What do genital herpes and cold sores outbreaks look like?
Herpes in pictures

This area is commonly affected, but it is more common for herpes to affect the transitional skin area; that is, where the skin becomes mucosa.

Prodrome symptoms, such as fever, chills, fatigue, and muscle aches, lymph nodes enlargement might still be present. Prodrome symptoms-fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches-that begin before the appearance of the skin lesion might be still present as well.

The red patch is considered to already be contagious, and direct contact with it should be avoided.

A swab test can be done only if the area is wet. A dry area cannot be swabbed.

This is a classic transitional skin area that is commonly affected.

Prodrome symptoms, such as fever, chills, fatigue,lymph node enlargement and muscle aches, might still be present. The common herpes symptom of intense burning pain (which people typically rate as 7 on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the worst) might start appearing.

Any herpes skin lesion, including the bump in this photo, is considered contagious.

No, a swab test can't be done during the bumps stage.

This is not a common area for herpes, which prefers transitional skin areas-i.e., areas between skin and mucosa.

The common symptom at this stage is significant, persistent pain over the outbreak area.

The herpetic skin is most contagious at this stage, especially if the blister is ruptured.

A swab test can be done if the blister is punctured with a sterile needle.

This is normal skin with a herpes outbreak. Most skin is considered normal; that is, the skin is of normal thickness.

Herpes prefers to affect transitional skin areas (meaning areas where normal skin transitions into mucosa) because the skin is thinner and easier to penetrate there.

The outbreak area is very painful, and the pain is persistent.

These herpes skin areas are contagious regardless, and they are even more contagious if the blister ruptures and the fluid, with a high concentration of the herpes virus in it, comes into contact with normal skin.

The herpes swab test is very accurate at this stage. The fluid from the blister is collected during the swab.

The skin is maximally painful (7/10).

Skin with herpes outbreaks is always contagious, and it is even more contagious if the blister ruptures and the fluid inside it comes into contact with normal skin. This is because the fluid contains a high concentration of the herpes virus.

This is the best time for the herpes swab test to be done. One of the blisters will be pricked with a sterile needle.

Newly formed herpes sores are very symptomatic; they cause persistent, burning pain. The pain is usually at its peak, 7/10.

Newly formed sores are very contagious.

The herpes swab test can still be accurate at this stage, especially if the lesions have only recently burst. A sufficient amount of fluid that has a high concentration of the virus should be collected with the swab so the test will be accurate.

Herpes usually affects one side of the skin, the left or right. Why? When herpes is reactivated, it travels from the spinal root ganglia (where it stays suppressed by immune system) through peripheral nerves to the skin surface, and it usually affects one dermatome (an area of skin supplied by particular nerves) at a time.

Mild localized skin pain. The discomfort diminishes at this stage. It is the longest herpes stage, and it might take a few days to heal.

Herpes sores are contagious even if they are crusted.

No. Crusted sores don't contain a high concentration of the herpes virus.

Most common symptoms experienced at this stage

These herpes sores are still contagious. Crusted sores are less contagious, though, than newly ruptured sores.

No, herpes swab test usually cannot be done at this stage. The area needs to be wet to get a good swab. Most swabs done on scabbed sores, which are not wet, give false negative results.

Most of the symptoms are gone. The recovering skin might be mildly itchy, like any other healing skin lesion.

The chance of passing the infection is still high. A person is considered symptomatic until all skin crusts are gone.

As a reminder, on average, the chance of symptomatic herpes transmission is 20.1%, while the chance of asymptomatic herpes transmission chance is 10.2%.

Herpes swab testing usually cannot be done at this stage. The area isn't wet, so there's no fluid to swab. Most swabs done on scabbed sores give false negative results.

Normal skin very rarely is affected by herpes since the skin is very thick (so it doesn't usually get micro abrasions) and seldom comes into prolonged contact with other person's infected skin. Herpes transmission occurs through direct skin-to-skin contact. Herpes in the elbow area usually happens to wrestlers during training or competition.

Elbow area blisters and sores are usually mildly painful (4/10). The most common symptom is skin burning.

The skin is contagious, especially if fluid with a high concentration of the herpes virus escapes the blister and come into contact with healthy skin.

A herpes swab test can be done if, during the test, one or two blisters are intentionally ruptured (with a sterile needle) so infected fluid can be swabbed.

The buttocks have normal skin thickness and therefore are not commonly infected.

The blister area is painful (5/10); the pain is most commonly described as burning.

The skin area is contagious, especially if the fluid inside a blister, which contains a high concentration of the herpes virus, escapes the blister and comes into contact with healthy skin.

The herpes swab test can be done if one or two blisters are intentionally ruptured with a sterile needle so fluids with high concentration of the herpes can be obtained.

Herpetic infection of finger skin is not common. The skin came into contact with herpes-infected skin during fingering of a partner or the patient's own oral herpes.

The area is very painful; it's commonly described as 8/10.

The skin area is contagious until the skin has completely healed. It is especially contagious when fluid is present (because there's a high concentration of the virus in fluid).

The herpes swab test can be done if the tested blister is intentionally ruptured during the test with a sterile needle and fluid is collected from the sore.

Torso skin rarely is infected with herpes. Since herpes transmission occurs through direct contact with infected skin, torso skin herpes infections tend to happen to wrestlers.

The skin of the area will tingle and burn. It is usually reported as 4/10.

The skin area is contagious until the skin has completely healed. It is especially contagious when fluid, which has a high concentration of herpes virus, is present.

No, a herpes swab is not advised for the lesions on these photos.

In one picture, the sores have already scabbed, and in the other picture the blisters have not yet formed.

A swab test can't be done on dry skin.

Herpes zoster, or shingles, can present with a similar skin appearance. Though it is called "herpes," it is caused by a varicella virus, not the herpes virus. The signs and symptoms are very similar.

This is one of the most common skin areas for herpes infection. The skin here is called transitional, and it is a preferred area for herpes skin entry and flare-up.

Herpes sores at this stage are very symptomatic, causing significant localized discomfort.

The skin area is contagious, and avoidance of healthy skin contact with this area is advised.

A herpes swab test is accurate if enough fluid from sores can still be collected. Blister fluid has the highest concentration of the virus; the more fluid, the less the chance of false negative results.

This is one of the most common areas for herpes infection because the skin here is transitional; it is an area preferred by the herpes virus for entry in the body and flare-ups.

The blisters stage is the most symptomatic stage. Significant persistent, burning pain is common.

The skin area is very contagious, especially if fluid has escaped a blister and come into contact with healthy skin.

The herpes swab test is very accurate at this stage. One or two blisters should be pricked with a sterile needle to obtain fluid that has a high concentration of the virus. A false negative result is not very likely.

It's very common for herpes to infect this mucosal area.

Blisters are the most symptomatic stage. Significant persistent burning pain is common.

The skin area is contagious, and healthy skin should not come in contact with it.

Yes, a herpes swab test is very accurate at this stage. One or two blister should be pricked with a sterile needle to obtain a good specimen. Blister fluid has the highest concentration of the virus and diminishes the chance of a false negative result.