Tinea Versicolor

Tinea versicolor is a common fungal infection that causes discolored skin. People with tinea versicolor develop white, yellow, red, pink or brown spots. It’s caused by an overgrowth of a type of yeast (fungus) that’s naturally found on your skin. Hot weather, humidity and sun exposure can make tinea versicolor worse. It’s not harmful or contagious but can be mildly itchy. Tinea versicolor is most commonly found on your shoulders, back and upper chest.

Healthcare providers treat the condition with topical or oral antifungal medications. Some treatments are available over-the-counter. With treatment, most people recover fully from tinea versicolor. Tinea versicolor is also known as pityriasis versicolor.

What does tinea versicolor look like?

Tinea versicolor can affect all skin colors differently. The overgrowth of fungus causes small, round patches of skin to get either lighter or darker than the surrounding skin. It’s more common for your skin to get lighter. The spots can appear white, pink, red, brown, light tan or yellow. On darker skin, tinea versicolor appears white or light tan. On lighter or paler skin, tinea versicolor looks light red or pink.

Some patches or spots can become scaly and dry. Over time, the patches get larger and start to connect, covering larger areas of your skin.

The patches might be more noticeable after sun exposure because the rest of your skin tans (or gets darker) but the infected area won’t. This makes them stand out a little more.

Who gets tinea versicolor?

Tinea versicolor affects many people worldwide. It’s unclear why yeast overgrows on some people’s skin and not others. People living in tropical or subtropical regions are most at risk for tinea versicolor. It’s common during the summer months in temperate climates and around puberty when your skin’s oil glands are more active.

You may be at higher risk if you have a weak immune system. This may happen if you take medications like corticosteroids or have medical conditions like diabetes. People who are pregnant are more susceptible to tinea versicolor because of hormonal changes.

Is tinea versicolor contagious?

Tinea versicolor isn’t contagious.

How common is tinea versicolor?

Tinea versicolor is common. It affects about 1% of people who live in mild or moderate climates. It affects up to 40% of people who live in tropical, humid climates.