Pityriasis Alba

Pityriasis alba (pit-y-RI-a-sis ahl-buh) is a disorder that causes small areas of skin to lose their normal color (pigmentation). Many believe that it is a type of dry skin. People often have eczema (an itchy dry skin condition) and pityriasis alba.

The affected areas look whiter than the surrounding skin, and sometimes have an associated pink discoloration or a small amount of dry skin (scaling). The most frequently affected area is the face. Other areas that can be affected include the neck, back, chest, belly, arms and legs.

Although pityriasis alba can happen to people of all races, it is more common in people with Hispanic, African-American or Asian heritage.

There is no cure for pityriasis alba. However, there are ways to treat and prevent it, and most people outgrow the condition over time. Regular use of fragrance-free moisturizers is the best way to prevent pityriasis alba. Sometimes steroid creams for the skin are used to treat more severe forms of the condition. The affected areas develop more normal pigmentation on their own with time, but new areas may develop.

A very important part of treatment is to protect the skin from sun exposure by using sunscreens and protective clothing. Light areas of skin can sunburn more easily than unaffected areas of the skin. When the unaffected areas of skin darken due to sun exposure, the light areas also become more noticeable.