If it is allowed to go unchecked, secondary infections by bacteria could set in.

Occlusive footwear promotes infection by creating warm, humid, macerating environments where dermatophytes thrive. Therefore, patients should try to minimize foot moisture by limiting the use of occlusive footwear and should discard shoes that may be contributing to recurrence of the infection.

Recurrence of the infection is often due to a patient’s discontinuance of medication after symptoms abate. A simple strategy to increase a patient’s compliance is to prescribe a large quantity of topical medicine, which may motivate a patient to continue use until the entire tube is empty.