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A TikToker’s face was riddled with ringworm after she shared her makeup brushes and tools with friends.
The 22-year-old British-Filipina influencer, Louaira Dela Cruz, has documented her skin infection experience for her 829,000 followers since early April.
The London-based social media star shared photos of the infection’s progression on her face. She detailed that the patches looked like “burn marks” before they turned into the inflamed circles common in ringworm cases. The 22-year-old said it was painful to smile, laugh or cry.
She explained that doctors initially thought she might have eczema or Steve-Johnson syndrome, a rare condition that causes painful rashes and blisters on the skin and mucous membranes. After a follow-up doctor’s visit and some guesses from her followers, Cruz got confirmation that the skin infection all over her face was ringworm.
“I know sharing is caring but best believe I’m not letting anyone touch my makeup brushes or makeup sponges or anything with makeup again,” Cruz posted April 11. “Because this is ringworm from someone who’s clearly been using my stuff.”
“All my friends are really clean, so either it’s bad luck or someone’s put evil eye [on me]. So if you’re gonna take anything from this video, go clean your makeup brushes, sponges, all of that.”
In videos posted on April 13, Cruz said that her life isn’t over, but her treatment and healing process will likely take weeks to months.
The TikToker said she’s never experienced the “super bumpy” texture ringworm gave her skin.
In one video, the 22-year-old showed a portion of her treatment regimen and captioned it, “Hopefully, the worst of it has passed and now just healing 🙂 .”
Cruz’s skin is on the mend in her most recent updates.
The influencer said she was “happy” with her face’s progress, and her skin looked “smooth [and] not as bumpy.” She highlighted the application of diluted apple cider vinegar also worked as a helpful treatment for her face.
What is ringworm, and how does it appear on dark skin?
Ringworm, or tinea corporis, is a fungal infection spread by skin-to-skin contact or exposure to an infected animal or object. The condition lives on the epidermis — the superficial layer of the skin — and creates an itchy ring-like rash that often has a noticeable center in the middle of a patch. It’s unclear how common facial ringworm specifically is. The Cleveland Clinic claims the rash “can affect 20% to 25% of the world’s population at any given time.”
The infection isn’t harmful to one’s health, albeit “highly contagious” and tricky to get rid of, according to Healthline. Ringworm affects all races equally. While it appears as red or pink botches or lighter complexions, ringworm can look brown or grey on dark skin.
Board-certified Birmingham-based dermatologist Corey Hartman, MD, shared more insight on ringworm’s manifestation on melanated skin in an April 2021 article for Women’s Health. The medical professional noted that ringworm could appear “more violaceous or like a darker kind of purple” on deeper complexions.
Hartman also highlighted that Black people are more prone to getting ringworm on their scalps.
“Those who apply oil to their scalp and have coarser hair and don’t wash as frequently because their hair tends to dry out have more occurrences and higher incidents of developing a tinea, or ringworm in the scalp. That’s also a problem that requires more significant treatment than when it gets into the skin because it then gets into the hair follicle.”
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