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.
Mercurochrome
Posted by Brooke (West Ipswich, Queensland/ Australia) on 02/27/2009
★★★★★
Dab Mercurochrome onto Ring worm with cotton tip, do this daily for two weeks, careful of staining fabrics. If this fails, use laundry 'Blue Bags', wet bag or block and rub on affected area forming a little paste, leave to dry, will wash off when bathing next, reapply.
Shampoo Brush, Coconut Oil
Posted by Robyn (Abingdon, MD) on 02/02/2009
21 Month Old With Scalp Ringworm: My 10 yr old son had dreadlocks for 6 yrs of his life. Once we cut his locks, we noticed that he had ringworm. So, for the past 4 yrs, we've been going back and forth trying to get rid of these things. They never have spread to any other part of his body...I've had good results with the hydrogen peroxide, apple cider vinegar shampoo and the tea trea oil, lavender oil, and sweet almond oil conditioner; however, my younger son (21 months) has recently had a few circular spots on his hair (short hair)...I began with the same thing I'd been doing for my son last night. Also, my daughter has scaly spots on her head every now and then, but if you go to scratch them, they come up very easity and the skin looks healthy underneath the scaliness. I don't know if thats related to what the boys are experiencing. She also has a few little bumps around her the front of her hairline. I use the acv on her head every week--she has very long thick hair. We're african american. But I was wondering if I should do something more. I don't know if it is now systemic. We don't use any other supplements, etc. Please help us!
Shampoo Brush, Coconut Oil
Posted by Pam (Huntsville, AL) on 02/03/2009
★★★★★
Robyn, my four year old had ringworm on his arm and black walnut tincture from the health food store has cleared it up in less than two weeks. As far as your daughter, are you chemically straightening her hair or pressing it? I was a stylist for many years and saw a lot of what you are describing. What I would say is go to the beauty supply store and get a shampoo brush. When you shampoo her hair use the brush on her scalp with light pressure in a circular motion. This will stimulate scalp circulation. Also coconut oil applied to the scalp overnight and before any straightening will help clear the dry patches. If you find the coconut oil is too heavy,try sweet almond. if you are using petroleum jelly on her scalp and aroud her hair line this could be causing the little bumps. Hope this helps.
Shampoo Brush, Coconut Oil
Posted by Mike (Amsterdam, Europe) on 02/25/2013
Try N___ shampoo containing ketoconazole. I heard they have taken it out of a lot of pharmacies, not sure why. I've been using it as by accident I found on a forum looking for tinea versicolor sures that it has a side affect of growing hair, and then found on hairloss forums a LOT off comments (and some research) that it can make hair thicker. I had dandruff for years, and also my hair grows so slow and it's so thin you can see my scalp right though my hair. Anyway: though it stings a bit, and you should look out for any side effects, it IS an antifungal also prescribed for ringworm! And so I reccomend trying it. For me: I got rid of my dandruff! My theory: some fungussus can just live there for years in your hair and in my case make my hair quality worse... Now I feel much better, even if I don't use it anymore for a while now.
Shampoo Brush, Coconut Oil
Posted by Zsuzsi (Ireland) on 07/21/2017
Hi Robyn, it s been a few years,, did you manage to get rid of it? We're now struggling with the same, big bald spot on my 5 year old son's head..working with nizoral shampoo, apple cider vinegar, neem oil with tea tree in it..didn't want to start giving him the drug that the doctor described.so just thought I d ask how the natural approached worked for your boys..?
Remedies That Didn't Work
Posted by T3 (Chicago, IL) on 01/04/2009
★☆☆☆☆
I took baths with the vinegar stuff and that didn't work, athlete's foot creme, not working, back to applying the vinegar. I do not have itching or dark rings around the circle, i don't see any white in between. Dr. said fungi, the ointment didn't work either. Now years later, no job or insurance still, I'm at a loss. Spreading more, now to my legs which, I do not touch the bumps then my legs. Now what about our insides, how are we being affected? I heard we need a anibiotic as well.
Mom thinks garlic pills everyday will help. If I can't reach on my back and the others do go away, I think it will come back. But when I took baths everyday in it, that didn't work anyway. It is ugly and embarrasing, can't ever let anyone see them. I also from coming back from FL started getting like heat rashes or bumps every time I sunbathed. I didn't have that in FL, or would I had I stayed. So I have 2 battles now and no insurance. I"m worried about my insides and my vision, is what I heard. I'm already half blind anyway, so this is not helping matters. Man, I stink of vinegar right now, everyone will be looking at me.
Over the Counter
Posted by Debbie Laman (Little Rock, AR/USA) on 11/19/2008
★★★★★
I had some problems with ringworm and found that Absorbine Junior worked within one day - I applied it and put a cotton boll over with tape, let it stay for a while. I have had no recurrence and that was 3 months ago.
Fig Tree Sap
Posted by Mary (Chatsworth, Georgia) on 12/27/2008
You can't put that on if the skin is scaly and blistered already. If you cannot find a green leaf at this time of year winter how can you extract the sap from the fig limb? I took the antibiotics and the cream I did what the doctor told me. I am boiling the twigs and getting ready to put the liquid on the very infected area.
Clear Nail Polish
Posted by Blessed (Tulsa, Ok) on 11/08/2009
RINGWORM: How large an area can be painted with Clear Nail Polish?
I was misdiagnosed, but then realized what I had contacted Ringworm - and used tea tree oil initially, but found that better relief with apple cider vinegar. The problem is that is rubbing the apple cider vinegar, the Ringworm has spread to large portions of my body. I hope that I have not gotten a staph infection, as some sections are really red. I started placing some clear nail polish on the areas, but needed to know how much can be applied? Thank you and God Bless!
Light Bulb Cure for Ringworm
Posted by Elexar (Chicago, Il) on 08/07/2009
Ringworm is not caused by a worm or bug, its caused by a fungus. A contagious fungus. To keep it from recurring, you have to wash everything the spot came in contact with. For example, if you have ringworm of the scalp, you'll have to wash you bed linens (or at least the pillowcase) as you're treating it you don't reinfect yourself. I don't know how effective this is, but i spray things that cannot be washed (like the sofa) with lysol spray or the like.
Light Bulb Cure for Ringworm
Posted by Lg (Springfield, VA) on 06/11/2012
Good gravy!!! Ringworm is a FUNGUS, not a WORM!!
Remedies That Didn't Work
Posted by Kevin (LA, US) on 05/20/2008
★☆☆☆☆
ringworm -- what has not worked for me: hydrogen peroxide, garlic, lamasil, vinegar, ashes. 5 failures
Nail Polish
Posted by Travis (Tallahassee, Florida) on 04/09/2008
★★★★★
put 2-3 coats of nailpolish on the ringworm, it will suffocate it and it will dissapear in less than a week. Try It!
Lysol
Posted by kelley (cleveland, ohio) on 11/27/2007
★★★★★
Re: ringworm, some friends and I had gotten it from a concert back in highschool. The OTC stuff didn't do a thing it only got worse. My boss at that time told me to use Lysol, because it kills everything. She even had one of her sons go get me a bottle of the concentrated liquid form of Lysol. I poured it on my arms, let it sit for a minute and wiped off the drips but didn't wash it off, the ring worm dryed up and was gone really quickly, you could see and feel the results right away.
Lysol
Posted by Kristina (Alabama) on 02/13/2015
★★★★★
Yes, concentrated Lysol (brown) kills everything. If used correctly, it'll kill the bacteria. Me, my husband, and brother in law all suffered from a ringworm. We began treating ourselves topically with lysol and it killed the fungus. It's been at least 5 years, and it has not come back.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Susan (USA) on 09/23/2007
★★★★★
i hate ringworm from fort lauderdale, usa writes: "Try this if u want to save a couple hundreds of dollars. Apple Cider Vinager and Tea tree oil. Use a cotton ball,pour ACV on the cotton ball press and hold to that area for a couple of mins. Then, use a brand new cotton ball , pour about 15 drops of Tea Tree oil on the cotton ball, press and hold to the area for five mins. Continue to do this for two weeks. These two household items are magic stuff. Good luck folks.....
Only Prescription Ointment Worked
Posted by Fred (Charlotte, NC) on 09/07/2007
★★★★★
We've taken in numerous feral kittens to be spayed and neutered and this was probably the source of my case of ringworm on both hands. I tried various over-the-counter ointments for several months to no avail. I then tried bleach, apple cider vinager, and tea tree & lavender oil. Nothing worked for me. Sometimes it seemed to almost disappear, only to return again with a vengence. Once, I received a chemical burn to my hands from using bleach that wasn't very diluted and/or by applying ACV immediately afterwards. I was very frustrated and it was starting to spread. A doctor gave me a tube of cream that appears to have cleared it all up in just a few days. It's called Clotrimazole and Betamethasone Dipropionate Cream USP 1%/0.05% (base) It states 'Rx only' on the box. I realized that I had already tried a Clotrimazole cream that I bought over-the-counter that didn't work, but perhaps it's the other ingredient that makes this ointment so effective. The bumps and rash have completely vanished. I'm going to continue to apply it for awhile just to make certain that there's no trace left of this plague. I would have loved it if an earlier remedy had worked, especially a natural cure like ACV, but perhaps it's related to individual body chemistry or immune systems. I'll report back if this product fails, but I must say that I'm amazed at the results so far.
Pennies Soaked in ACV, Then Covered in Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Betty (Ottawa, Canada) on 09/03/2007
★★★★★
Cured within 2 days using pennies soaked in apple cider vinegar, used solution on it twice a day and then covered with teatree oil. These remedies worked wonderfully, and I caught it in time before it spread.
Menthol and Wormwood Oil
Posted by Christine (Chaparral , New Mexico) on 07/10/2008
My cat had ring worm soon me and my kids had it. Gentian Violet cured all within a week and there was no burning. apply daily. It is messy. No odor and will stain. BUT as a rancher I use it on my animals as well as my kids. and THERE IS NO PAIN. follow up with coritizone or anti itch and that should take care of it. Tip a q tip in and rub on it and then get a new one to rub the violet around it.
Menthol and Wormwood Oil
Posted by Nikkii (Veteran, QLD, Australia) on 03/13/2009
Hi, I think that vinegar works - white vinegar so the sugars are low. you dont want the sugars to feed the fungus.. also consider what is on the inside that is trying to come out.. the fungus.. this area of your body and so forth. use the vinegar as many times as day as you are able. dont think that just becuase the skin softens that its dead .. use it till its completely gone and afterwards. I also suggest to sun the ringworm. meaning go out in the sun and let the sunshine help to heal and dry and air it. something like that..
Calamine Lotion
Posted by maya (chicago, illinois) on 07/30/2007
★★★★★
I have had body ringworms for almost 6 months now. I tried everything from tea tree oil to otc stuff and nothing seems to be working. I even tried ordering things from the internet and that didn't work either. I have been applying calomin lotion to the infected areas 3x a day and it seems to be working. The only side effect is a light pink ring, but it's better than the ringworm itself.
Iodine
Posted by Cori (New Brunswick, Canada) on 05/12/2007
★★★★★
My mom's friend is a nurse..my son has one spot of ringworm on his arm. She suggested iodine..I applied it twice today so I'll see how it looks tomorrow. I didn't know about the Tea Tree oil though and I have a bottle of it. If the iodine doesn't help I'll try that.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by April (Turlock, California) on 05/10/2007
★☆☆☆☆
hydrogen peroxide on ringworm: this does not work. it just made my ringworms red and created little scabs.
Garlic
Posted by Deeraj (Ahmedabad, Gujrat ) on 08/09/2015
My ringworm burns with garlic.
Nizoral Dandruff Shampoo
Posted by Saura (Mooresville, NC) on 02/03/2007
★★★★★
The first time I got ringworm, I went to my doctor, who also happens to be a tropical diseases specialist. She told me to use Nizoral dandruff shampoo several times daily on the rash and it will soon dry up and disappear. She was absolutely right. My rashes disappeared within days.
Apple Cider Vinegar, L-Lysine
Posted by pamela (cedar park, texas) on 01/20/2007
★★★★★
this is what i had happen with ringworm problems, i got it after i moved to texas from california, there were tons of new things here that was not where i use to live, humidity,' and probably other things i did not see write from the start, i had a big flea problem after the first month, got rid of them, on the pets, then i had tons of strange marks on my arms they finely left, because we have no health insurance, and i believe in all natural cures, i came to your site and a few other to see what would work and cheep , so i tried apple cider vingar, fungi med capsules, and fungrx they all fail, then i decide to try ted's fish store cure of copper sulfate , i thought surely this would work, well it did not work, at all it cause them to spreed all over the place and burn, itch and hurt allot, i could not sleep, or go anywhere for weeks, because of the pain, so i decided this was not going not work, at all, so i started over again, i purchased some apple cider vinegar extract capsules, they were 200 mg each, i took 6 a day, four times a day, them started using along with this L-Lysine tablets, i took 1000 mg, of this, three times a day, along with the vinagar tablets, and i am finely on the way of getting rid of this, its been close to 4 months now, and i am so pleased i figure out on my own how to finely get rid of this hard to cure problem, how they work is this way, vingar and L-Lysine are both acid, its goes into your blood stream ,and will make anything die that is a virus, i take the L-Lysine when ever i feel a cold sore, coming on a friend of mine told me this would work, and for the past 20 years i have used it, and in two days its gone, but you need to take it right away, to get it gone, asap, it did not dawn on me that this would work, until i saw it look like i was now getting shingles, on top of this rinworm, this climate is hard to adjust to, at a older age, thats why i am having so many problems with these things here. hope this helps these products are very cheap, the apple cider vinagar tablets are only around 4.99 for a bottle of 240 capsules the L-Lysine at 500 to 1000 mg are around between 5 to 10 dollars for 100 tablets.
