Tinea Versicolor:
A parent's guide to condition and treatment information

The most common locations for tinea versicolor include:

• Chest and upper back
• Upper arms
• Abdomen
• Neck
• Thighs

Tinea versicolor appears as many white, pink, salmon-colored, tan, or brown patches ranging in size from 1–3 cm. The individual lesions can join together to form large patches. Most lesions have a very fine, dust-like outer skin material (scale).

The yeast gives off (secretes) a substance that temporarily bleaches the underlying skin to a lighter color. Even after the infection has gone away, the spots may be visible as lighter (hypopigmented) patches, which may not get their normal color back for many months. Furthermore, these hypopigmented spots do not tan normally. The hypopigmented areas are more obvious in darker-skinned individuals.

Tinea versicolor does not usually cause any symptoms, though some people report minor itching, especially when they get sweaty.