Hello!
I have had a rash with a rather strange progression. It began as a painful erythematous plaque with surrounding redness that developed over the course of a few hours, and which after a week developed some slight central atrophy and hypopigmentation. A few small fluid-filled vesicles showed up around the border, but rapidly subsided, leaving no scabs. The skin of the plaque, now very weakened and presumably necrotized, then began to separate as though blistering, but this was only noticeable after exercise (I presume sweat was pooling underneath the dead skin layer). By the third week this skin then peeled off, leaving a pink patch with occasional fine scaling that blanches when touched, and surrounded by a brown border with light streaking that appears to be spreading very slowly. Small fluid filled vesicles occasionally appear in the border, and as before subside without scabbing. The rash is discoid, and approximately three centimetres by five centimetres on the back of the hand.
Some possibly irrelevant information about my activities during the day in question: I had been riding my bike and wearing bicycle gloves, so there was minimal sun exposure on the hand. Shortly before the rash appeared, I had been eating some very (very) spicy food and wiped my mouth with the same spot on back of the hand. I had initially thought it might be a reaction to the capsicum oil or some other irritant, but my understanding is that most forms of contact dermatitis or urticaria do not generally persist for several weeks, nor cause the uppermost skin layer to die and peel off.
The walk-in clinic doctor saw the rash during its atrophy and hypopigmentation stage and identified it as a fungal infection, prescribing me Turbinafine tablets for fifteen days. I am continuing to take the medication as instructed, but doubt the diagnosis. It certainly doesn't look like tinea to me! My plan is to return to a clinic if the rash is not gone by the end of my course of medication, but would appreciate some insight into what might be going on!