They may look like melanoma and therefore may require evaluation. They are not cancerous and are very common in older people. If annoying, they can be easily removed by a dermatologist. They occur in more than 85 percent of middle-aged and elderly people, usually on the trunk. Electrocautery, laser surgery, or other surgical therapies remove these spots.
Early symptoms are localized pain, headache, or fatigue.
The virus attacks a nerve root and follows the course of that nerve, causing a line of painful blisters on the scalp, face, trunk, or extremities. The disease almost always affects one side of the body only ands lasts for several weeks. Anti-viral medication can reduce the severity of the attack and reduce the chance of lingering pain afterwards. Shingles can become serious and cause complications. A dermatologist should be contacted immediately if shingles is suspected, especially if the condition appears near the eyes, as treatments are most effective if started within 3 days of onset.