how do I know when pityriasis rosea is healing?

Cleared my pityriasis up in 2 weeks! 25 yr old female. Used clinical strength head and shoulders in place of shampoo and bodywork. Gently cleansed with hands, no loofah. Applied Aveeno daily moisturizer 3 times a day and went to the tanning bed every 3 days.

I have PR right now on the back of my shoulders and down my side. The strange thing is my rashes don't stay on my trunk they are on my sides (armpit to feet). I have had this for three weeks and found that epsom salt, aloe vera and calamine lotion are the best methods for treatment. If your skin starts to itch then do hydrocortisone cream. Don't use hot water or harsh soaps around or near the rash. Take lots of B & C vitamins.

Goodness, I have a ton to say about PR. I'll try to briefly go over my case and the healing process.

I had an active PR rash for two weeks (by "active" I mean that it was spreading and developing. It wasn't "maturing" - I'll explain this below). After that, it was about two weeks of healing. My rash was very severe - my entire torso, neck, legs, and arms were covered. I even got a couple on my feet. My mother patch was on the back of my neck.

THE HEALING PROCESS: The PR mother patch formed first. The skin felt a little itchy, and then three days later, I had the full-blown, bright red patch. The other spots first appeared almost like little pimples. They spread like crazy. First a couple, then ten, then a hundred. As the spots "mature" (which is a good thing!), they will be less red, flatten, and expand. Basically, the spots get flat and appear to grow larger in size. When the spots do this, they are drying out. They will also slow down or stop spreading. The next step is the peeling. When your spots start peeling, you're almost there! It can be HORRIBLE. I itched so badly I could hardly sleep during this time. My case was quite severe, so the peeling was pretty bad. It was basically like being covered in hundreds of miniature, severe sunburns. Some spots peeled off maybe one or two layers of skin. The more severe spots (like the mother patch) peeled over and over again. Strangely enough, the spots peeled off in the order they came, so for me, the mother/herald patch went first, then the spots on my chest and back, then my stomach, etc. Once the peeling is done, the skin will fade back to normal (you might not experience this stage, but I certainly did). There was NO scarring.

DETAILS ABOUT MY CASE AND WHAT I DID: For your info, I have extremely fair skin that can scar easily. I was terrified I would be completely scarred from this. I read that tanning and extensive sunbathing were good for PR, but I knew this wasn't a healthy option for my skin. I implemented a little sun-time (about ten minutes a day) for about a week. I just exposed some of the affected areas to the sun. The sun where I live is very intense, so ten minutes was all I could do. Finally, I think my case got so bad so quickly (covered in spots within a week of the formation of the mother patch) because I, unknowingly, was doing everything wrong - like enjoying nice, hot showers (I'll explain this below).

MY TOP TIPS (what ended up working for me): have a little time in the sun but do not overdo it. Wear loose-fitting clothing. Try not to scratch (this was quite difficult for me). For ladies, go without a bra as much as possible. My chest was covered in PR spots, and this was a huge source of relief and also cuts down on sweat. Invest in a cotton bra if you don't already have one and wear this when you want to wear a bra. Take cold/cooler showers. I know that these are horrible, but the heat only makes PR worse. Speaking of heat - do NOT let yourself get hot. If you feel yourself getting even a little hot or sweaty, try to cool down immediately, if possible. Your skin might even start to feel like it's "prickling" if it gets hot. I used dandruff shampoo on my skin once daily and, later, every other day. This stuff might sting, so be aware of that. I took two quick showers - one in the morning, one in the evening (or after my time in the sun if I thought I might have gotten sweaty). I allowed my skin to air-dry afterward. One shower with the shampoo, the other with a Dead Sea Mud soap from One with Nature. I love this stuff and have continued to use it. It's mildly exfoliating (when you rub the bar against your skin), and that helped with the itch. After each shower, I covered myself in the Raw Shea Butter lotion with soy milk, frankincense, and myrrh from Nubian Heritage. This felt absolutely wonderful on my skin and stopped the itch (until my skin dried out again and needed more lotion). Before bed, I slathered myself with coconut oil. Overall, it's just important to keep your skin as moisturized and healthy as possible. I would recommend not shaving your legs or whatever else if the skin there is affected, or if you do, just try to be extra careful. Calamine lotion was somewhat helpful with the initial, mild itching, I didn't use it beyond the first week at most, I believe. Daily, I took a multi-vitamin as well as biotin. I drank at least two cups of dandelion tea daily - a liver cleanser. I took elderberry extract - an immune system builder. I also drank things like chia kombucha tea and other things that might help to cleanse your body. Remember, you need to treat your inside as well as your outside.

PR was horrible and pretty depressing. I ended up having it on my birthday - what luck! Just figuring out what to wear every day was quite a task because I felt so self-conscious. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but I hope my tips will help anybody who has it. Just remember that it WILL go away, even if it does feel like it's going on forever. Reply to me here if you have any questions. :)