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

To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor might scrape some of the surface skin material (scales) onto a glass slide and examine them under a microscope. This procedure, called a KOH (potassium hydroxide) preparation, allows the doctor to look for tell-tale signs of yeast infection.

Once a diagnosis of tinea versicolor has been confirmed, the physician may recommend one of the following treatments:

• Selenium sulfide lotion (or shampoo, which can be used as a lotion and then rinsed off)
• Pyrithione zinc shampoo (used as a lotion and then rinsed off)
• Antifungal cream or lotion such as ketoconazole, econazole, oxiconazole, or ciclopirox
• Antifungal pills such as ketoconazole, fluconazole, or itraconazole

Return of the infection (recurrence) is common. Because some people are more likely than others to get the infection, the doctor may recommend a preventive or maintenance treatment to use during the warmer, more humid months, consisting of antifungal cream, lotion, or shampoo, applied every week or two.