Diagnostic Use
Some dermatologists use potassium hydroxide to diagnose fungal infections in skin, hair and nails. For skin infections, laboratory personnel mount a skin scraping and apply potassium hydroxide to dissolve the epidermal cells and expose the fungal structure, explains an article in the "Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology." The authors note that potassium hydroxide is more reliable than lab cultures for identifying the presence of fungi that cause skin disease.