Here is the problem: There are thousands (and more unknown)types of fungi in the environment. They all cause different symptoms and can require different treatment protocol. The key to treatment is finding out the particular strain from which you are suffering. I have been dealing with kerion lesions all over my body for the last few months and I'm very quickly discovering that doctors and vets are CLUELESS in Mycology. They learn the very basics in med school and don't further their education. You have to be proactive with your health and do the research yourself. There are fungi out there that are zoophilic as well and you can pass infection between your pets and vice versa. You really have to see a doctor, preferrably a dermatologist and ask for a fungal culture. They will take a scraping of your skin, a biopsy, or hair samples and send it off to a lab to culture. There it will grow in a dish and go from there. Some fungi grow relatively quickly, others, it may take weeks for results. I just can't believe that the medical community isn't better educated. I went to the ER because I don't have insurance. I told the doctor about my symptoms, ranging from fatigue, hair and skin problems, all the way to arthritic joints. I also mentioned my 3 dogs have the same type lesions. I told him I thought I might have a systemic fungal infection and his response was "First of all, I'm not a vet, so what your dogs have is of no concern" and "Systemic fungus won't present this way". STUPID!! So...what does he do? Takes a skin scraping, goes and looks at it under the microscope and says to me that he didn't see anything crawling but he did see something that looked like it had 'branches'. Ummmmm, HELLO?!! Branches=Hyphae=FUNGUS!! So he prescribes LAMISIL and Bactrim (antibiotic). Well, if he knew anything about fungi, he would have known that antibiotic are the worst treatment for fungi. They kill bacteria and then the fungi have all the room in the world to grow. Making your infection even worse. Don't let a fungal infection spread, they can be very dangerous and I believe are the source of a lot of major illness. The post above me mentions the light and dark spots and not being able to get rid of them. I'm not a doctor but it sounds like Tinea Versicolor, which is a non-invasive fungus that can be treated with over the counter preparations with active ingredients such as clotrimazole or miconazole. You have to treat this for a long time and may never completely kick it. Don't start and stop any treatment because it can become resistant and stronger and your condition may get worse. Probiotics are readily available at any health food store or pharmacy. There are food products out there with them in it also. Not just any yogurt will suffice. It has to have live cultures in it and if it doesn't say that, it doesn't. I think Activia is a popular brand that has lactobacillus acidophillus in it. Just do your own research and take your findings to your MD. Hopefully, he/she is open to learning and listens. If not, seek out another doctor that is!!

I am not suggesting anyone try this, but I am curious about UV-C sterilizers as a possible treatment. I know that UV-C causes cell damage, but if a person was to protect the skin by covering the surrounding area, and give a timed few seconds "burst" of UV to the nail only, It would seem likely to work. There are these pocket UV sterilizers wands, I may get one. meantime, I am using an OTC anti-fungal and tea tree oil, and if I really get on top of it and use it twice a day, there seems to be improvement. my problem is in 1 toe nail, I had an ingrown toenail infection, about 25 years ago, which required minor super painful cutting, and this nail is curved and partly separated in the middle from the skin underneath, so its difficult to treat because normal heat and moisture from work doesn't help. ( I cant use sandals where i work ). I heard Oregano oil is also a great anti-fungal, also soaking your feet in warm water that has a little chlorine, and baking soda, this worked great for my athletes foot I had years back.

Causes of Nail Fungus Infections - Part 2 Nail fungus infections are caused by various factors. It is easier for the nail to get infected when an individual is injured and when the shoes are so tight to the extent that the hoes pinch the person. It is very easy to get and contract nail fungus and it common among those who have sweaty feet, share bathrooms, swimming pools, showers and locker rooms. Also people who do a lot of standing and are on their feet frequently as in the case of runners, athletes and dancers. If an individual also has a history of athleteÂs foot, has manicure and pedicure in places and salons where they do not take care of their nail files. It is also common among those who are about sixty five years old and above and people who have diabetes and other forms of circulatory diseases. It is easy to spot the incidence of nail fungus infection. This is noticeable in the color of the fingernail To read More

I mention this because no one said it yet... If anyone is getting yeast infections often, there is a good chance your body's pH is off (usually way too acidic). You can get pH paper on amazon to check (you can get a roll for about 6 bucks), I think some homeopathic stores also sell the paper. Get a roll that is in the range of 3 to 8 and spit on a piece of the paper at a time when you haven't eaten in 2 hours (otherwise you'll be getting a false reading). It should be around 7 on a person with a good normal pH. If its crazy low, like 3 to 5, that is way too acidic. You're as tart as coca cola! To fix this, you will need to go on an alkalizing diet. It will take a long time, but it will fix the problem permanently when you get your pH back up (even just up to 6 will fix your troubles). You can search on google for alkalizing diet to get the specifics, but basically you eat very little to no meat, and cut out all sugar, and no alcohol, tea or coffee. Milk and eggs are fine to eat. After about a year of that diet you will be able to reintroduce some of the bad foods if you want because you will have gotten the Ph up a bit by then and you'll be okay. If you can't stand to not have meat, give up the sugar. If you can't stand to give up the sugar, give up the meat. Try to be reasonable - both of those (meat and sugar) are very acidifying, so unfortunately, if your pH is way too acidic, one of those groups will have to go for awhile if you want to be rid of this thing, so if you can't stand to give up either, just limit yourself and eat as little of them as you can.