Alert to outbreaks of ringworm in hairdressers, we tell you what it is and how it is spread

The study titled “Outbreak of head and neck dermatophytosis associated with shaving in hairdressers: a multicenter descriptive study of a series of cases” has published a increase in ringworm outbreaks in our country. From the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, they relate the growth in the number of cases detected over the past two years, with the shaved and faded They have been very fashionable, especially among young people.

Dermatologists from different parts of the territory have noted an increase in the number of cases fungal infections of the scalp, the so-called “scalp ringworms”. The concerns of the professionals led them to carry out the aforementioned study, a collaborative work carried out within the framework of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology and accepted for publication in the journal ‘Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas’.

According to the study, one of the reasons for the increase in the number of infections is the increased frequency with which hair is cut and shaved. The gradient fashion, which fades and becomes unnoticeable shortly after you’ve done it, has increased the number of hairdressing visits. Experts warn of outbreaks especially in adolescentswho are the ones who wear this type of hairstyle the most.

Ringworm is a contagious fungal infection caused by fungi that live in the cells of the outer layer of the skin. “The lesions occurred primarily in the neck and temporal region, the areas where shearing or decomposition is most accelerated,” says Dr. Leonardo Bascón, dermatologist at the dermatology service of the General Hospital of Granollers and lead author of the study. The lesions can sometimes be scaly and in others appear with inflammation (reddish areas) and suppuration.

The fungus that has caused the most cases of those on alert is the ‘trychophyton tonsarans’, a ‘highly contagious’ disease that usually affects children between 6 months and 12 years old. It usually appears in men.

Signs and symptoms of scalp ringworm may include:

• One or more circular patches of scaly or inflamed skin where hair has come loose from or near the scalp.
• Slowly enlarging spots with small black dots where the hair fell off.
• Brittle or brittle hair that can break or pull out easily.
• Sensitive or painful areas on the scalp.

Dr. José Ignacio Galván, a dermatologist in private practice and one of the study’s co-authors, recalled that the diagnosis can be suspected by the skin symptoms (scaling, loss or hair loss, itching and pain, inflammation of the area, reddish areas) and confirmed by fungal culture. “After a correct diagnosis, there is a specific treatment that makes healing possible,” said the specialist. “The earlier the diagnosis, the more beneficial and the lower the risk of patient consequences,” he explains.

After conducting the study, Dr. Jorge Romaní, dermatologist at the Dermatology Service of the General Hospital of Granollers and another co-author of the study, “this outbreak must be taken into account by competent public health authorities, who are responsible for ensuring compliance with the disinfection standards of the material used for shaving in this type of centre”. In this sense, the AEDV and its members are at the disposal of the health authorities to offer their support and advice to optimize the monitoring of the disease and confirm the eradication of ringworm foci.

Ringworm infection comes from razors that have not been properly disinfected. A group of dermatologists has done work concluding that the outbreaks are linked to infections in barbers from infected razors, leading some barbers to fail to comply with disinfection standards.

The study points out that the new social tendency among male adolescents to shave their hair very frequently may be responsible for the outbreak of ringworm of the scalp in hairdressers.