What Do Shingles Scars Look Like

How Do Dermatologists Treat Shingles

An antiviral medication can:

• Reduce the amount of time that you have a shingles rash

• Lower your risk of developing long-lasting nerve pain and other health problems

One of three antiviral medications is usually prescribedacyclovir, famciclovir, or valacyclovir.

To treat your symptoms, dermatologists typically recommend the following:

Pain: Medication that you can buy without a prescription can help, such as:

If you have severe pain, your dermatologist may prescribe a medication that reduces inflammation, such as a corticosteroid.

Can Shingles Be Prevented

There are 2 vaccines available to reduce the likelihood of developing shingles, Zostavax and Shingrix. If you are over 50, you can talk to your doctor about whether you need it. It is recommended for everyone over 60 and is given free of charge in Australia to people aged 70 to 79.

Vaccination will not guarantee that you will not get shingles, but it will reduce your chance of developing the condition. The vaccine used to protect against shingles is not the same as the vaccine used to protect against chickenpox. Read more about the chickenpox vaccine here.

Shingles Rash On Neck: Pain Causes Diagnosis Symptoms And Pictures

Noticing a new reddish mark on your neck? Theres countless reasons one would develop . The nature of its visit may be difficult to detect with the naked eye. You need to remain aware of your surroundings for you to understand your triggers. There are some things that you can look out for so you can have a grasp of what could have caused your outbreak.

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First Signs Of Shingles

The very first indication of shingles is lingering, tingling, or burning tingling pain on just one side of the body. This may be followed by a rash that starts as small red bumps and then blisters. The blisters can grow and merge together to form large areas of raw skin. The rash usually lasts between two and four weeks may last longer in some cases.

These early warning signs are usually felt in the location where the rash will develop:

How Is Shingles Treated

Shingles is treated with medicines. These medicines include antiviral medicines and medicines for pain.

See your doctor right away if you think you may have shingles. Starting antiviral medicine right away can help your rash heal faster and be less painful. And you may need prescription pain medicine if your case of shingles is very painful.

Good home care also can help you feel better faster. Take care of any skin sores, and keep them clean. Take your medicines as directed. If you are bothered by pain, tell your doctor. Other treatments may help with intense pain.

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What Are The Risks Associated With Shingles

Some people experience pain around the rash site for a month or morepain that is severe enough to interfere with daily activities.

Scratching the rash can also cause a secondary infection if harmful bacteria get into the sores.

Shingles on the face can involve the eyes, which is serious because it can cause scarring and blindness.

The occurrence and severity of shingles and its complications increase with age.

Appearance On Black And Brown Skin

Many images of the shingles rash show how it appears on white skin. These images typically display a patch of skin thats very red and inflamed. This is called erythema and is due to the dilation of blood vessels in the skin.

While erythema can happen in all people, its effects can be harder to see on black and brown skin. Because of this, it can be hard to identify some types of skin conditions.

For example, a 2020 study found that medical students only correctly identified hives on skin of color 57.5 percent of the time, compared to 82.2 percent of the time for white skin.

The shingles rash generally has a very distinct appearance and co-occurring symptoms. In fact, medical students in the study above identified shingles correctly at a similar rate for skin or color and for white skin.

Nevertheless, its important to be able to recognize the signs of shingles on black and brown skin. This is because when identified and treated early, the duration and severity of shingles can be reduced. Well describe what to look out for below.

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Stay Away From Certain Groups Of People If You Have Shingles

You cannot spread shingles to others. But people who have not had chickenpox before could catch chickenpox from you.

This is because shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus.

Try to avoid:

• pregnant people who have not had chickenpox before
• people with a weakened immune system like someone having chemotherapy
• babies less than 1 month old unless you gave birth to them, as your baby should be protected from the virus by your immune system

When Should I Seek Emergency Care For A Shingles Rash

While most cases of shingles are mild, several potential complications may require emergent care:

• Facial rash. A shingles rash on the face is concerning because eye involvement can lead to blindness. This requires an urgent assessment from an ophthalmologist.
• Loss of hearing or facial movement. Rarely, shingles can lead to hearing loss or facial nerve paralysis.
• Disseminated herpes zoster. This widespread shingles rash can also affect your organs. It requires hospitalization with intravenous antiviral treatment.
• Fever. Shingles in addition to fever can be concerning. It may mean you have a superimposed bacterial infection, which could require antibiotics and close observation.
• Confusion or seizures. Shingles in addition to confusion or seizures could indicate brain inflammation, which requires hospitalization for IV antiviral treatment and close monitoring.

Dr. Megan Soliman is an ABMS board certified internal medicine physician whose main focus in her clinical practice is patient advocacy. Her research interests include adverse effects of medications and herbal supplements. Soliman is enthusiastic about bread and butter medicine, which includes treating patients with the most common diseases. She also has a passion for reaching underserved communities, including both U.S. and international rural communities.

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What Shingles Symptoms Come Next

After about 1 to 5 days, a shingles rash will appear on one side of the body, often in a single characteristic band around one side of the torso or face.

The painful rash will then form itchy or burning blister-like sores filled with a clear fluid. The blisters will scab over in 7 to 10 days. Theyll gradually grow smaller before disappearing.

Shingles rash symptoms commonly last between 2 to 4 weeks.

The typical shingles red rash or blisters occur after pain, itching, and tingling. They are usually limited to one side of the face and body.

• Shingles on the face, scalp, mouth, and ear

Shinglesrash and blisters appear on one side of the face extending to the scalp and ear.

If the rash involves the ear, it can lead to hearing loss, imbalance, and weakness of the facial muscles. Shingles rash on the scalp causes pain while combing or brushing and bald patches. Shingles can occur in the mouth and are usually very painful, causing pain while eating and change in taste.

• Shingles of the eye and forehead

Rash and blisters appear around the eye, over the eyelids and one side of the forehead, extending to the tip of the nose. Patients present with burning or throbbing in the eye, with watering of the eyes, swelling, and blurred vision.

Pain may be present after the rash disappears due to nerve damage but eventually improves. Without treatment, it can lead to corneal damage and vision loss.

• Shingles on the waist and back

• Shingles on the buttocks

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What Is The Outlook

If you have a particularly severe case of shingles, it could take months to go away. It can also become a long-term problem for some people. If you have postherpetic neuralgia, you may need to see your doctor more often.

Complications that involve the eye or ear may require ongoing care, especially if you have lingering vision or hearing problems.

Most people have shingles only once, but it can recur. This is more likely to happen if you have a weakened immune system.

If you havent had any major complications, your symptoms should clear up within a matter of weeks with few, if any, lasting effects.

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What Are The Complications Of Shingles

Symptoms of shingles usually dont last longer than 3 to 5 weeks. However, complications can happen. The main complications that can result from shingles include:

• Postherpetic neuralgia . The most common complication of shingles is called postherpetic neuralgia . This continuous, chronic pain lasts even after the skin lesions have healed. The pain may be severe in the area where the blisters were present. The affected skin may be very sensitive to heat and cold. If you had severe pain during the active rash or have impaired senses, you are at increased risk for PHN. The elderly are also at greater risk. Early treatment of shingles may prevent PHN. Pain relievers and steroid treatment may be used to treat the pain and inflammation. Other treatments include antiviral drugs, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and topical agents.
• Bacterial infection. A bacterial infection of the skin where the rash happens is another complication. Rarely, infections can lead to more problems, such as tissue death and scarring. When an infection happens near or on the eyes, a corneal infection can happen. This can lead to temporary or permanent blindness.

How Long Does Shingles Last

Shingles blisters usually scab over in 7-10 days and disappear completely in two to four weeks. In most healthy people, the blisters leave no scars, and the pain and itching go away after a few weeks or months. But people with weakened immune systems may develop shingles blisters that do not heal in a timely manner.

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Can Shingles Be Mild

Shingles usually causes severe symptoms, but it occasionally presents with only mild pain and rash, rash without pain, or pain without rash.

Shingles will be more likely mild :

• In children and young adults
• When developing within 5 years after herpes zoster vaccination
• When treated with antivirals within 72 hours of symptoms onset

Picture 1. Mild shingles on the face

Picture 2. Mild shingles on the chest

Picture 3. Mild shingles in the upper back

Picture 4. Mild shingles in the lower back

Shingles34

SO happy I found this community! Ive been treated like a leper by 2 doctors when I was diagnosed with Shingles. Apparently its unheard of in young people unless were immune compromised, but reading other young, healthy people on here who have had Shingles is a big relief!

My outbreak was kind of strange.. on my upper butocks, a small, isolated area with maybe a dozen blisters. Mild itching, almost zero pain, scabbed over and healed in less than two weeks. If I didnt get it checked out I would have assumed it was just an allergic reaction or bug bites. I had a lesion swab that came out positive for herpes zoster and was put on the valacyclovir beforehand, about 5 days after the rash showed up. Either the meds did the trick or I just healed naturally. So I guess my questions are:

1. Why did I get it at my young age?

2. Why was it such a mild case? The pain-free seems to be unheard of.

Thanks!

Are There Any Side Effects To Regular Kenalog Shots For Acne

I agree with the answers by Dr Winston and Dr Israr. Intralesional injections are mainly recommended for acne cyst. As previously mentioned, frequent steroid injections can caused skin thinning and atrophy and if this happens it may be irreversible! There are many other effective treatments to get the acne under control like oral antibiotics and isotretinoin. So speak to your dermatologist and tell her your concerns and discuss if these other options are suitable for you.

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Herpes Zoster In People Who Received Varicella Vaccine

Although herpes zoster has always been uncommon among children, the rate of herpes zoster in U.S. children has been declining since the routine varicella vaccination program started. Varicella vaccine contains live attenuated VZV, which causes latent infection.

• Children who have been vaccinated against varicella have lower rates of herpes zoster compared to children who had natural infection with varicella. The reason for this is that vaccinated children are less likely to become infected with wild-type VZV, and the risk of reactivation of vaccine-strain VZV appears lower compared with reactivation of wild-type VZV.
• The number of older adults who have received varicella vaccine since it was licensed in 1995 is quite small. There is very little information on the risk of herpes zoster in people who got varicella vaccine as adults.

CDC continues to study the epidemiology of herpes zoster among adults and children and to monitor the effects of the U.S. varicella and herpes zoster vaccination programs.

Who Should Not Be Vaccinated With Shingrix

You should not receive the Shingrix vaccine if you:

• Have ever had a severe allergy to this vaccine or any ingredient in this vaccine.
• Are breastfeeding or pregnant.
• Are somewhat ill or very ill and have a high fever.
• Have tested negative for immunity to varicella zoster virus .

Ask your healthcare provider if the benefits of getting the vaccine outweigh any potential risks.

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Shingles All Over The Body

Around 20% of persons who develop shingles have a rash that spreads across more than one dermatome, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . The dermatomes are separate skin regions supplied by distinct spinal nerves.

Shingles is most often induced by varicella zoster virus . The rashes caused by shingles appear on the dermatomes, or nerve roots that control different areas of the body. When zoster affects three or more dermatomes, it is known as disseminated, or widespread zoster. In these situations, the rash might resemble chickenpox rather than shingles. This is more probable if your immune system is weak.

Scars And Skin Problems After Shingles

tiffany60896

Because I have scars from shingles and some worrisome red blotchy areas, where the shingles were, I did some research today. According to my research, shingles scars tend to be deep red or even purple. The scars can lay flat against the skin though some, like mine, can be raised or even pitted. I read that cooked oatmeal cooled to a soft stage, can be applied directly to the skin and rubbed into it. Rub in the oatmeal for 15-20 minutes per day. It is said by many that this process will fade or eliminate shingles scars. Rubbing the oatmeal into the skin everyday, some claim, will not only help scarring but also it will ease neuralgia pain and itching. I’m going to try this oatmeal treatment. Hopefully, it will help.

0 likes, 28 replies

• 5 years ago

  Yes. You just cook the oatmeal as you normally would to eat it.

  Then, let it cool and rub it into your shingles scars or in the area where you have nerve pain for 15 or 20 minutes every day. I don’t know if it will work but according to a lot of people it does help to reduce the scars and pain.

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