Antifungal agents are used to treat fungal infections, one of the most common skin disorders. Fungal skin infections most often occur in moist areas of the body, such as the toes, groin or under the breasts. They can also affect other areas, such as the scalp or nails.

The fungi either live in the top layer of the skin cells and cause minor irritation, or burrow deeper into the skin and cause symptoms such as itching (pruritus), swelling, blistering and scaling. The major types of fungal infections treated with antifungal agents include:

• Candidiasis. Also known as a yeast infection, it is the result of yeast infecting the skin or mucous membranes. Yeast infections of the vagina or anus are often treated with medicated suppositories. Yeast infections in the mouth (thrush) are treated with medicated mouthwash or lozenges.
  
  
• Ringworm. The more common name for the tinea infection, it is the result of infection with fungi that usually cause ring-shaped, red, scaly patches. Types of ringworm include athlete’s foot (tinea pedis), ringworm of the hands (tinea manuum), jock itch (tinea cruris), and ringworm of the scalp (tinea capitis), nail (tinea unguium) and body (tinea corporis). Ringworm of the scalp is often treated with an oral antifungal for a period of four to eight weeks. In addition, an antifungal shampoo may be recommended as an adjunct therapy. Ringworm in other areas of the body may be treated with either systemic (spread throughout the body) antifungal agents or topical (applied directly to the skin) antifungals.
  
  
• Tinea versicolor. A fungal infection in which lighter and darker patches appear on the skin, most often on the chest and back. Either topical or oral antifungal agents can be used to treat this condition.