Is pityriasis versicolor contagious?

Pityriasis versicolor is what we often call tinea versicolor, and it is also called skin pityriasis versicolor. In fact, it is a skin disease of varying depths on some parts of the skin caused by infection of the keratin of the skin. If you see someone with such skin diseases on the street, you will subconsciously avoid them a little, especially parents with babies, who are always afraid that they will contract such skin diseases due to low resistance. However, pityriasis versicolor infection is generally more common among adolescents.

Tinea versicolor is less contagious. Tinea versicolor is mild in winter and severe in summer. It is a common skin disease in summer. If not treated, tinea versicolor can exist for a long time.

Tinea versicolor is a skin infection characterized by lesions and spots. The specific symptoms of tinea versicolor are as follows:

The skin lesions of tinea versicolor most commonly occur on the chest, back, arms, and neck. Others include face, abdomen, buttocks, armpits, groin, scalp, occipital area, etc. It often worsens in summer and autumn and eases or disappears in winter. Starts out as tiny spots. The affected children are often unaware of the symptoms, and the rash gradually develops into round or quasi-circular macules the size of corn, soybeans or broad beans. The edges are clear and level with the skin or slightly raised. The surface is covered with very thin bran-like scales and is shiny, especially when viewed against the light, the surface of the lesions is highly reflective. New lesions are dark in color, gray, yellow, brown, tan, or brown. Old skin lesions become pale and white. When new and old skin lesions coexist, the black and white are mixed in a mottled pattern, which is quite characteristic and a typical manifestation of tinea versicolor. When the scales are removed or the skin lesions are healed, temporary hypopigmented spots remain. Parents often mistake this for vitiligo and seek medical attention.

The skin lesions of some children are distributed along the hair follicles, similar to follicular papules, which are flat, slightly raised above the skin surface, covered with scales, and highly reflective. A small number of children have patchy skin lesions, which are relatively small in number (only one or a few), but cover a larger area. The surface scales are thick, mostly dark brown or tan, with a few being light spots. Sometimes the lesions are so large that they are often mistaken for normal skin.