BRITS need to think twice about sharing hats this winter, an expert has warned.
They could be putting themselves at risk of hair loss and a highly contagious infection.
Many people don’t think twice about grabbing someone else’s hat to keep their own head warm.
And the festive season increases the chance of hat sharing further, with an abundance of red Santa hats laying around.
But it could spell disaster for our locks and leave us vulnerable to catching scalp ringworm, said Sam Cinkir, CEO of skin and hair specialists Este Medical Group.
Scalp ringworm gets its name from its often circular appearance, but no worms are actually involved – it’s a fungal infection.
It causes itchy, scaly, bald spots on the head and while it is most common among school-aged children, it can affect people of any age.
Experts believe it affects between 10 and 20 percent of people at some stage during their lifetime.
Sam has shared his top tips on how to avoid scalp ringworm this winter – as well as how to get rid of the infection if you think you’ve caught it.
He said: “Scalp ringworm, also known as ‘tinea capitis’, is a rash caused by a fungal infection and is highly contagious.
“It is commonly passed on between people sharing items such as towels, combs, hairbrushes, pillowcases and, of course, hats.
“It can usually be tackled with antifungal medication or dedicated shampoos, but if left untreated for too long it can result in unsightly bald spots.
“The best advice is to avoid sharing hats with others to minimise your chances of picking up nasty bugs.”
Barbers have been forced to issues warnings after claiming to have seen rising ringworm cases in young men, which was linked to the soaring popularity of ‘skin fade’ haircuts and not cleaning clippers properly.
And it can cause hair to become brittle and fall out, leading to unwanted bald spots.
Sam said: “If scalp ringworm is suspected, it’s important to act as quickly as possible to limit the damage and quicken recovery.
“Do not scratch the sores, as it can help spread the infection to other parts of the body, and immediately wash any bedding or clothing the scalp may have come into contact with.
“Speak to your GP, who will be able to confirm the diagnosis by examining the head or taking skin samples.”
SCALP RINGWORM – HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU HAVE IT?
SCALP ringworm can resemble conditions such as dandruff, alopecia, eczema or psoriasis of the scalp.
Your doctor may use a dermatoscope which is a hand-held light with a powerful magnifying lens to help decide on the condition affecting the scalp.
The symptoms include itching, redness and dryness of the scalp. Sometimes bald patches can occur as infected hairs are brittle and break easily.
In more severe cases there can be pustules (white/yellow headed spots), yellow crusts and matted hair and, very rarely, a painful boggy (soft spongy) swelling filled with pus and overlying hair loss called a kerion.
In these cases, people affected may have a fever or swollen, painful glands in the neck.
Occasionally the body reacts to the fungus by causing an itchy rash at a site other than the scalp, such as the ear or the palms and soles.
This is called an ‘id reaction’ and can appear when treatment is started.
This “id reaction” can be treated with steroid creams.
A diagnosis can be confirmed by taking skin scales from the scalp or plucking hairs from the affected areas and sending them for testing in a laboratory.
The samples are looked at under the microscope and cultured to confirm that a fungal infection is the cause.
Fungus grows slowly therefore the culture results can take up to six weeks.
Source: British Association of Dermatologists
