• Obtain the prescription-strength shampoo or lotion _______________, if you have received a prescription.

  • Use this medication to form a lather all over, including beyond the affected areas.

  • Let soak for about 10 minutes and then rinse off in the shower.

  • Do this for 3 or 4 weeks and:

  • After showering and using the prescribed shampoo, use a prescription antifungal cream, lotion, or spray such as _______________, which you also may have received from your health care provider. Apply it to all affected spots. Do this for 3 or 4 weeks, too.

• It's also a good idea to repeat this routine before the next warm season or before taking a tropical vacation. (It's a good idea to note this on your calendar.)

• To treat stubborn cases, sometimes your health care provider will prescribe an oral antifungal medication such as _______________, which you take for _______ days; however, this does not prevent recurrences.

Tinea versicolor: Tan

• Sometimes, you can clear tinea versicolor by using shampoos such as Nizoral or Head & Shoulders.

  • Make a lather with these shampoos all over, as described above.

  • After showering, apply an antifungal preparation such as miconazole (Micatin), clotrimazole (Lotrimin), or Lamisil.

• All of these preparations are available over the counter; you don't need a prescription.

• Do this for 3 or 4 weeks, as described above.

• The scale of this rash disappears after a few treatments, but it may take months for your skin to return to its normal color.

• This slow return of color is part of the usual healing process and does not mean that the treatment has failed.