Picture this, you come home from a long day at work and your favorite four-legged friend greets you heartily at the door. What Rover isn’t telling you is that, after playing in the yard all day, the top of his head is itchier than normal. After petting him for a few minutes you go about your evening. The next day, you start to feel a pervasive itchiness on your scalp where you scratched your head last night. Looking into it, you see a bright red disk emblazoned on your head. Congratulations, you have ringworm.
What is Ringworm?
Ringworm is a skin condition that causes red scaly patches in the affected areas of the body that are usually circular or ring-like in appearance. These deep red patches may even blister or dribble when left untreated. On the bright side, the name is a little bit misleading–there are no worms living in the affected area, only a common fungus. Anti-fungal creams and drugs are customarily prescribed by the medical practitioners for treating this frightful ailment.
However, this fungal infirmity has no conventional cure and is known to affect the skin on hands, feet, nails, scalp and groin area majorly. Tropical medications might repel the fungal malaise for a specific interim but are ineffective in permanent removal of the infection. These medications further exert their toxicity on the body of an affected individual.
Ringworm is contagious, direct skin to skin contact, immediate contact with pets suffering from the same ailment or touching contaminated items used by the affected individual such as clothing can pass on the infection rapidly.
How Do You Get Ringworm?
Like the example in the beginning of this article, ringworm can be transferred to you through your pet. It can also be transferred to you through another person simply through physical contact. A common avenue for ringworm is children due to the fact that they practice poor hygiene out of principle.
Here are some great ways to avoid catching ringworm in the first place:
- Wash your hands consistently throughout the day and have your children do the same.
- Keep pet living areas clean
- Make sure your feet are covered while you’re walking around in a public pool or shower.
- Don’t let your socks stay sweaty or wet for a long period of time. Change those things out once in a while!
- Try not to swap sweaty hats or helmets with teamates.
- Use essential oils for ringworm.
If you already have ringworm, then your first thought may be to turn to an over-the-counter antibiotic or antifungal that may or may not work. Over 2 million people develop infections that are resistant to antibiotics each year. What you can be sure of is that it will be detrimental to your overall health, possibly causing side effects like vomiting and diarrhea.
This is why many people are on the hunt for a cure that is all natural and doesn’t come with all those nasty side effects. Fortunately, there’s an easy and affordable answer to your search. Usine essential oils for ringworm is not only effective but it also saves you from having to deal with the side effects of antibiotics.
Using Essential Oils for Ringworm
Essential oils are beneficial for overall health of the body and encourage the recovery process by helping the body release certain nutrients and enough oxygen for the skin cells. Many of these oils are curative to use and help in treating Ringworm infection with much more efficiency. These oils with anti-fungal properties are extremely effective in treating the inflammation and eliminating the infection from its roots.
But which are the best essential oils for Ringworm?
1. Tea Tree Oil
Tea Tree Oil is widely used for the treatment of skin and scalp Ringworm infections. Use shampoos rich in Tea Tree Oil for two weeks to cure the scalp infection. You can even diffuse it in the air to kill the fungal spores. The steps mentioned below will help you in getting rid of ringworm effectively:
Prepare a mixture using Tea Tree Oil, Palmarosa Oil and Cinammon bark oil. Soak the affected area in this mixture for 30-60 minutes. It is a great way of treating the infection while eliminating skin itchiness, redness and flakiness permanently.
When dealing with Feet Ringworm, you can mix this oil with the Sandalwood Oil and apply it on the affected area of the foot. Leave it overnight for faster results. As one of the most effective essential oils for ringworm, you can’t go wrong with tea tree oil.
2. Lavender Oil
Lavender oil is frequently used for restoring the skin complexion, getting rid of pigmentation and reducing acne. Organically bestowed with anti-microbial and anti-septic properties, this oil is exceptionally beneficial for treating psoriasis, eczema and various other skin diseases. It also has antioxidant properties and is useful for combating tan, dull and dry skin conditions.
Apart from all other applications of lavender oil, it is specifically used for the treatment of Ringworm. This oil helps significantly in healing the skin itchiness and redness. Regular application of this oil (3-4 times a day) can prevent inflammation and soothe the skin in a quick span of time. Follow the steps mentioned below to use Lavender essential oil for Ringworm:
Take some good quality lavender oil like this one and mix it with a carrier oil. Jojoba Oil, Almond Oil, Coconut Oil and Avocado oil are the best carrier oils to use for preparing the mixture. Add 5-10 drops of Lavender Oil in the carrier oils mentioned above. Next, apply the mixture to the affected area and do not cover it. Let it dry and heal naturally.
You can even add a few drops of the Lavender oil to your bathwater and drench yourself with it. It is effective in healing the skin and averting skin irritation. Using the Lavender Oil mixture with the Aloe Vera gel is yet another way of minimizing the Ringworm lesions. It speedily settles the infection and prevents dryness and itchiness.
3. Oregano Oil
Oregano oil contains compounds that are enriched with anti-fungal, antibacterial, anti-parasitic and anti-viral characteristics. Known as one of the best essential oils, it is used for enhancing the healing abilities of the skin. Following are the steps to use oregano essential oils for Ringworm:
Mix Oregano Oil with Almond or Jojoba oil and massage slightly into the affected area. Repeat this at least 3 times in a day. If it is done properly, you will see the improvement within seven days of the treatment.
You can even diffuse the oil in your house or sleeping area for better and faster results. It has been found that Oregano Oil greatly helps in getting rid of the infection without leaving any lesions on the skin.
DO NOT consume this oil directly as it can be harmful to you. Oregano Oil can be extremely toxic for internal absorption.
4. Lemongrass Oil
This essential oil is naturally granted with antiseptic properties. Its application on the Ringworm lesions helps in preventing the spread of infection to other parts of the body. Here is how you can use it:
Mix a few drops of Lemongrass Oil with Almond Oil and keep the mixture aside for 30 minutes. Then, apply it on the affected areas in every 5-6 hours. Regular application of this oil into the affected area will help in eradicating the infection completely.
These essential oils are most commonly used for treating the Ringworm infections. However, there are few more which can help you in removing the itchiness and dryness when treating with Ringworm.
Neem oil, Rosemary Oil, Thyme Oil, Clove Oil, Olive Oil and Oil of Nutmeg are also found to be of great use when dealing with the skin infections.
Important Tips to Use Essential Oils for Ringworm
Undoubtedly, essential oils are extremely beneficial for treating various skin diseases. But there are few things that you must keep in mind while using these essential oils for ringworm:
- Essential Oils need to be diluted with base or carrier oils.
- Always perform a patch test on your forearm before applying the oil mixture on the affected area. This will make sure that your infected skin doesn’t respond badly to the application of the oil.
- Pregnant women should refrain from using essential oils as they contain some strong and toxic compounds.
- Ensure that you use pure and unadulterated essential oils for an effective therapy.
- Seek medical help if you are suffering from a health condition before using these oils or if you observe any unfavorable symptoms after application.
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