What does singles look like?

Shingles most often looks like a wide swath of blisters across the torso or forehead, according to WebMD, although they can appear anywhere on the body. These blisters normally form scabs in a bit over a week and disappear within a month.

Shingles can be confused with blisters caused by exposure to poison ivy, oak or sumac, notes WebMD, and they may also be confused with cold sores, which are blisters caused by a different virus. Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox, and people who had chickenpox as children may get shingles as adults.