Tinea Versicolor

Pityriasis versicolor, also known as tinea versicolor, is caused by Malassezia furfur, a form of yeast that grows naturally on the healthy skin of more than 90 percent of adults. This yeast usually doesn’t cause any issues until it overgrows.

Medical scientists do not fully understand why some patients experience this overgrowth of yeast and others do not. Risk factors for developing tinea versicolor include heat and humidity, genetic predisposition, a weakened immune system, malnutrition, and pregnancy.

The most obvious signs of tinea versicolor are skin discolorations on areas such as the back, chest, neck, and upper arms, along with mild itching and scaling. These small patches of discolored skin may be several shades lighter or darker than the patient’s normal skin tone or appear brown, red, pink, or white (darker skin types).

Smaller patches can coalesce into larger patches. Tinea versicolor is a harmless condition that is not infectious and is generally asymptomatic other than causing mild itching. However, patients can experience emotional distress or self-consciousness due to the uneven appearance of their skin.

There are many factors that may increase a person’s risk of developing tinea versicolor, including:

• Living in a warm, humid climate
• Heavy perspiration that may be caused by hyperhidrosis
• Wearing tight-fitting clothing or athletic pads or applying occlusive creams that don’t let your skin breathe
• Being malnourished
• Having a weakened immune system
• Being a young adult or a teenager
• Being a man
• Having a family history of tinea versicolor
• Having certain types of cancer

Although some patients find relief with over-the-counter anti-fungal/yeast creams, ointments, and shampoos, these are not effective for everyone. People with a persistent case can contact a dermatologist for prescription medications.

The Bryn Mawr Skin & Cancer Institute dermatologists will be able to accurately diagnose an infection by examining your skin or performing a skin scraping or biopsy. A blue light device, called a Wood’s lamp, is often used to identify this condition.

Despite successfully treating tinea versicolor with topical and oral medications, the lighter discolorations of the skin caused by azelaic acid, produced by the Malassezia, may remain for months.

Relapses typically occur in the warmer months of the year. If this occurs, dermatologists recommend starting preventative therapy with topical and oral medications as soon as the warm weather returns. Other steps that patients can take to ward off yeast infections include avoiding excessive heat and sweating, changing workout clothing right after working out, and washing the affected areas with Selsun Blue (selenium sulfide) shampoo several times per week.