From the FDA Drug Label
For treatment of tinea versicolor: Apply to affected areas and lather with a small amount of water. Allow product to remain on skin for 10 minutes, then rinse the body thoroughly. Repeat procedure once a day for 7 days. For treatment of tinea versicolor: Apply to affected areas and lather with a small amount of water. Allow to remain on skin for 10 minutes. Rinse body thoroughly. Repeat this procedure once a day for 7 days.
To treat facial Tinea versicolor, apply selenium sulfide (TOP) to the affected areas and lather with a small amount of water. Allow the product to remain on the skin for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Repeat the procedure once a day for 7 days 1 1.
- Key points:
- Apply to affected areas
- Lather with a small amount of water
- Remain on skin for 10 minutes
- Rinse thoroughly
- Repeat once a day for 7 days
From the Research
Facial tinea versicolor can be effectively treated with topical antifungal medications, and oral antifungals may be considered for more extensive or resistant cases, as supported by the most recent study 2.
Treatment Options
- Topical treatment: apply antifungal creams containing ketoconazole 2%, selenium sulfide 2.5%, or ciclopirox 1% to the affected areas once or twice daily for 2-4 weeks.
- Selenium sulfide can also be used as a shampoo applied to the face for 10 minutes before rinsing off, repeated daily for a week, then weekly for maintenance.
Oral Antifungal Medications
- For more extensive or resistant cases, oral antifungal medications like fluconazole (400mg single dose or 150mg weekly for 2-4 weeks) or itraconazole (200mg daily for 5-7 days) may be prescribed, as shown in studies 3, 4.
Important Considerations
- Avoid oil-based facial products and excessive sun exposure as these can worsen the condition.
- Complete the full treatment course even if symptoms improve quickly, as tinea versicolor is caused by an overgrowth of Malassezia yeast that normally lives on the skin and can easily recur if treatment is stopped prematurely.
- Discoloration may persist for weeks or months after successful treatment as the skin needs time to return to its normal color.
Selection of Antifungal Agents
- The selection of antifungal agents depends on several factors, including efficacy, safety, local availability, ease of administration, likelihood of compliance, and potential drug interactions of the antifungal agent, as discussed in 2.
Long-term Management
- Long-term intermittent prophylactic therapy should be considered for patients with frequent recurrence of the disease, as suggested in 2.