The short explanation
A round, red, itchy patch with a ring-like edge in the thigh or groin area is often a fungal infection, commonly called ringworm or tinea. It is very common in India because of heat, humidity and sweating. What you describe, improving at first and then getting worse, is a typical story when a combination cream containing a steroid is used. The steroid reduces itching and redness for a while, but it weakens the skin's defence, so the fungus spreads further and becomes harder to treat. Please stop using the cream and see a doctor, preferably a dermatologist. Fungal infections that have been treated with steroid creams often need a proper course of antifungal treatment chosen by a doctor, sometimes for longer than you might expect.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- Keeping the area dry, wearing loose cotton clothing, changing out of sweaty clothes quickly and not sharing towels helps prevent spread and recurrence.
- Family members with similar itching should also be checked, as fungal infections spread easily in households.
- Diabetes can make fungal infections more frequent, so mention it if you have it.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This cannot confirm that your rash is fungal. A dermatologist may examine it or take a small scraping to check under a microscope.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Is this a fungal infection?
- Did the cream I used make it worse?
- How long should treatment continue even after the rash fades?
- How can I prevent it coming back?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Book an appointment soon
- See a doctor within a few days, as untreated or steroid-treated fungal infections tend to spread.
Raise it at a routine appointment
- Book a routine follow-up to make sure the infection has fully cleared before stopping treatment.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Fungal infections MedlinePlus (NIH)
- Ringworm NHS
- Steroids NHS
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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