Eczema or Ringworm? PLEASE HELP!

[yelloww]

Went to the family doctor and he said I have ringworm on my face.

Lotirmin - didn't stop itching or make it go away
Sea Salt and Tea Tree Oil - stopped some of the itching, didn't make it go away
Iodine - helped the itching, started going away a little bit
Lamisil - helped a lot of it clear up, but didn't make the itching go away.

I can still see the pink/red ring on my face, but no one else can see it. Maybe I'm the only one that can see it because I knew it was there.

Went to see a dermatologist just yesterday, and she said she sees no signs of ringworm, but that she thinks I have ezcema (due to various other things going on in my body). And I DO have itching on other parts of my body.

I guess there's no way for her to really know if I had ringworm.

I'm afraid to use the steroids on my face - don't want to risk it getting worse.

If it wasn't RW, then why did the Lamisil help?

Is it possible I had both?

How long is RW contagious? If she didn't see any, does that mean it's gone (if it was there)?

Was it really RW or just nummular eczema?

I'm very confused about how to go about this!!!

[Dr Santos]

Hi.
How are you? What other symptoms are present?  Ringworm usually presents with itchy, red, raised, scaly patches that may blister and ooze; or  patches that tend to have sharply-defined edges- red patches are often redder around the outside with normal skin tone in the center. To confirm the diagnosis, KOH exam, skin biopsy and culture may be done. Treatment with antifungal medications may take up to 4 weeks. For proper diagnosis, direct clinical evaluation is important. You can also seek another dermatologist's opinion to ease any anxiety. Take care and do keep us posted.

[Dr Santos]

Hi.
How are you? What other symptoms are present?  Ringworm usually presents with itchy, red, raised, scaly patches that may blister and ooze; or  patches that tend to have sharply-defined edges- red patches are often redder around the outside with normal skin tone in the center. To confirm the diagnosis, KOH exam, skin biopsy and culture may be done. Treatment with antifungal medications may take up to 4 weeks. For proper diagnosis, direct clinical evaluation is important. You can also seek another dermatologist's opinion to ease any anxiety. Take care and do keep us posted.