Tinea versicolor: Signs and symptoms
What are the signs of tinea versicolor?
The first sign of tinea versicolor is often spots on the skin. These spots may:
Be lighter (or darker) than your surrounding skin; the color of the spots can be white, pink, salmon, red, tan, or brown
Appear anywhere on the body
Be dry and scaly
Cause the affected skin to itch
Become more noticeable when you have a tan (the yeast prevents the skin from tanning)
Grow slowly
Grow together, forming patches of lighter (or darker) skin
Disappear when the temperature drops and return in the spring or summer when the air turns warm and humid
Sometimes the spots are so faint that people do not realize they have tinea versicolor. If tinea versicolor causes light spots on the skin, it can be mistaken for vitiligo. Vitiligo is a skin disease that causes the skin to lose its natural color.
Tinea versicolor
Tinea versicolor often looks like a rash.
Tinea versicolor
The spots of tinea versicolor can be dry and scaly. As the yeast grows, the spots can grow together.
Images
Images used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides.