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| Home Remedies for Ringworm |
When you or more likely your child gets ringworm, the last thing you want to do is mess around with remedies that don’t work. Ringworm can effectively be treated at home without visiting the doctor’s office unless it’s on the scalp, in some cases.
What we have here are all-natural home remedies that work to rid the skin of this unpleasant condition. But to completely understand how these remedies work, let’s take a look at what you’re dealing with.
What is Ringworm?
The official name for ringworm is tinea corporis. If it’s ringworm on the scalp it’s called tinea capitis. Either way, it’s common among children and the elderly are susceptible to it as well. Ringworm is a fungal skin infection and it’s contagious. It’s not life-threatening but it’s uncomfortable, ugly, and therefore embarrassing.
Ringworm is a skin infection caused by a fungus
It’s usually passed by skin-on-skin contact, or contact with things contaminated with the fungus. One can get ringworm almost anywhere on the body, including the groin area and the feet. In these two cases, ringworm has common names you might recognize: “jock itch” and “athlete’s foot”.
What Are the Symptoms of Ringworm?
Since there are so many types of ringworm, there are also a lot of different symptoms. However, there are symptoms of ringworm that are found in almost every case, no matter which part of the body is infected:
- Itchy donut-shaped patches
- The patches are raised and scaly
- The patches might form blisters
- They then might start to “ooze”
The patches have sharply defined edges and a “hole” in the center, featuring normal-looking skin
Because of their doughnut-like shape, the round patches look like rings, hence the name ringworm. Symptoms of ringworm don’t appear until 4-10 days after you’re first exposed. For the scalp, it’s even longer: 10-14 days after exposure.
What are the Causes of Ringworm?
Contact with another infected person will give you ringworm. Unfortunately sometimes with children, that’s hard to prevent.
Even a towel can give you ringworm if you have contact with it after an infected person uses it. Pools, gyms, and schools are very common places to pick up ringworms. Unwashed clothing can transmit the infection, too.
Since ringworm is not life-threatening, it’s an excellent candidate for cheap home remedies…but do they really work? For the following tried-and-true natural cures, the answer is yes, according to thousands of people who’ve tried them.
Cheap Home Remedies for Ringworm
1. Tea Tree Oil.
Tea tree oil is a no-brainer for infections. This all-natural essential oil has long been known to clean up infections of all types. Much research has been performed on tea tree oil and ringworm, and it suggests that it’s effective as an anti-fungal. Of all the home remedies for ringworm, this should be your first try.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar.
Like tea tree oil, ACV has natural antifungal properties that can clear up infections. Use a cotton ball and dab it directly on the ringworm. Repeat several times a day until the rings go away.
3. Garlic Extract.
This is one of the most popular home remedies for ringworm and has research to back it up. There’s a natural compound found in garlic, and it’s called Ajoene. You can purchase a gel containing the garlic extract, and it’s been known to treat ringworm on the scalp, feet, and body.
4. Coconut Oil.
The natural healing and antifungal properties of coconut oil help clear up ringworms and also provide relief for itching. You can use it on scalp versions of ringworm by rubbing it into your scalp, leaving it on all night, then shampooing in the morning.
5. Papaya Seeds.
Make a paste of the seeds and add water. Apply it to your ringworm.
6. Turmeric.
Get some raw turmeric and boil it with water. Then wash your ringworm areas with turmeric water to kill the infection.
7. Walnut Leaves.
Got some black walnut leaves? Extract the juice and dab it onto your ringworm for a natural cure.
8. Lavender Oil & Jojoba Oil.
This is a mild home remedy for ringworm so it’s appropriate for babies. Just put one drop of the lavender oil into a bit of jojoba oil, then dab on with a cotton ball.
9. Mustard Seeds.
Take mustard seeds crush them and add a little water to make a thick paste. Apply the paste, then remove it after 45 minutes.
Whichever of these natural home remedies for ringworm you’ve chosen, be warned that ringworm treatment is never instant. It takes a while so in the meantime keep the patches covered if you or your child go out in public.
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