Herpes zoster lives in nerve tissue. In rare cases, herpes can infect the facial or eye nerves. This can cause outbreaks around the mouth, on the face, neck, and scalp, in and around the ear, or at the tip of the nose. Shingles outbreaks are almost always on just one side of the body. Within a few days, a rash appears on the skin area related to the inflamed nerve.
Small blisters form and fill with fluid.
Later they break open and develop crusty scabs. If the blisters are scratched, someone with shingles might develop a skin infection. This could require treatment with antibiotics and might cause scars. In most cases, the rash goes away within a few weeks, but in some cases, severe pain can last for months or even years. Shingles can only occur after someone has had chickenpox.