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Vinegar for ringworm

Vinegar is great for treating most types of fungal infection. Dab neat vinegar on the affected area three times a day. The vinegar will kill the fungal infection.

Visitors comments

Make it go away FOR THE LOVE OF GOD Comments By: Bubba Ringworm

How long does vinegar take?

TipKing says: Try it and see. I do not know

Come on be serious Comments By: misty fogle

i tried the bleach concept and all it did was burn my skin, 3 days later the ring worm was coming back! DAMN!

Actually.... Comments By: Kristin

Bleach does work! My children got ringworm from a stray kitten and there doctor recommended bleach baths. Every night I gave them a bath and added 1/2 cup of bleach and they were gone in a matter of days.

SAY No TO BLEACH! Comments By: candy

DO not use bleach on your skin. it can cause serious allergic reactions and scarring. Use the many anti-fungal creams available from walmart or walgreens. OR just stay out in the sun or go to a tanning bed because sunlight kills ringworm. also bathe in selsun blue shampoo because this drys the ringworm out really quick! as for your home- make sure your home is DRY AND FREE OF MOISTURE! all FUNGUS love moisture. OPEN THE BLINDS AND LET THE SUN SHINE! MIX one part bleach with nine parts water and spray light mist over house and wipe down all surfaces DAILY along with vaccumming DAILY! AS FOR PETS DO NOT PUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN VET RECOMMENDED CREAMS ON SPOTS- CATS especially will lick whatever you put on their body. wash them in malesab shampoo which is around $15.00 from vet and use vet creams OR you can use clotrimazole cream (available at walgreens, etc..) which is cheaper and not harmful- at least not to cats. i am not sure about dogs. WASH BLANKETS AND stuff like your insane! DON"T GET CAUGHT UP IN THE IDEA OF A QUICK FIX- IT DOES NOT EXIST!!!!! all members of my household plus my eight cats got it and the ONLY WAY To beat it is with consistency. CLEAN EVERYDAY! WASH PETS WEEKLY, BATHE YOURSELF DAILY, AND APPLY CREAMS DAILY! ALSO EAT HEALTHY! when you do apply the cream to your pets and also when bathing them- SCRAP ALL THE CRUST OFF THE SORE- and pull the infected hairs out from the infected area. THOSE ARE THE HAIRS THAT CONTAIN THE SPORES! TRIM THE HAIR AWAY FROM THE INFECTED AREA ALSO! but do not shave your pet! THIS WILL actually MAKE IT WORSE AND UNLESS YOU HAVE THE TOP OF THE LINE SHAVER- IT WILL BE A NIGHTMARE AND YOU WILL MORE THAN LIKELY CUT YOUR PET WHICH WILL MAKE RINGWORM worse than before! ringworrm is a BITCH and IT WILL GET WORSE BEFROE IT GETS BETTER!- but you can beat it with consistency!

vinegar Comments By: mizzy

this vinegar better work i ah this for over a year now

nothing is working Comments By: techgirl

I can not get rid of thsi ringworm! I tried OTC cream and vinegar and liquid bandage - i have no tried tea tree oil or bleach yet but i have sensitive skin so i think bleach is out - i want this off of me! help!

Apple Cider Vinegar Works Comments By: Rick

I've been trying everything to keep this stuff at bay.. one of them that has worked has been soaking a PIECE of a cotton ball in ACV and band-aiding it to the ringworm overnight. So far it's been dead in the morning with each treatment, but I use hydrogen peroxide with the same method for good measure.

Dry it out!!!!!!!!!!!!! Comments By: anon

I had a ringworm that lasted about 3 weeks, after the first 2 weeks it looked like it was going away, but after a humid day it came back in full form except this time it itched really bad. After this, I read an article about ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) and how it helped get rid of the fungus. I soaked half of a cotton ball and apply it with a band-aid for about an hour for 3 nights straight. Then on the 4th day i applied Lamisil 2x/daily after carefully cleaning it with soap and water. It burned a little and made the ringworm harden, dry and dark, but on the 5th day the skin around it hardened and it fell off. The skin underneath has practically cleared up and has returned to normal.

antibiotic pill Comments By: miss know it all

There are many antibiotic pills the doctor can give you to rid yorself of this mini plague. Its great, it works from the inside out! most antibiotic pills do the trick. my 6 year old son got it from a friends dog that she refuses to take to the vet! I had a baby at the same time and I was terrified we would get it or worse the baby! I talked to the doctor and he had put the baby on an antibiotic earlier for a cold and he said that should also prevent and stop the baby from getting it. It worked I think they should just give you the pill for this crap..its a pain in the rear! If you have time to spare to put cream on nonstop u can try that for 3 weeks!!

Vinegar AND Bleach Comments By: Kyla

Ok I was talking to my mom one day
and my hair was up and my hair extensions were down so she was playing with my extensions she moved them around looking at them then she said "whats this?" i was like "what"
"it looks like ringworm on your neck"
i got all scared because i didnt know what it was or if it was harmful i looked it up and people said vinegar so i just got it 2 days ago and its looking better i apply it like 8 times a day because im like content on getting rid of it....it's working and it leaves my neck smelly but its worth it,i take a shower every morning wash my neck really good where the fungus is then when i get out i take a cottom ball and dab vinegar on it...i do recommend it my mom told me my older sister had it when she was 5 and she got it from the girl across the street and it was on her head and it left bald spots there i got scared but i deal with it slowly,also wash your hands quite frequently to prevent spreading it.
also take a q-tip and put a little bleach on the tip it helps burn away the ring worm thankyou for reading bye

Selsum Blue Comments By: Harold

If memory serves, ringworm is not a worm at all, but a fungal infection, kinda like a yeast infection of the shin. I had one once on my shoulder and an old time VA doctor said wash your shoulder with Selsum Blue. I did every day for about 10 days, and it went away.

This is different, I know, but I have something on my ankle now that looks like ringworm. I am trying a 1 1/2" x 2" bandaide with vinegar on it as a possible cure. I will probable leave for 24 hours and check results. If this fails, I am going back to the Blue.

Not antibiotics Comments By: Mr know it all

Dont listen to miss know it all , she knows nothing. you cant take antibiotics to cure ringworm and if you could(which you cant) its not to say that most antibiotics should work! firstly ringworm is a fungus, antibiotics only work on bacteria, and i dont understand why her doctor would give her baby antibiotics for a cold, colds are cuased by a virus. there are pills you can take (terabinafine) which act like an antibiotic but is in fact an antifungal pill. just dont go taking anyold medicine in the hope of cure, becuase antibiotics have side affects too

thank goodness someone else agrres NO ANTIBIOTICS! Comments By: Jo-

I have no idea why some people think you can treat a fungus with an antibiotic. You can treat ringworm in all forms on the skin with the same ointments people use for athletes foot.Lamisil, lotrimin, even miconazole Nitrate (used for yeast infections)anything saying AF (antifungal) will cure a ringworm. Vinegar is an acid it will deaden the top layer of fungus and the rest of the fungus will lay in under the skin DORMANT. You must use an anti-fungal cream.NEVER put bleach into your bath or on your skin. That is so dangerous.

ringworm Comments By: maranda

i have had multiple ringworms on my skin for almost two years i have used the cream the doctor has given i have used athletes foot cream spray, alcohol, i take a shower every day and nothing seems to work my doctor did say to use selsen blue and i am going to get some today my 3 yr old daughter has also gotten it and we can not seem to get rid of it at all i hope that it can not kill you i have heard lots of stories but i would most importantly like to get rid of it

help! Comments By: Ezmeralda Deleon

i put vinigar on it and it got more darker like almost maroon did it get worse?
and what should i do? should i use vinigar again?

For the future reader... Comments By: Doctor

Please pay attention... If creams and other remedies do not work- YOU MAY NOT HAVE RINGWORM!!!!!! Go to the doctor.

There are other skin issues out there that 'start out' looking and acting like Ringworm, but develop into something else. If you have not had success within a few weeks, you'll just make it worse and GO TO THE DOCTOR!!!!!!!!!!

I HATE IT!!!! Comments By: Carol

About 6 weeks ago i noticed like a dry, itchy spot on the back of my calf. I didnt think much of it, cause i have extremely dry skin. Then like 2 weeks ago it stared turning red and super itchy, OMG it a freakin ringworm... i've never in my life had one or knew someone who had one. It looks infected, now its bigger like a half dollar and red. I'm i going to have to go to the Doctor?

on my eye Comments By: veganrunner

I have ringworm on my eye, and I started using an anti-fungal cream 2 days ago, and now it's really itchy! I couldn't find any anti-itch cream in the house, so I'm putting an antibiotic cream on instead (because it contains analgesics). However, I'm worried that the antibiotic might somehow counter-effect the anti-fungal - does anyone know? I don't want to put much on it because it's right around my eye, and I'm worried about getting stuff in it, but if anyone knows anything thats safe to use, and that could hurry along the healing process, I'd really appreciate it!

VINEGAR Comments By: Ezmeralda Deleon

Apply vinegar it will kill the fungus and will clear within a week or less yes! it does sting but once you tried it it doesn't sting it,its will start to scab then just fall off and no scar well i didn't get one only if you pick at the scab really works

Copper Care Comments By: dairy farmer

I had ringworm on the back of my neck (fairly big) and a small spot on my arm. I milk cows, and thats where I got it from. When the cows get it, we get Copper Care from the vet or feed store, and spray it on. I used it and it cleared it up in about 5 days. Only downfal is that it is runny stuff, and it stains clothes and skin.

This is driving me mad! Comments By: TriniD

I've had ringworm for a year and a half. Every time I think it's gone, it come right back. I got it after a four month stay in the Caribbean, when I was rescuing a lot of stray puppies. I have a large one on my neck (under my left ear), one at the back of my neck (small one) and TWO under my right breast. Now, I am hygiene conscious and being that Trinidad was very hot I was bathing more than usual. But the doc says I could have got it from the puppies or just the constant moisture. I've tried everything from creams - vinegar - garlic - terabinafine (which I am still on after almost a year!). This is madness! Surely something else can be done. To be honest, I am wondering if it's my own fault for not being persistant? After a couple months, when it's not itching, etc, I assume it's gone and stop treating it. The doctor says I have to continue because it is in my liver and the terabinafine helps it to all come out.

uggggghhhh Comments By: morgan

okay i am 11 and i have never had a ringworm in my life. i have one on my shoulder now and it id sortive big it is about one centimeter long and wide. well i have not put anything on it and it iches like all and i am getting cream today ( Wednesday 17,2009) i sure hope it works. because i do not want it to spread!!!!!!

Comments By: billy tha kid

im 15 years old and my cat got ring worm...by the end of da week my sis, mom. and myself have all gotten it, oh and the dog also. WE WENT TO A DOCTOR AND A VET. THE STUFF THEY GAVE US IS NO WORKING>AND NOW ITS SPREADING EVERYWHER........OMG HOW DO WE GET RID OF IT

Ringworm Comments By: TG

Firsty, ringworm does NOT live in one's liver....EVER. That's bizarre and scary that a doctor would say that. It isn't an internal fungus.

I had a run in with ringworm last year when a litter of orphaned kittens I was fostering brought it into my apartment. I had three other litters there already, and they ALL got it. I got it too.

Fixing it on me was the easiest. I had read about the quick fixes of bleach and harsh chemicals, so I tried those first. Bad bad BAD idea. Didn't do a thing (I applied it 10 times a day for almost a week) and all it did was burn my skin and increase the scabbing. I started reading the literature on what *actually* inhibits ringworm growth (rather than trying to look for what I wanted to hear) and decided instead to try suffocating it. Since the ringworm was on my face (oh joy), I simply started applying NuSkin on it once a day (with a Q-tip, so that I wasn't introducing spores into the bottle) and sitting in the sun more often. It was gone in a week.

The kittens were tougher since you can't put NuSkin on them (it is very toxic if ingested, and that's exactly what they will do....plus, kittens absorb a lot through their skin, so even if you prevented licking, they'd still likely have a toxic reaction). I went with twice a week dipping and Itraconazole. It still took a while.

This last time that it came up (yes, more orphans....occupational hazard), I was dealing with very sick kittens and figured it was more dangerous to try and battle the ringworm at the cost of them getting sicker, so I ignored the ringworm in favor of trying to boost their immune systems. Oddly, that worked faster on the kittens than the aggressive treatments. The thing is, a healthy immune system will resist ringworm in the first place. I was giving them supplements and a very healthy food (the supplements were Transfer Factor, Cold Pressed Salmon Oil, L-Lysine for a herpes based URI, and a vitamin supplement), and their ringworm was resolved completely in less than 3 weeks. And they had the worst ringworm I had ever seen....they started out almost half bald!

Because I have been unable to completely rid my environment of the spores, I know that we are all exposed to the spores daily (and since my place is small, we are exposed to concentrated amounts), and because I've kept our immune systems healthy, none of us have ever had a recurrence (I kept those two kittens who are now much older and gloriously healthy!).

In cats, of the cats that are exposed to ringworm, less than 15% will ever actually get it. A strong immune system is the best defense against that fungus.

The only active case of Ringworm I have right now is the one cat that *has* to be on oral steroids for life....so of course her immune system is dramatically compromised by that. For her, I'm still trying to boost her immune system, but also adding Malaseb shampoos twice a week and Itraconozole. After adding those last two, her Rw is visibly resolving.

And to add my voice to those who said this earlier: antibiotics, whether topical or orally administered, have nothing at all to do with Rw.

Cautions about treatment Comments By: Tami

Using things like vinegar and bleach may help with the itch, but it burns a lot so you may not want to use it on children or pets.
Antibiotic pills will NOT work, and I am shocked to hear that any doctor would even offer them unless the person has a secondary bacterial infection at the site from excessive scratching. This is a fungus that you come into contact with all the time. The bacteria naturally found on your body usually kills it for you. When you are on antibiotics it kills your normal bacterial flora and makes it easier for the fungus to spread to other parts of your body or come back once right away after treating it.
Also, if you take steroids for any condition talk to your doctor if you have ringworm because steroids depress your immune system. While it may itch less and look less severe while on steroids, it isn't really going away and will come back worse than before once you are done treating.
Don't look for shortcuts. Keep the area clean and dry. Treat it as often as you feel necessary with an anti-fungal ointment after cleaning the area (if you don't mind the sting, vinegar works well to clean it, dry the area, and remove old medication), if you need to keep the area covered make sure you use something that breathes so it doesn't stay moist under the dressing- but keep it uncovered if possible, keep your house clean (make up a bottle of bleach solution to clean all hard surfaces once or twice a day, vacuum and change bedding daily), even once the lesion is gone continue to use the anti-fungal cream for at least another 2 weeks because the spores may still be there and can let it come back again.

Vinegar Slaughters Ringworm Comments By: shrillary cankles

I have had ringworm for months. Actually athletes foot but that's the same thing. Nothing worked: lamisil, tinactin, nothing.

I tried vinegar. Vinegar SLAUGHTERS IT. After three days it's already looking much better, and I'm not saying it was just a touch of it before-- it was nasty as hell before. Stings pretty bad, a child wouldn't like it. But I love it.

nail polish remover kinda Comments By: neastea

nail polish kinda works. I have a ringworm currently now and its pretty big on my forehead. I used nail polish remover and it burned my forehead badly. I started using antibiotics and it was just controlling it but it wasnt coming off. I hd a big problem so i went to the doctors and they told me to use lamsil so i started using. it showed improvement. the ring asnt popping out the whole thing was flat. Ill start commenting if it is working because this is something that sucks.

ok so what happens to the patch of the lost hair Comments By: EVE

DOSE IT GROWS BACK DOSE ,IF NOT HOW CAN YOU MAKE IT GROW BACK