This leads to breakouts, itching, and irritation on the skins surface.
However, different treatment is needed for fungal acne to address the yeast overgrowth.
Verywell / Theresa Chiechi
Fungal Acne vs.
Verywell / Theresa Chiechi
Regular Acne
Fungal acne is often confused withacne vulgarisbecause they look similar.
The causes, symptoms, and treatments of fungal acne and acne vulgaris are different, however.
Malassezia, a punch in of yeast, is common on the skin.
Reproduced with permission from ©DermNet NZwww.dermnetnz.org2022
It tends to appear on the forehead, cheeks, upper back, and upper chest.
They will look for uniform, pinhead-sized red pustules on the hair follicles on the upper chest and back.
Differentiating the two is important since antibiotic treatment may make the problem worse.
When left untreated, fungal acne may persist for many years.
Your dermatologist may also perform tests to determine whether you have fungal acne.
How Do You Get Rid of Fungal Acne?
If the yeast overgrowth alone is treated, the fungal acne will most likely recur.
Fungal acne is often treated with both antifungals and acne medications.
The most common prescription oral antifungal medication is Sporanox (itraconazole).
For tough-to-treat cases, isotretinoin may be considered.
This process can take months.
Topical treatments usually come in the form of ananti-dandruff shampooand are to be used every day for a week.
The most common treatments are Nizoral or Selsun, available in drugstores and online.
They can be applied in the shower and left on for 10 minutes before rinsing off.
Prevention
Studies show that fungal acne is very treatable.
However, it does have a high incidence of recurrence.
If youre concerned that your fungal acne is returning, see your healthcare provider right away.
The sooner you catch it, the easier it is to treat.
Summary
Fungal acne is common and usually easy to treat as long as it’s correctly diagnosed.
Fungal acne can often be prevented by taking personal care steps to prevent yeast growth.
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