Symptoms usually occur 10-21 days after contact with the chickenpox virus. Initial symptoms include:

  • Headache
  • Fever
  • General feeling of malaise
  • Loss of appetite

Within 1-2 days after the initial symptoms, a rash develops. Characteristics of the rash include:

  • At first, the rash consists of small, flat, red spots.
  • The spots become raised and form clusters of round, itchy, fluid-filled blisters on a red base.
  • The blisters develop in clusters, with new clusters forming over 5-6 days.
  • Once the rash develops, there are almost always a variety of spots visible: flat red areas, blisters with clear fluid, blisters with cloudy fluid, and open blisters. This variety helps doctors to be confident that the rash is due to chickenpox.
  • The rash usually develops on the skin above the waist, including the scalp. Exposed areas are often most significantly affected.
  • The rash may sometimes appear on the inside of the eyelids, in the mouth, nose, throat, upper airway, voice box, rectum, or vagina.
  • In healthy children, the rash usually crusts over by day 6-7. The crusts are gone within three weeks, usually without scarring. Note: Adults or patients who are immunocompromised may have more severe cases that last longer.