What Does Chickenpox Look Like? Pictures of Different Stages
Key takeaways:
Chickenpox is a highly contagious infection that causes an itchy rash and other symptoms, like fever and muscle aches.
Chickenpox usually goes through three stages. It starts off as small spots or bumps, then turns into blisters, and ends with scabs and crusts.
The chickenpox vaccine is highly effective in preventing the illness. Most people in the U.S. get the vaccine during childhood.
Chickenpox (varicella) is a very contagious infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Like many other viral infections, chickenpox causes a fever and a rash. But unlike other rashes, people with chickenpox can develop itchy blisters that appear all over their body.
If you’re not sure what chickenpox looks like, you’ve come to the right place. Here we’ll review the three different stages of chickenpox (with pictures) and what it can look like in different skin tones.
What does chickenpox look like at the beginning?
The chickenpox rash usually starts as small, flat spots. They’ll typically appear on the following areas:
Face
Scalp
Chest
Back
Upper arms
Legs
They are usually pink or red in fairer skin, and can be more purple, brown, or skin-colored in darker skin.
Within 24 hours, the spots will go through the following stages:
Stage 1: Small bumps
Stage 2: Blisters filled with fluid
Stage 3: Crusts and scabs
Preventing chickenpox: Learn more about the varicella vaccine — the best way to prevent a chickenpox infection.
Is it possible to get chickenpox after the vaccine? Yes, but it’s rare. Find out how chickenpox infection after vaccination happens.
Chickenpox vs. hand, foot, and mouth disease: Find out how you can tell the difference between these two rashes.
Over the next 4 to 5 days, new spots continue appearing anywhere on the skin. This sometimes includes inside the mouth or ears. It’s typical to have chickenpox spots in all different stages at the same time. And it’s possible to have hundreds of spots at one time. On average, it takes about 1 week for all the spots to turn into scabs.
What chickenpox looks like by stage
Here are some pictures of what chickenpox looks like by stage in different skin tones. Remember, it’s common to have all three stages present at the same time.
Stage 1: Spots and bumps
Stage 2: Blisters
The next stage of chickenpox includes small blisters. These are usually filled with clear fluid (called vesicles), but sometimes they can also be filled with yellow or cloudy fluid (called pustules). Blisters are often surrounded by red or violet skin.
Stage 3: Crusts and scabs
In the final stage, chickenpox blisters will rupture and form crusts and scabs as they heal.
Other chickenpox symptoms
People with chickenpox may experience other symptoms in addition to an itchy rash. These can include:
Low-grade fever
Headache
Achy muscles
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Teenagers and adults usually experience these symptoms 1 to 2 days before developing the rash. In children, however, the rash can be the first sign of a chickenpox infection.
How do you know it’s chickenpox?
Chickenpox is usually easy to diagnose based on the rash and the symptoms. A healthcare professional will look at your skin and ask you questions.
To confirm the diagnosis, chickenpox testing is available, including:
Blood test: This looks for antibodies to the virus in the blood.
Blister test: This test looks for virus particles in the blister fluid.
Chickenpox treatment
For most people, treating chickenpox involves getting rest and treating the different symptoms. These remedies include:
Drinking plenty of fluids
Lowering fever with over-the-counter (OTC) medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen
Applying calamine lotion and taking oatmeal baths to help with itching
Antiviral medications (like acyclovir) are recommended for people who are more likely to develop health complications from chickenpox, like pneumonia. This includes people:
Older than 12 years
With chronic lung or skin conditions
Who are pregnant
With a weakened immune system
How to prevent chickenpox
The best way to prevent chickenpox is to get the chickenpox vaccine. In the U.S., people usually get a series of two doses during childhood. But adults can also get the vaccine if they’ve never had it before.
Frequently asked questions
The chickenpox rash and its symptoms are usually pretty characteristic. But, chickenpox can sometimes be mistaken for other rashes, including:
Herpes simplex
Most chickenpox spots usually go away within 1 to 2 weeks. In darker skin, the spots may cause dark marks that take longer to fade (called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation).
Sometimes, chickenpox spots can leave a small permanent scar. This is particularly true if the spots get infected.
Someone with chickenpox is contagious about 1 to 2 days before the rash begins and until all the spots have crusted over. This usually takes about 7 days after the rash starts.
The bottom line
Chickenpox is a very contagious viral illness that causes an itchy rash with blisters in addition to low-grade fever and muscle aches. The chickenpox rash goes through three stages, and it can involve any part of the skin (including inside the mouth). Chickenpox usually takes 1 to 2 weeks to heal.
In the U.S., most people are vaccinated against chickenpox during childhood, so the infection isn’t as common as it used to be. Talk with a healthcare professional if you’re concerned about chickenpox or how to prevent it.
Why trust our experts?
Images used with permission from VisualDx (www.visualdx.com)
References
Ayoade, F., et al. (2022). Varicella-zoster virus (chickenpox). StatPearls.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). About chickenpox.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Chickenpox symptoms and complications.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). How to treat chickenpox.
MedlinePlus. (2024). Chickenpox and shingles tests.
National Health Service. (2021). Chickenpox.
Ngan, V. (2022). Chickenpox. DermNet.
Seattle Children’s Hospital. (2023). Chickenpox.
