5 Things That Make You Prone to Fungal Skin Infections

Contacting a fungal skin infection can have brutal effects on your appearance and lifestyle. Its symptoms include unsightly red skin, scaly rashes, or itchy patches. At worst, you might even end up passing it on to others.

As a rule of thumb, keeping your health up and practicing good hygiene can help mitigate your risk of getting infected. Read more below for a list of common things that can make you prone to fungi-related outbreaks, and how you can prevent it from happening to you.

Fungal infections are highly contagious. You can catch them from touching contaminated personal items, or infected people and animals – yes, even your pet. This is why it’s best not to share things like towels or clothing, even with people you’re close to.

What you can do: Be vigilant with your sanitation practices. Wash your hands regularly, especially after being outside or playing with your pet.

Fungi thrive in warm, moist places, such as gyms, locker rooms, hot tubs, and steam rooms. Of course, this doesn’t mean you must avoid these places altogether. The key is to be more mindful of your hygiene practices to avoid contracting an infection.

What you can do: Protect yourself with proper personal care. Wear slippers in the communal shower. Always bring your own towels – use a separate one for your body and your face. The towel you use to wipe off your sweat should be a different one, too. For surfaces, you can bring a disinfectant spray as an extra precaution.

Sweat on your skin creates the perfect environment for fungi to thrive. Body parts that are often covered, such as the groin, buttocks, inner thighs, or spaces between the toes, are more prone to fungal infections because they tend to stay damp and don’t get enough airflow.

What you can do: Keep your body clean, fresh, and dry. Don’t skip the shower, especially after a workout or on really hot days. Change out of your sweat-soaked clothes immediately. After bathing, make sure your skin is thoroughly dry before putting on tight clothing, socks, and underwear. When towel-drying, be mindful of the areas with skin folds and the parts of your body where moisture may tend to linger.

For a thorough body cleanse, you can’t go wrong with hardworking soaps and washes that help protect the skin. Try Lifebuoy Antibacterial Body Wash with Multivitamins+ Total 10 or Lifebuoy Antibacterial Bar Soap with Multivitamins+ Total 10 if you prefer a soap bar. These are formulated with multivitamins like B3, C, and E that help boost the skin’s immunity and fight against germs with regular use.

Maybe you skipped a shower, you forgot to wash your hands, or you didn’t dry your body well enough. These may seem like minor things but neglecting these can make your skin more prone to fungal skin infections.

What you can do: Keep yourself – and your surroundings – clean. No matter how tired or lazy you’re feeling, be consistent with your personal hygiene. You might be tempted to repeat clothes or put off changing your sheets, but such clothing and fabrics can collect moisture and become breeding grounds for fungi.

Dove Men+Care Body, Face & Hair Wash Clean Comfort makes the job of keeping yourself fresh and clean easier. Its multi-functional formula makes it great to use on your hair, face, and body. Plus, it comes with skin-nourishing ingredients and a crisp lemon and cedarwood scent you’ll love.

Generally, when you’re not in tip-top shape, you’re highly likely to catch a lot of things – fungal skin infections included. In the same way that a weakened immune system makes you more susceptible to viruses and bacteria, your body won’t be able to defend itself from the first signs of skin fungal infection symptoms, too. High stress, illnesses, or certain medications are some instances that can contribute to having low immunity.

What you can do: Boost your health. Eat your fruits and veggies, exercise regularly, and manage your stress to keep your immune system strong and better equipped to fight off infections.

As they say, prevention is better than cure. Follow these tips to avoid falling prey to fungal skin infections. After all, it’s always added pogi points for you to look fresh, smell clean, and have great, healthy skin.