Pityriasis rosea

Pityriasis rosea is a mild skin rash with a pink, scaly appearance. The condition is quite common, and it’s not serious.

Pityriasis rosea can occur at any age, but it’s most common in people 10 to 35 years of age.

The rash usually lasts for 1 to 3 months and leaves no permanent marks. People with darker skin tones may notice lasting brown spots after the rash has healed.
Once it’s gone, pityriasis rosea usually does not come back.

The first sign of pityriasis rosea is usually a round or oval patch on your:

• chest
• thighs
• abdomen (tummy) 
• back

The patch is usually pink or tan and is called a “herald patch”. This is because it appears first, before the other skin lesions.

Over the next couple of weeks, smaller pink or tan patches appear on areas such as your back and chest. They may also appear on your:

• thighs
• upper arms
• neck
• face or scalp, in children

The pattern of these patches can look like drooping pine tree branches and is sometimes called a “Christmas tree pattern”. 

Before pityriasis rosea develops, you may also notice that you:

• feel tired
• have aches and pains
• are itchy
• have a sore throat 
• have a fever (a temperature of 38℃ or higher)

After the rash has gone, you can be left with some darker or lighter patches of skin. These may be more obvious if you have darker skin. In most people, these patches will go back to normal after a few months and will not leave permanent scarring.

The cause of pityriasis rosea is not known. Doctors think it may be caused by:

• bacterial or viral infection
• some vaccines
• some medicines

Pityriasis rosea is not known to be contagious.

See your doctor if you have pityriasis rosea and your rash becomes:

• painful
• swollen or infected
• very itchy

There are other conditions that can cause symptoms like pityriasis rosea. See your doctor if you have a rash and you:

• aren’t sure what is causing it
• are worried about it 

If you develop pityriasis rosea when you are pregnant, see your doctor. In rare cases, developing pityriasis during the first trimester can lead to complications for your baby.

Doctors can usually diagnose pityriasis rosea by looking at your rash and asking about your symptoms. Your doctor may also:

• take a skin scraping to test for a fungal infection 
• do a blood test to rule out other conditions
• do a skin biopsy (a small sample of skin is removed and tested) to confirm the diagnosis

Pityriasis rosea will usually go away on its own — most treatments for pityriasis rosea aim to soothe your skin and relieve itching. 

Self-care at home

Some self-care measures may help relieve your symptoms, including:

• using a gentle, soap-free bodywash
• using moisturiser
• avoiding scratching or rubbing the rash
• wearing loose cotton clothing

If you have pityriasis rosea, avoid having a hot bath or sauna — heat can make the itching worse.

Medicines for pityriasis rosea

If your symptoms are severe or do not improve with other treatments, your doctor may recommend medicines for pityriasis rosea. This may include:

• corticosteroid tablets, such as prednisolone
• corticosteroid cream or ointment
• antihistamines 

These medicines can help with your symptoms but will not make the rash go away faster.

Other treatment options

Severe cases of pityriasis rosea can be treated by phototherapy. This uses ultraviolet (UV) light to help reduce itching and improve the rash. 

Ask your doctor if this treatment is right for you. 

Pityriasis rosea usually causes no complications.

In rare cases, pityriasis rosea can cause pregnancy complications, including miscarriage (Opens in new tab) and premature birth (Opens in new tab). If you are pregnant and develop pityriasis rosea, see your doctor to help reduce the risk of complications.

In rare cases, pityriasis rosea can cause long lasting skin discolouration. Talk to your doctor about treatment options for this. 

Because the cause of pityriasis rosea is not known, it can’t be prevented.

Getting an early diagnosis of pityriasis rosea means you can receive advice and treatment to help reduce your symptoms and lower your chance of complications.  

For more information about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of pityriasis rosea, visit the The Australasian College of Dermatologists (Opens in new tab).

Read more on serious (Opens in new tab) and common childhood rashes (Opens in new tab).

Languages other than English

The Health Translations (Opens in new tab) page has information about common rashes in children (Opens in new tab), in multiple languages.  

Visit The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (Opens in new tab) page for a fact sheet on childhood rashes (Opens in new tab) in languages other than English.