Pityriasis Alba:
A parent's guide for infants and babies

Pityriasis alba is a common skin rash that occurs mainly in school-aged children and less commonly in infants. The rash of pityriasis alba appears as round, light-colored, slightly raised patches that have a thin scale and may be itchy. The lesions are common on the face (cheeks), neck, and upper arms and legs, and may be one half inch to several inches in diameter. The cause of pityriasis alba is not clear, but it appears to be worse with dryness, heat, and other stress to the skin. It does not appear to be contagious. The lesions of pityriasis alba may disappear only to reappear until approximately 1 or more years after the rash began (if left untreated). Once the rash is entirely resolved, normal pigmentation will reappear several months later.