Tinea Versicolor as known also known as pityriasis versicolor is a skin mostly seen in young people and is caused due to fungus. Person infected is observed to have light or reddish-brown patches on the skin. It mainly affects the chest and back skin and only affects the top layer of the skin. It is a non-contagious disease and it is not permanent.

The common symptoms of this skin infection are appearance of light brown or white patches on the skin. These patches are more noticeable during summer season. Rashes on the trunk is another symptom of this infection. These patches tend to itch severely while sweating.

This skin infection is caused by an yeast called as malassezia furfur which is a type of fungus. This fungus feeds on fats thus is more commonly found in individual have more sebaceous glands. In summer season due to high temperature this yeast tends to grow rapidly which results in patchy skin. This fungus in present every in the environment and can be also found on human skin.

Pregnancy, burns, oral contraceptives, malnutrition and steroid therapy can also result in this infection.

Natural home remedies to cure this infection include:

• OTC antifungal cream should be applied twice daily.
• Antidandruff shampoo containing selenium sulfide can also be applied on the patches this will help remove the dead skin and the fungus.
• Healthy diet and good hygiene can help prevent reoccurrence of this infection.
• Raw fruits and vegetables should be included in the diet this will help strengthen the immune system.
• Include lactic acid fermented food like yogurt etc in your diet, it contains acidophilus that help maintain bacterial level and prevent spreading of the infection.
• Avoid sugar and white flour; consume more garlic as it is an antifungal agent.
• Use a baby powder to keep your skin dry as tinea versicolor has the tendency to reappear again.

Bio: Dev Randhawa owns and manages a health blog, where he discusses health issues related to his study to become a pediatric doctor.