Why Does My Fungal Infection Keep Coming Back?

There’s nothing quite as annoying as a recurring fungal infection. It often causes persistent itching, which can hinder your daily activities. Thankfully, fungi ailments like ringworm, athlete’s foot and jock itch are fairly easy to manage: just apply an antifungal cream, and you’ll see improvements immediately.

However, if your fungal infection keeps coming back, it may be due to these reasons:

It Wasn’t Treated Properly

Fungal infections affect the skin’s top layer. That’s why an exfoliant like salicylic acid can be used to speed up the healing, as they get rid of the skin layer that’s affected by the fungi.

However, exfoliation alone may not be enough. The fungal infection can just as easily transfer to the new skin layer if not treated properly. That’s why it’s important to use topical antifungal creams like Clotrimazole (Canesten®): it has Triple Defense action that stops fungi growth, kills it and eliminates itch.

Apply Clotrimazole (Canesten®) cream thinly to the affected area and smooth in gently. Repeat 2-3 times a day for up to 3 or 4 weeks to kill the root of the infection. The length of treatment may vary depending on the kind of infection you have.

You Didn’t Complete the Duration of the Treatment

Fungal infections like buni (ringworm), hadhad (jock itch) and alipunga (athlete’s foot) take time to stop growing. That’s why it’s important to follow the recommended frequency and duration set by your doctor when it comes to treating them.

Try not to miss any occasions to apply antifungal creams. And keep doing so even when you no longer have symptoms but are still within the prescribed treatment period.

You Haven’t Made Adjustments to Your Lifestyle

Fungi is all around us. You can’t avoid it no matter what you do. This isn’t normally a problem as healthy skin acts as a barrier that protects us from it. However, some conditions may weaken the skin and make it more susceptible to fungal infections. These include minor scratches and softness from being wet for long periods of time.

If you have an active lifestyle, you may be more prone to fungal infections as fungi can stay in the shared equipment found in gyms.

You can also catch ringworm or buni in warm and wet surfaces like locker rooms, saunas, pools, shared yoga mats, or unwiped gym benches.

That’s why it’s very important to wipe down any shared equipment, and to always bring a fresh change of clothes. You should also try to cover up any part of your skin with scratches or open wounds, as these are more prone to fungal infections as well.

To help avoid getting athlete’s foot, use foot powder before a workout to minimize sweating inside your socks.

But even if you do most of your workouts alone, you can never avoid fungal infections completely. And that’s okay. Fungi is easy to deal with. Just apply Clotrimazole (Canesten®) to the affected area 2-3x a day for 2-4 weeks, and you’ll soon get rid of them.

If you are pregnant or elderly, a doctor can advise you if you can use an antifungal medication or recommend an alternative treatment option.

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