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How To Get Rid Of That White Rash On Your Child’s Skin

It could be a common dry skin rash called pityriasis alba.

With pityriasis alba, the white patches of fine dry scale are usually located on the sides of the cheeks and the outer side of the upper arm. They’re more likely to occur when activities or weather conditions dry out the skin such as swimming in chlorinated pools or with the temperature extremes of a cold and dry winter. They also show up more when skin is tanned because the scaly patches stay white and contrast against the tanned skin. That means that towards the end of summer, they may well be in full bloom if you live in a dry climate.

What is pityriasis alba?

It’s a subtle form of eczema (also called dermatitis). It’s an unusual rash though because there really isn’t much, if any, inflammation. This means the involved skin doesn’t itch, it just looks funny. Most people mistake it for a fungus, which it isn’t. It’s just a form of dry skin eczema.

What treatments will help get rid of the white spots from pityriasis alba? Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Bailey's Skin Care Blog*

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