What I'm seeing

• Is it scaly and itchy? Tinea corporis is almost always scaly at the advancing edge and itchy.
• Is it smooth and non-scaly, with little/no itch? That would point more toward granuloma annulare, which mimics ringworm closely but is not an infection — Fitzpatrick's Dermatology notes GA is "often misdiagnosed as tinea corporis" for this exact reason.
• Other look-alikes include nummular eczema, erythema annulare centrifugum, and (less likely given the pattern) erythema migrans from a tick bite.

What to do

1. Don't apply a steroid cream on your own if you suspect fungus — steroids can suppress the inflammation while letting the fungus spread further, producing a confusing "tinea incognito" picture that's harder to treat later.
2. If it's itchy and scaly, an OTC topical antifungal (terbinafine 1% or clotrimazole cream, applied to the area plus a margin around it, twice daily for 2-4 weeks, continuing at least a week after it clears) is a reasonable first step for classic ringworm - Katzung's Pharmacology and Lippincott's Pharmacology both list terbinafine as first-line for tinea corporis.
3. See a doctor/dermatologist if:
   • It doesn't improve after 1-2 weeks of antifungal cream
   • It's spreading, very itchy, painful, oozing, or you develop fever
   • You're diabetic or immunosuppressed
   • You're unsure whether it's fungal at all (a quick in-office KOH scrape settles this in minutes)
4. General care: keep the area clean and dry, avoid tight/occlusive clothing over it, don't share towels or clothing, and avoid scratching to reduce spread to other body areas or other people (tinea is contagious via skin contact).

Recommended cream

• It's fungicidal (kills the fungus directly) rather than just fungistatic, so it tends to clear ringworm faster
• Textbook data (Fitzpatrick's Dermatology, Katzung's Pharmacology) shows terbinafine and related allylamines outperform azoles like clotrimazole for dermatophyte infections, with higher cure rates and lower relapse
• Shorter course needed - often 1-2 weeks vs 2-4 weeks for clotrimazole

• Wash and dry the area first
• Apply a thin layer covering the rash plus about 2 cm of normal skin around the border
• Once or twice daily (check your product label) for 1-2 weeks, continuing a few days after the rash visibly clears
• Don't cover with an occlusive bandage; let it air

Important cautions

• Do not use a combination steroid+antifungal cream or any steroid cream alone on this - it can mask symptoms while the fungus spreads (tinea incognito), making it worse and harder to treat.
• Given multiple coalescing rings, this looks like a reasonably established infection - if there's no visible improvement in 1-2 weeks, or it keeps spreading, see a doctor for a KOH scrape/culture confirmation and possibly oral antifungal (oral terbinafine or itraconazole), since widespread or resistant tinea often needs systemic treatment rather than cream alone.
• Wash towels/clothing that touched the area in hot water and avoid skin-to-skin contact to prevent spreading it to others.

Recommended cream

• It's fungicidal (kills the fungus directly, not just stops growth), so it clears ringworm faster than azoles
• Typically needs only 1-2 weeks of treatment vs 2-4 weeks for clotrimazole/miconazole
• Higher mycological cure rates for dermatophyte infections like this

• Wash and dry the area first
• Apply a thin layer covering the rash plus ~2 cm of normal skin beyond the visible border
• Once or twice daily (per product label) for 1-2 weeks, continuing a few days after the rash visibly clears
• Leave uncovered, don't use occlusive bandages

Cautions

• Avoid any steroid-containing cream (including combination antifungal+steroid products) - it can suppress the visible inflammation while the fungus keeps spreading underneath, a trap called tinea incognito.
• Given the multiple coalescing rings in your photo, this looks like a moderately established infection. If there's no clear improvement in 1-2 weeks, or it keeps expanding, see a doctor - you may need oral antifungal (terbinafine or itraconazole tablets), since widespread tinea often doesn't respond fully to cream alone.
• Wash towels/clothing/bedding that contacted the area in hot water, and avoid skin-to-skin contact to prevent spreading it to others or to other parts of your own body.

• No visible improvement after 1 week on terbinafine (or 2 weeks on clotrimazole/miconazole) — the border should start flattening, redness fading, and itch reducing by then. If it looks the same or the active border is still clearly red/raised, that's a signal to check in.
• No full clearance by 2 weeks on terbinafine (or 4 weeks on azoles) — this is the outer limit for topical treatment. Beyond this, oral antifungal is usually needed for confirmed tinea.

• The rings are spreading or new ones appearing despite consistent cream use
• It becomes more painful, swollen, warm, or starts oozing/crusting (suggests secondary bacterial infection)
• You develop fever or feel unwell
• The rash is smooth and non-scaly rather than scaly — that points away from fungus entirely (e.g. granuloma annulare) and antifungal cream won't work no matter how long you use it, so continuing it past a week with zero scale/itch is a waste of time
• You have diabetes or a weakened immune system — fungal infections can progress faster and deserve earlier evaluation, don't wait the full 1-2 weeks
• The area is large (covering a big portion of a limb) or involves your face/groin extensively — these often need oral therapy from the start rather than cream alone