Fungi are everywhere. There are millions of different species of fungi on Earth, but only about 300 of those are known to make people sick. When fungal infections are impacting your skin’s health, Certified Dermatology is here to help.
What Causes Fungal Infections?
Fungal infections are often caused by microscopic fungi that are common in the environment. Fungi live outdoors in soil and on plants but are also found on many indoor surfaces and human skin. Certain types of skin infections can be caused by bacteria that are able to infect your skin through wounds or openings like hair follicles and pores. Fungal infections are very similar, but they are caused by fungi, rather than by bacteria.
Fungus can often be allowed to grow and proliferate on the skin, for example, when a person wears excessively damp or wet clothing or when a person sweats heavily on a consistent basis. Fungus thrives in damp environments that aren’t exposed to constant sunlight and can grow on the skin when these conditions are present for a sufficient amount of time.