No, pityriasis rosea is not contagious. You cannot get it from another person.
The cause of pityriasis rosea is not fully known, but experts believe a viral infection that triggers a skin reaction later on causes it.
Doctors are unsure how people get pityriasis rosea.
However, features like seasonal variation and clusters of diagnosed cases have led researchers to believe it
Pityriasis rosea seems to closely follow respiratory infections, so some researchers suggest it may be related to streptococcus or dormant herpes virus within an individual.
It’s still unclear why some people get a pityriasis rosea rash. A virus may cause it. Most people only get pityriasis rosea once, so you may not have a trigger for the rash and may never have another episode of this rash.
Some people may also develop a rash that resembles pityriasis rosea after taking certain medications, including:
- captopril, a drug for high blood pressure and heart disease
- naproxen, an over-the-counter pain reliever
- terbinafine, an antifungal medication
If you get a rash after taking any of these medications, it’s not pityriasis rosea. Instead, it’s an allergic reaction to the medication, and you need to contact a doctor or healthcare professional.
Since doctors are unsure what causes pityriasis rosea, there is currently no known way to prevent it.
There are generally no longer-term effects from pityriasis rosea, but people with dark skin tones may see dark or light spots develop after their rash clears. These spots are not permanent and should fade over time.
While pityriasis rosea rash is not contagious, it may be a result or reaction to infections you have contracted from others.
Since not everyone with these infections will go on to develop pityriasis rosea, researchers are not sure of the cause of pityriasis rosea. The rash usually resolves over a few days, but it can last for a few weeks. Pityriasis rosea does not typically return.
If you have a rash that resembles pityriasis rosea after taking medication, talk with a healthcare professional. You may have an allergic reaction to the medication rather than pityriasis rosea.