Rash on back

[rash100]

A couple of days ago I got a massage. Yesterday I noticed a red rash all over my back and the top of my butt. I've also noticed some red spots on the top and inside of my thigh. The rash is slighty raised and itches a little. I'm wondering if this is an allergic reaction to the lotion the masseuse used or if it's possible that I caught something from her hands or the sheet that was placed over me during most of the massage. Nothing sexual took place. Do you have any idea what this rash might be? I recently got over a case of tinea blanca on my back and I'm wondering if this rash is connected in any way. Any help with this matter would be appreciated.

[BackRash]

ok, when i was 16 i broke my collar bone. i had a sling that i had to wear around the top of my body holding my shoulders back so that my bone would heal correctly. well the doctor told me that i couldn't shower, so i had to take sponge baths. well while i was wearing this i started developing pimples on my back beneath my neck and across my shoulders, i guess probably cause i wasn't cleaning well enough. well as soon as i got to take off the sling i thought the pimples would go away cause i could shower again.  but they never did, and now i have blackheads that come up on my back too. i've tried blackhead remover creams but they dpn't seem to work except that they make my face clearer. and its been 4 years....now within the last 2 months since i moved into a new apartment i've notice that i've developed little bumps on my back around behind my rib cage on the left side. do you know what that could be also and how i could get rid of it?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

You can get folliculitis ("clogged pores") from the oils they use in a massage.  If that's it, the condition should go away by itself, with no specific treatment needed.  I've seen situations where the same oil used again didn't cause problems, so there may be other factors.  Then again, you may have a virus of some kind.  My advice is not to do anything special at this point, but to show the rash to a doctor if it persists another 10 days.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff