Home Remedies for Ringworm in Humans

Medically, ringworm is known as tinea. It is caused due to growth of a specific type of fungi named dermatophytes on the upper layer of the skin surface. It can affect various parts of the body including hands, feet, scalp, nail, face, chest, groin, etc. This disease mainly spreads from an infected person to others through direct or indirect contact. As this fungus thrives well in warm and damp areas, one may get this infection after wearing caps or socks for a long period of time. Typical symptoms are the skin rashes that appear as red circular patches with slightly raised outline. One experiences a constant itching sensation and the skin of that area tends to become dry and scaly. There are a number of ringworm home remedies for humans that can ensure early recovery from these bothersome symptoms.

Home Remedies for Ringworm

For treatment, antifungal creams and lotions are used for topical application. If required, doctors may give oral medicines as well. As the healing time is quite long, these medicines have to be continued for about three months. Such a prolonged use of these medicines may have some side effects. For this reason, home remedies are preferred. A few of them are given below:

Essential Oils: Various essential oils are popular home remedies for ringworm. Among them, lavender oil and tea tree oil are most widely used. As tea tree oil tend to cause skin irritation you have to use jojoba oil as a carrier oil. Add two drops of tea tree oil and one drop of lavender oil into one teaspoon of jojoba oil and apply it on the site of infection with the help of a cotton swab. This should be repeated thrice a day.

Castor Oil: Raw castor oil is good for treating a scalp ringworm infection. Rub castor oil on the scalp by dipping a cotton ball into it. Allow the applied oil to sit on for at least an hour. It will be better if you can keep it overnight. In that case, cover your head with a shower cap when you go to sleep. Next morning, wash it off with shampoo. Repeat this as long as you have the scalp infection.

Neem Extract: The antiseptic qualities of neem are well-known and it is used as a cure. You can get neem leaf extract from local food stores. Dilute a few drops of neem extract with one teaspoon of water and then use it for topical application. Concentrated form of neem extract should not be directly used on skin as it can cause reddening of the skin.

Mudpack: Application of mudpack is good for treating ringworm in humans. Make sure that only a thin layer of mud pack is applied as a heavy pack is not suitable for infected skin. Keep the pack on for half an hour and then wash off. For best results, you must apply it twice a day.

Apple Cider Vinegar: The acidic component of apple cider vinegar stops the growth of the fungus and thus, cures the ringworm infection. Take some vinegar in a bowl, dip a cotton ball into it and place it on the site of infection for half an hour. This should be repeated two times in a day for one week.

Turmeric Juice: Fresh, raw turmeric juice can be administered both orally as well as topically. The natural antibiotic qualities of this juice is highly beneficial for fighting off this kind of infection. For oral intake, you have to mix up one teaspoon of turmeric juice with one teaspoon of honey and have it in the morning regularly. For topical use, extract the juice from raw turmeric and apply it on the rash directly.

To achieve best results from these home remedies for humans, you have to eat right kind of foods as well. Include lots of fresh fruits particularly papaya, pomegranate, pineapple, apple, etc. Have raw vegetable juices such as carrot juice and spinach juice everyday. Stay away from tea, coffee, canned food and sugary foods. Drinking sufficient amount of water is important to flush out the toxins of the infection. As ringworm is highly contagious, maintain good personal hygiene and keep the infected part clean and dry.