Antifungal

Most common fungal skin infections — athlete's foot, ringworm and jock itch — respond well to an antifungal cream from the pharmacy, such as clotrimazole cream or Daktarin (miconazole). Despite the name, ringworm has nothing to do with worms — it's a fungal infection of the skin. Our pharmacist can help you pick the right product for the area affected, and for vaginal thrush see our thrush page.

Longer than you might think. Fungal infections often look better within days, but stopping too soon is the main reason they come back. Keep using the cream for as long as the pack advises — usually for a while after the skin looks clear — and ask our pharmacist if you're not sure.

Stubborn dandruff and the flaky, itchy scalp of seborrhoeic dermatitis often improve with a medicated antifungal shampoo such as Nizoral (ketoconazole). Scalp ringworm is different — it usually needs prescription tablets, so see your GP if you notice scaly patches with hair loss, especially in a child.

Fungi love warm, damp skin. Dry yourself carefully after washing (especially between the toes), change socks and underwear daily, don't share towels, and wear flip-flops in communal showers and around pools. Treating athlete's foot promptly also helps stop it spreading to the nails — see our fungal nail page.

See your GP if the infection hasn't improved after a couple of weeks of treatment, keeps returning, is spreading or severe, or if you have diabetes or a weakened immune system — skin infections need closer attention then. Our pharmacist can also take a look and tell you whether self-care is enough.