Ringworm, Beard (Tinea Barbae):
Information for adults

To confirm the diagnosis of beard ringworm, your physician might scrape some surface skin material (scales) or pluck an affected hair and place it onto a glass slide for examination under a microscope. This procedure, called a KOH (potassium hydroxide) preparation, allows the doctor to look for tell-tale signs of fungal infection.

If you have many pus-filled lesions or if deeper lumps are present, your physician may wish to perform a procedure to grow out the fungus (fungal culture) in order to discover the particular organism that may be causing the infection. The procedure involves:

1. Penetrating the pus-filled lesion with a needle, scalpel, or lancet.
2. Rubbing a sterile cotton-tipped applicator across the skin to collect the pus.
3. Sending the specimen away to a laboratory.

The fungal culture can take up to 3 weeks to produce final results. 

Since beard ringworm usually requires oral antifungal pills in order to get rid of the infection completely, your physician will likely recommend one of the following oral medications:

• Terbinafine
• Itraconazole
• Griseofulvin
• Fluconazole
• Ketoconazole

Beard ringworm should go away within 4–6 weeks after using effective treatment.