Where
Plot No D13B, Wellington Rd, Vikrampuri Colony, Karkhana, Secunderabad, Telangana 500009.
- Serves Trimulgherry, West Marredpally, Bowenpally, Alwal
- Formerly BNR Skin & Vitiligo Hospital
Hyderabad
Fungal skin infection treatment in Hyderabad
Ringworm in India is not the illness it was ten years ago. It spreads further, recurs harder and takes far longer to clear — largely because of what is being sold for it over the counter, and partly because the organism itself has changed.
45 years in dermatologyDermatologist & dermatosurgeonKarkhana, SecunderabadBooking on WhatsApp
At a glance
- Treats
- Tinea of body, groin, feet, scalp and nails
- Typical course
- Weeks of oral treatment, not days
- Main obstacle
- Steroid-combination creams bought first
- Also treated
- Household contacts, or it returns
- Confirmed by
- Scraping and microscopy where unclear
- Where
- Secunderabad clinic
If you are using a combination cream, stop and bring the tube
The creams sold across Indian counters for “ring infection” usually contain a potent steroid alongside the antifungal. The steroid settles the itch within a day, which is why they sell — while suppressing the local immune response the body needs to clear the fungus. The rash spreads, loses its ring shape, and becomes far harder to treat. Bring the packet to the appointment.
Why this changed
A common infection that stopped behaving like one.
For decades tinea was a straightforward problem: an antifungal cream for two or three weeks and it was over. Across South Asia that stopped being true. Infections now cover large areas, involve several family members at once, recur within weeks of stopping treatment, and fail the drugs that used to work reliably.
Two things drove it. The first is the steroid-antifungal combination cream, available without prescription and applied for months — it changes the appearance of the rash so it no longer looks like ringworm, and it suppresses the skin’s ability to fight the organism. The second is a dermatophyte that has become widespread in India and is frequently resistant to terbinafine, the drug most often prescribed first.
The practical consequence for you is duration. A course that would once have run two weeks now commonly runs six to twelve, sometimes longer for nails and scalp. Stopping when the itch settles is the single commonest reason people end up back with the same rash a month later.
What is being treated
Where it appears
| Site | Usual name | What treatment involves |
|---|---|---|
| Body, trunk, limbs | Tinea corporis | Oral plus topical; weeks, reviewed rather than fixed |
| Groin and inner thigh | Tinea cruris | Same course; clothing and moisture matter as much |
| Feet and between toes | Tinea pedis | Often the reservoir that reinfects everything else |
| Scalp, usually in children | Tinea capitis | Always oral — creams cannot reach the follicle |
| Nails | Onychomycosis | Months, confirmed before starting — see nail treatment |
| Face | Tinea faciei | Most often the one misdiagnosed and steroid-treated |
A rash that has been treated with a steroid cream frequently loses its ring shape and scaly edge entirely. Where the picture is unclear a scraping is examined rather than guessed at.
The protocol
How a course is actually run
Stop the steroid, confirm the diagnosis
The combination cream comes off first. Where the appearance has been altered by it, or where previous treatment has failed, a skin scraping settles what is actually there.
Treat orally, and for long enough
Extensive or recurrent disease needs systemic treatment, not cream alone. Dose and duration are set by site and severity, and reviewed — not fixed in advance from a chart.
Treat the household and the clothes
Tinea moves between family members and lives in towels, bedding and waistbands. Treating one person in a house where three are itching is why it comes back.
Review before stopping
Clear skin is not the same as cleared infection. The end of a course is decided at a review, and stopping at the point the itch settles is the commonest cause of relapse.
Resistant infection
When the first drug does not work.
Terbinafine failure is now common in India rather than exceptional. Where an adequate course has genuinely been taken and the rash has not responded, the answer is to change the drug and extend the duration — and, where it matters, to confirm what organism is present rather than cycling through prescriptions.
That decision needs a proper history: what was taken, at what dose, for how long, and whether it was actually taken every day. A large share of apparent resistance is an incomplete course, and the two are managed very differently. Bring your old prescriptions.
If the nails are involved tooLonger, not stronger
Extending a course is usually more effective than escalating the dose, and it is monitored where treatment runs for months.
Liver checks where indicated
Prolonged oral antifungal treatment is monitored with blood tests when duration or other medication makes that sensible.
Where to book
One clinic, in Secunderabad
Consulting rooms, phototherapy and the surgical list at one address in Secunderabad — the practice formerly known as BNR Skin & Vitiligo Hospital.
How to book
On WhatsApp — one number, answered by the clinic team, who confirm a time and say what to bring.
- Photographs welcome before you travel
- Video consultation arranged the same way
Questions patients actually ask
Fungal infection questions
Why does my ringworm keep coming back?
Three usual reasons: the course was stopped when the itch settled rather than when the infection cleared, an untreated family member or a pair of shoes keeps reinfecting you, or the organism does not respond to the drug that was used. All three are addressable, and which one applies is worked out from the history.
Can I just use a cream from the pharmacy?
For a small, new, single patch sometimes yes. The problem is what is usually sold — most over-the-counter “ring” creams in India contain a potent steroid, which settles the itch quickly and makes the infection worse and harder to diagnose.
How long does treatment take?
Longer than most people expect. Body and groin infections commonly need several weeks of oral treatment, scalp longer, nails months. The duration is reviewed rather than fixed at the first visit.
Is it contagious to my family?
Yes — it spreads by direct contact and through shared towels, bedding and clothing. If others at home are itching they need treating at the same time, or the infection simply circulates.
Do I need a test?
Not always. Where the rash looks typical and has not been treated before, treatment can begin on the clinical picture. Where a steroid cream has changed its appearance, or previous treatment has failed, a scraping is examined first.
Are the tablets safe to take for weeks?
Oral antifungals are well established and generally tolerated. Where a course runs long, or you take other medication, blood tests are used to monitor it. Tell the clinic everything you are taking, including anything bought over the counter.
Keep reading
Related on this site
The first appointment is a diagnosis.
Not a treatment plan sold on the spot. Message the clinic and bring your history.