If this is shingles, make SURE your doctor prescribes lidocaine patches, brand name is Lidoderm but generic works just as well. You can cut them into any shape to fit anywhere and they are amazing. My dad's doctor didn't know they could be cut (packaging says they can). The patches were the only thing that helped him when he had shingles. He says his open heart surgery wasn't as bad to go through as shingles - not even having to eat vegetables for the first time ever was as bad as the shingles! (he always told us he was allergic to veggies)
One thing that may help to prevent future outbreaks if this IS acne or a rash is oil cleansing. It is amazing for skin at any age. It does not need to be expensive and you don't need any expensive oil mix from the beauty store. in fact, from what I have seen and experienced, it is actually better if you do NOT buy a commercial facial oil cleansing product, esp if you have sensitive skin or acne.
You can get your stuff from a natural food store or most from a regular grocery. In fact, if you go to a Whole Food or Sprouts type store, I urge you to get most oils from the grocery section. They are cheaper and since they are made to go inside you, they are without additives. You need castor oil, which you may need to find in the skin care section. The other oils are up to you. Generally a blend is 1/4 to 1/3 castor oil (more for oily skin, less for older or dry skin) and the oil of your choice for the rest. Good oils to use are grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, shea oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, rice bran oil or jojoba oil. If you have skin that dries easily, skip the castor oil completely. I know that olive and coconut oils are really popular but do NOT use them on your skin. They are very heavy and clog pores, esp the coconut oil. Honestly, I cannot think of a good use for coconut oil at all, and I don't use olive oil on my skin. My favorite oil is rice bran oil - so gentle and absorbs so fast and is very light. Shea oil is my next fave, but must be ordered online. Here is a great article about oil cleansing:
http://www.crunchybetty.com/trying-...ng-method-tips-for-flawless-oil-cleansed-skin
The basic routine for oil cleansing is to put a bit of the oil blend in your palm and rub your hands together. Then rub it into your face for about a minute (it will take most makeup off, so it saves that step). Then wet a washcloth in the hottest water you can stand and put it on your face for a minute or two (reheat/wet as needed). Then wipe your face off and dry it. On days you want to exfoliate, put a teaspoon of sugar in your hand, add enough oil to moisten it, and use it as a scrub. The sugar is great for your skin and does a great job. If the sugar is too rough as an exfoliant, either change to superfine sugar (in the baking aisle) or use plain uncooked oatmeal instead. Can be quick or old fashioned oats, and will require more oil than the sugar.
I generally have to wash the rags on hot after soaking in water and dawn for an hour and rinsing very well (so no bubbles in the washer). Or I get a bundle of what Sam's calls "shop towels" but are the size of washrags and are cotton, sold for about $18 for 100 and then I just throw them away because it can be hard to get the oil out. But this is worth it because it is still cheaper if you add the cost of the oils and the shop towels and compare it to the cost of many commercial facial cleansing products, esp if you consider that you may not want or need face creams after oil cleansing.
It will take a couple of weeks for your skin to adjust to oil cleansing and to find the right blend of oils for you. I find it well worth it as my skin is better than it EVER was and so is Jessi's, which is amazing in my opinion. We spent YEARS trying to find something for her skin and NOTHING worked until this.
Oh, we do find that sometimes J's skin is a bit too oily after she cleanses (I think she isn't rinsing well enough, but what does a mom know?). The solution we have found is Simple' Micellar Water. It looks like water and you rub it in with a cotton ball or pad. No rinsing. It binds to excess oil and pulls it off. At WM it is about $6 and it seems to work well on her nose and eyes as she sometimes was having problems with her eye makeup creasing/running after she cleansed if she couldn't wait an hour or so before putting makeup on. I don't have this problem though.