Diagnosis
You don't need tests to diagnose heat rash. Your health care provider is usually able to diagnose it by examining the skin. A condition that looks like heat rash is transient neonatal pustular melanosis (TNPM). transient neonatal pustular melanosis (TNPM) mainly affects newborns with brown or Black skin. It's harmless and clears up in a couple days without treatment.
Treatment
Treatment for mild heat rash is cooling the skin and avoiding exposure to the heat that caused the condition. Once the skin is cool, mild heat rash tends to clear quickly.
Self care
Tips to help your heat rash heal and to be more comfortable include the following:
- Press a cool cloth on your skin or take a cool shower or bath. It may help to let your skin air-dry.
- Avoid using oily or greasy moisturizers, cosmetics, sunscreens and other products that can block pores further. Instead use a moisturizer with wool fat (anhydrous lanolin), which helps prevent sweat ducts from getting clogged.
Preparing for your appointment
A visit with a health care provider usually isn't necessary for heat rash. If your rash is more severe, you may want to see your primary care provider or a doctor who specializes in skin disorders (dermatologist) to be sure it's heat rash and not another skin disorder.
Before you go, it's a good idea to list questions you have about your condition. For heat rash, questions to ask your health care provider include:
- What could have caused this rash?
- How can I treat it?
- Do I need to limit physical activity until the rash clears?
- How can I prevent it in the future?