Distribution Shingles affecting the left side of the trunk. Diagram demonstrating location of sensory dermatomes - the distribution of the shingles rash. Click on the image to see it in more detail . The Rash and Acute Pain Zoster may involve any sensory nerve but it is seen most commonly on the trunk.
Pain often precedes the rash, sometimes by a few days.
There are usually no generalised symptoms with the exception of occasional mild malaise. Each erythematous patch of skin tends to have not one, but several vesicles, contrasting sharply with the ' dew drop on a rose petal ' appearance of chickenpox. As the rash appears, the acute pain often lessens in severity. New lesions may continue to appear for up to a week, after which the rash begins to show signs of healing. In severe cases, the lesions coalesce, forming a disfiguring carpet of scabs and sometimes the rash leaves permanent scars.