4 Things You Didn't Realize You're Doing to Give Yourself Skin Fungus

We've all heard some kind of horror story about skin fungus. If not, you've definitely seen a picture you could have gone your whole life having never seen. Just the word "fungus" alone is enough to make you cringe. You hear the stories but never believe something like getting skin fungus could actually happen to you. You're much too careful and clean to ever get a fungal infection, you say. Skin fungus, unfortunately, is more likely to happen to you than you think. Simple tasks you do every day are exposing you to skin fungus and increasing your chances of contracting those very infections you never thought you'd get. Your daily routine, a thing you wouldn't normally think twice about, may start needing your full attention. We're here to pull you out of the dark and keep you in the know. Here are four surprising ways you might be exposing yourself to skin fungus.

1 - Using Unhygienic Gym Equipment & Locker Rooms

From sweat to wet floors, gyms and locker rooms are a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus. It's no surprise that sharing gym equipment, lockers, and gym showers can expose you to some unwanted infections. Dermatophytosis, commonly referred to as ringworm, is not actually a worm at all. It is a skin fungus that thrives in wet conditions much like the moist surfaces of gym equipment and locker rooms. Athlete's foot is another fungus that occurs commonly at the gym. This fungus usually attacks the area between the toes and hangs around locker room floors and pools.

2 - Not Cleaning Makeup & Makeup Applicators

Cleaning your makeup applicators and disposing of expired makeup is more important than you think. Washing your makeup brushes at least once a month is vital to not only the longevity of your makeup tools but to the health of your skin. Oil and bacteria get trapped in the bristles and then reapplied back onto your skin with a fresh coat of makeup. Over time this build-up can have undesired consequences. Aside from clogged pores and mild skin irritation, dirty makeup brushes also have the potential to give you pink eye, herpes, and you guessed it, fungal infections.

3 - Using Sketchy Tanning Beds

After tanning, many people start to notice white spots on their skin. While these white spots aren't always a concern, it's good to know where they're coming from.The white spots are called Tinea Versicolor. It is a common fungal infection that occurs when there is an overproduction of yeast on the skin. It's not news that you sweat in a tanning bed. It doesn't become a problem until those tanning beds aren't cleaned properly. Because fungus thrives in moist and dark areas, when the tanning lights shut off and nobody is there to give it a much-needed wipe down, fungus grows and it grows quickly.

4 - Hitting up the Nail Salon

If you're a die-hard pedicure fan, you won't be happy about this next part. Hands down, one of the best parts of a pedicure is the foot bath. Those water jets and bubbles are good enough to pay for on their own. And while many nail salons practice safe and responsible sanitation procedures, some do not. The very foot baths that you know and love could be exposing you to fungus. Emery boards, nail clippers, and other tools used in the nail salon could also be spreading fungal infections if not properly sanitized. It's never a bad idea to ask a salon about their disinfecting procedures.