Tinea capitis in Philadelphia

From 1962 to 1979, there was a dramatic change in tinea capitis infections in children in the Philadelphia area. This has been primarily due to the virtual disappearance of tinea capitis due to Microsporum organisms. This dramatic change in a common, highly infectious childhood disease is most likely due to a sudden change in hair styles, particularly in black boys, which prevents infectious spores from reaching the scalp.