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Impetigo is a self-limiting skin infection. It is very contagious, but not usually serious. Anyone can get impetigo, but it’s more common in young children.
Impetigo starts with red sores or blisters – commonly affecting the face (around the nose and mouth) and hands – that quickly burst and often leave crusty, golden-brown patches. Sometimes, yellow liquid oozes from the blisters and hardens to leave a scaly border around a scab, which is an indication of bullous impetigo (pictured).
Without treatment, impetigo usually heals in seven to 21 days without causing any scarring, and complications are rare. However, appropriate treatment may lead to a quicker resolution of the infection, as well as a reduced infective period.
