vinegar everyday for the rest of your life! Add lemon and a drop of honey until you get used to it.
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Posted by Mina (Milwaukee, Wi) on 04/25/2013
My husband is also blood type - A and he has not caught this ringworm that I have all over my chest and neck. Would it be okay for us to have intercourse? Sorry. But I would like to know.
I have yet to try ACV. But will definitely give it a try because this infection is driving me insane! I've been awake all night because my infection itches and burns so much!
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Posted by Mrs. Hill (Fayetteville, Ar) on 04/25/2013
My husband has had very large ringworm patches on his body for many years. He also has had very bad athlete's foot for decades. We have been married for over 20 years and I have never caught either from him and we have never restricted intercourse because of it. I did once catch ringworm on my face from a child I knew with it (before my husband had ringworm), but it resolved quickly with treatment. I think if you keep yourself healthy and your ph in a good range (check this site for lots of information on that) you will be less likely to catch it. BTW, we have tried a number of things for my husband's fungal issues, but he isn't really consistent with treatment or interested in anything that is much trouble.
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Posted by Sandy (Louisiana) on 02/15/2015
My husband is type A and he had ringworms and I never caught it and I am type O. My grandchildren I believe gave it to me finally. I don't know their type but my son is A.
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Posted by Devona (Ohio) on 05/19/2015
I contracted ringworm from some Cats I took in from a pound last summer they have since been cured of it and I too was over the winter now that it is getting warm again I see a patch reappearing on my arm. Like you these do not look like the ones you find on the internet. I was doing unrelated research earlier on the correlation between low body temperature low blood pressure and low pulse and RH negative blood and after reading what you wrote I am thinking there is a link. I am not only A- but RH negative as well which is pretty rare, only 15% of people are RH negative. I am wondering if for some reason this allows ringworm to live in my blood stream longer. Right now I am scared to death I will reinfect my cats or my dog. I have 9 cats. I am about ready to just dump some bleach on my arm!
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Posted by Merv (Denver, Colorado) on 03/14/2009
★★★★☆
I have used ACV for many years, it will not "cure" the ringworm on my scalp, but it will keep it from showing activity. It is still there, I have tried violet Gentian, tea tree oil and everything else I have heard of. Now I will get a prescription and get rid of it.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 03/15/2009 490 posts
Hello Merv,
If that prescription you are going to get doesn't work on that ringworm, when those green walnuts show up on the black walnut trees around you this summer/fall, just pick a few of them off the tree, slice enough off for the hull to ooze that stuff that dyes you brown and rub the sliced area on that ringworm area at least 4 times a day. It will start drying it up by the 2nd day of using them. Keep on using them a few days past all signs of that ringworm being gone to make sure you got it all.
We kept the sliced ones in a plastic bag in the refrigerator in between applicaations. The unsliced ones we just kept refrigerated until needed after the first one was used up.
