What daily hygiene routine helps prevent relapse?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have been suffering from dhadhar (skin infection), also called ringworm, for two months. I was taking Terbinafine medicine and was also applying Terbinafine cream on that. Though it has not been cured till now, I suggest a prescription to cure it and a daily routine.

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Based on your history, this appears to be chronic or treatment-resistant tinea (dhadhar/ringworm), which is common when infection is extensive, reinfected, or partially treated. If Terbinafine (oral topical) for an adequate duration has not cleared it in two months, the usual next step is to re-evaluate the diagnosis and change systemic therapy. I

Ideally, a KOH (potassium hydroxide) scraping or fungal culture should be done to confirm dermatophyte infection and rule out steroid-modified tinea. In practice, many dermatologists switch to oral Itraconazole for an adequate continuous course (often preferred now due to increasing Terbinafine resistance), along with a topical antifungal from a different class, such as Luliconazole, Sertaconazole, or Ketoconazole, applied twice daily for at least three to four weeks and continued two weeks beyond clinical clearance.

Avoid any combination creams containing steroids, as they worsen chronicity. A daily routine is equally important:

Keep the area dry.
Bathe once daily and dry thoroughly (especially groin/inner thighs).
Change sweaty clothes immediately.
Wear loose cotton clothing.
Do not reuse towels or innerwear without washing.
Wash clothes in hot water and sun-dry.
Avoid scratching, and treat close contacts if they have lesions.

If lesions are widespread, recurrent, or not responding even after an Itraconazole course, a dermatologist consultation is essential for confirmation and liver function monitoring.

I hope this helps.

Kindly follow up if you have more concerns.

Thank you.