Tinea barbæ is a fungal infection of the hair. Tinea barbae is due to a dermatophytic

Dermatophyte

Dermatophytes are a common label for a group of three types of fungus that commonly causes skin disease in animals and humans. These anamorphic genera are: Microsporum, Epidermophyton and Trichophyton. There are about 40 species in these three genera...

 infection around the beard

Beard

A beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, cheeks and neck of human beings. Usually, only pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. However, women with hirsutism may develop a beard...

ed area of men. Generally, the infection occurs as a follicular inflammation

Inflammation

Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...

, or as a cutaneous granuloma

Granuloma

Granuloma is a medical term for a tiny collection of immune cells known as macrophages. Granulomas form when the immune system attempts to wall off substances that it perceives as foreign but is unable to eliminate. Such substances include infectious organisms such as bacteria and fungi as well as...

tous lesion, i.e. a chronic inflammatory reaction. It is one of the causes of Folliculitis

Folliculitis

Folliculitis is the inflammation of one or more hair follicles. The condition may occur anywhere on the skin with the exception of the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.- Causes :...

. It is most common among agricultural workers, as the transmission is more common from animal-to-human than human-to-human. The most common causes are T. mentagrophytes and T. verrucosum.