Concerned about a forehead rash

[JockeyRider]

Hi - Over a week ago I started to feel an itchy sensation on my forehead around my right eyebrow area. That lead to a single red rash, with a raised yellow bump on top. There were 2 honey color looking next to each other that were more pronounced, and three smaller ones around but apart. I also noticed the lymph nodes near my right ear were slightly swollen and tender. A couple of days later I noticed smaller red bump only over the larger one with 3 yellow looking dots. Other than that there were no other symptoms. My question is what do "honey" colored bumps indicate on a forehead? Is this a bacterial thing or a viral thing? I am no doctor, but I did not feel like it was an ulcer, as I think that would hurt, i did not notice any drainage. has anyone out there experienced the same issue?   More information on my condition. I went into a walk in clinic. The nurse said it could be the following: Cellulitis, Impetigo or Shingles. I was prescribed antibiotics and topical medication. The medication was helping i felt, less tenderness on the lymph nodes as i felt it was recovering. the redness was subsiding, the yellow pustule on top ruptured. then i developed another bump right above the first one, upon close inspection, i noticed 3 yellow looking dots on top on the red bump. no pain, no itch, no ulcers. I went to get a second opinion. The second nurse said it looked like Shingles or HSV. The HSV part freaked me out as I did not have the symptoms as described with that issue, like pain or blisters or ulcers, fever etc. I haven't had sexual contact for a while now. How long before someone is exposed you seen symptoms? She took a culture and put me on an antiviral dose. I've been on it for a couple of days. I felt like things were heading in the right direction, but i noticed today a itchy bump on my right eye lid. I am dazed and confused. Can someone out there please let me know what's going on??!!

[auntiejessi]

I have no idea how a person would get hsv on their forehead. Hsv is spread by direct skin to skin contact - like oral to oral, oral to genital/anal, genital to genital, or genital to anal. The skin on your forehead is too thick for the virus to penetrate.

Even if you get oral herpes, it wouldn't travel to your forehead. It infects nerve groups, and oral herpes infects the trigeminal nerve, which is eyes down on the face.

I don't know all the possibilities of what you could have, but certainly, impetigo is a possibility. Since you have a bump on your eye lid, go back to the first walk in clinic today, or get in with your regular doctor. You need to get this looked at TODAY since it's now on your eye. Don't wait. Ask them to culture it.

I doubt it's shingles, either, since that's painful.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/impetigo/symptoms-causes/syc-20352352 - this has some pics of impetigo. It says it's mostly in kids, but I had it once as an adult, so ignore that part.

Let me know what happens.

[JockeyRider]

Thank you. Just got my culture results back and it turns out I have Shingles. Very atypical how it manifested on my forehead, however, Shingles follows a certain nerve line on the forehead. I hope this would help the community.

[auntiejessi]

Oh interesting. I'm glad you came back to update us, and I'm sure it will help someone else. I hope you get better quickly!