How a shingles rash becomes a hypertrophic scar

Content warning: The following images depict rashes, blisters, scabs, scarring and open wounds.

I will be describing my experience with shingles, complete with photos.

Day 1 - April 22: I noticed a rash on my right bicep. The rash tingled and stung a little bit. I was baffled by it, but I didn't know where it came from. I had been to a park on the weekend, so I thought maybe I had accidentally brushed against poison ivy without realising.

Day 4 - April 25: The rash got worse, so I booked an appointment with the doctor for the following day. I did not have any other symptoms beyond the pain in my arm- no fever or lethargy. Plenty of stress though!

Day 5 - April 26: The doctor told me that I had shingles and that I was contagious. It was too late for medication.

Day 7 - April 28: The fluid filled blisters began popping out of their own volition. Ouch. Since my partner couldn't remember if he'd had chicken pox before, I kept the rash covered with an impermeable dressing.

Day 8 - April 29: The blisters began to dry up and form dark scabs.

Day 9 - April 30: Scabs dried up further but a few blisters remained.

Day 11 - May 2: The skin above the scab peeled off.

Day 14 - May 5: The scab dried out completely and contracted, pulling away from the surrounding healthy skin and exposing a small sliver of raw skin.

Day 18 - May 9: You can see the shiny redness of the wound left from the scab separating away from the healthy skin, as well as the stretch marks on the skin caught between the islands of scabs.

Day 21 - May 12: The scab splitting continued to get worse. Double ouch. I went to see the doctor.

Day 22 - May 14: The doctor prescribed antibiotics (just in case) and copious amounts of moisturiser. I applied QV cream to the area. I put a waterproof dressing on top to help keep the moisture in my skin in. I suspect the impermeable dressing was not the best idea as the lack of breathability made my skin irritated.

Day 23 - May 15: With the help of the moisturiser, the wound healed up a bit more. Meanwhile, the antibiotics proceeded to ravage my stomach bacteria and I ended up with more flatulence than I desired.

Day 32 - May 24 : I took the dressing off after a shower, and the scab fell off as well! The skin underneath was still raw.

Day 33 - May 25: The skin left behind continued healing.

Day 197 - November 5: The shingles rash healed completely, but left behind a raised scar in the shape of my nerve endings. The scar does not hurt but it does feel more sensitive than the surrounding skin.

2 years later - March 22: The scar has not changed much. Here is a better picture.

It fascinates me how the scar follows the patterns of my nerve endings.