Week Two Of Ringworm In Our House

by Marianne
(United States of America)

We are on week two of ringworm in our house. Two kids (currently being treated with 2% prescription meds) and two cats on a lotion that hasn't worked.

We're trying a shampoo on the cats today that I got from the vet. I have been vacuuming a lot, bleaching anything that will tolerate it, washing a lot, and just recently quarantined the cats.

My question - the Ringworm is not going away fast enough on one of my sons and I want to try tea tree oil. The spot of ringworm is on his face.

Can I put straight tea tree oil on his face or do I have to dilute it? I have Desert Essence 100% Australian Tea Tree Oil, but that is all it says concerning it's strength -no breakdown of ingredients.

Thanks for any help you can give and Merry Christmas!

Tea Tree Guy's Reply :

Marianne, thanks for asking.

I can empathize with you, because I've had ringworm before. I'm pretty sure I got it from my dog, and being the friendly family kind of dog he is, he wanted to share it with us all.

I had ringworm for nearly six months, largely because I was never diligent to keep up with applying either an over the counter remedy or tea tree oil. The ringworm would start to go away and then I would quit applying anything to it.

To get rid of ringworm, I suggest being faithful to whatever regimen you decide upon.

How Soon Can I Expect Results?

When I finally got serious about treating the ringworm it went away amazingly fast.

For me, the ringworm disappeared about two weeks after I started applying tea tree oil two or three times a day. I don't know if you'll get the same results, all I know is tea tree oil worked well for me.

How do you use tea tree oil for ringworm?

Tea tree oil can be very drying, so if your skin is irritated or becomes too dry for your liking, mix the tea tree oil with a carrier oil like olive oil, coconut oil, or even vegetable oil. You can use lotion as well.

I found while researching ringworm, that some spider bites can appear as ringworm, but happily tea tree oil can be soothing for insect bites too.

Please be very careful not to use tea tree oil on your cat, or at least do so only with an extremely dilute solution, because cats can be harmed by tea tree oil.

Keep your skin and scalp clean with soap and water, washing the area and applying tea tree oil three or four times a day for several weeks.

You'll need to keep at it.

What about my pets?

Also check any pets or animals that you come in contact with, they are a frequent source of infection. Please do not use tea tree oil in cats, birds, or small dogs. Check with your veterinarian for treatment options.

Is there anything else on Tea Tree Oil for Ringworm?

Here's a few more pages on the subject

• tea tree oil for ringworm


• treating ringworm with tea tree oil


• ringworm home remedy


• one readers experience with ringworm