Does a herpes rash go away?

[collegekid22]

If you have a rash from herpes, does it go away? or will it stay red forever?
If it does go away, how long do they usually last? and does it continue to spread w/o medicine?

[collegekid22]

Okk I'm back Grace and Jessie...
I STILL have the rash that I first consulted you guys with.  Never really got better; so it's still pretty red.  I have went to the dermatologist at least 3-5 times within the past couple months.  I am actually going tomorrow again to get checked out as I now have a new symptom due to me being stupid.
I graduated college and went on the senior crawl and got completely wasted and ended up having unprotected sex with a girl who I have had sex with in the past (I know how dumb that was after my experiences I went through but apparently something else was in control that night ha).  The morning after we had sex I woke up to some pink dots on my shaft.  As of thursday it will be 2 weeks.  They are not raised at all and are just slight pink.  If it weren't for the color I would not notice them as they do not itch, burn, or cause any pain.   This is in addition to my huge rash on my scrotum that won't go away no matter what the dermatologist prescribes.  He ended up last time telling me that it was like "red cheeks" and that if I applied nasal spray it would go away for a few hours b/c he said my problem was that the blood vessels were too close to the surface, but I would have the rash forever/wont go away.
Well I did put nasal spray on it just b/c I wanted to see that happen, of course it didn't work.
Back to the new issue though;  I have the lil pink dots on my penis now.  I talked to the girl today.  When I looked online I saw some references to Balanitis and think maybe it is that.  I saw it has to do with yeast infections and funguses.  I asked the girl if she had a yeast infection recently and she said she had one last month but it went away with her period (which was 3 wks before we hooked up) and she said she was going to ask me if I had something b/c she had the worst yeast infection EVER right after we hooked up.  So clearly there is a yeast issue involved which I will ask the doctor about tomorrow, but I was wondering if this sounds like herpes at all?
They are not painful, not sore like or pimple like, and don't itch.  The girl said she has not had sex in over a year and has never noticed spots anywhere.   Could I have a huge yeast infection that just won't go away or is it possible the new 'dots' are herpes from the night before or a prior encounter and just happen to appear the following day (too much of a coincidence to me)?  I have only ever been unprotected 3 times (the two times I hooked up with this girl, which was 2 thursdays ago and like 2 years ago, and one time with my ex who had one prior partner before me, this january).  Can herpes just be dots and not be painful, itch, burn or anything?

Thank you for your continued help!

PS.... An update on the 'weird' symtom of my hair being covered in what seemed like skin.  Well FINALLY they got something right and I pulled one of those hairs and they looked under the microscope and found it to be a fungus and gave me clindamycin for it and i have not had a hair like that since I used it.  However, they said that fungus was harmless.  

[collegekid22]

Hey Grace.. went to the Dermo.  They said I had originally had a fungus that caused the hair to have a coating.  It started as that and then it spread and a different fungus caused the rash on my scrotum.  They too said it wasn't an STD so I guess I can rest easy.  They gave me a steroid cream to use on the rash.  Hopefully that'll make it go away.  The scar thing they said was just a stretch mark.
Anyways, I really appreciated you listening and helping me out.  I thought it was some form of herpes. I hope everyone else that comes here appreciates your help as well.  You have a kind heart to dedicate your time to helping others.  Thanks again!

[collegekid22]

Thanks Grace.  Hopefully it goes well, we'll see.  But I just wanted to say thank you for listening and helping.  I haven't really had anyone to talk to about this due to obvious reasons and it has given me a lil stress relief/peace to vent on this message board so I appreciate you taking your time to help me and others.

[gracefromHHP]

This really doesn't sound like herpes. Glad you have an appointment to finally get some answers though.

grace

[collegekid22]

Grace or anyone I guess-
I am going to the Dermatologist on Tuesday next week.  They could finally fit me in.  I'm nervous to find out what is wrong with me, but want to run by you one last time my symptoms to see if you have any clue as I have another odd thing down there that I had not mentioned cause I didn't really think about it I guess.
I also have a scar like stretch mark starting at the very crease of my right upper leg near the testicles/thing meeting point. It extends down my thigh for about 3 inches.  It is about a 1/4 an inch wide.  The last 1/4 to 1/2 inch of it is red and that is down my thigh.  The rest is skin color but a little off.  I know it has been there for a while but has seemed to grow longer over time.  I didn't think much of it but now wonder if it relates to anything?
I wonder this now b/c I realized there is one starting on the left side of my thigh from the crease and it is smaller and about an inch and a half.
I was going to wait til I saw the doc to post back but I wanted to ask you about the scar.
So my symptoms:
Scar extending down both thighs- slowly growing.
Scrotum is red and irritated.  Defined line near the bottom of the scrotum where you can see normal skin and red infected skin (been red for a couple months straight)
I have woken up with rashes on my chest a few times.
Had 2 or 3 times where I had lil red dots on my hands that I thought was a rash that disappeared after a lil time.
I had real bad athletes feet.
hairs in the rash used to have a coating on them it seemed.
I have been using lotrimin cream on my scrotum (5 or 6 tubes, done til after I see the Doc now) am using selson blue for soap in the shower to wash my body with for the Selenium Sulfide or whatever is in it.  I am using lotrimin spray for my athletes feet and started taking Centrum vitamins.  
Since I have done this, I have not broken out in a rash anywhere on my body except my never going away rash on my scrotum.  My atheletes feet is 10 times better and doesn't itch and has no cracks.  The scar marks are still there and my scrotum is still red.  Has been red for a couple months straight.
I got tested for all STD's except Herpes was visual and HPV.
I am 22 and 185 pounds in good health.
Does this sound like something an STD would cause or a fungal infection?  Does a scar like growing mark down your thigh indicate an std of any sort?  Sorry looking for one last opinion before I see the doc cuz I'm nervous. I guess I'm paranoid because coming up on two years ago I had protected sex with a girl.  The next morning i woke up to a little burning in my genital area at the very very base of my penis/top of scrotum area the size of a nickel.  It was a small area and it went away later that day.  I watched the area and nothing ever happened.  I now wonder if I had contracted something then. But I was tested so that keeps me thinking I have herpes or HPV but HPV is assymtomatic, so I don't know! cuz I don't get the blister/scars and my rash stays red always and doesn't go away.  That's why I asked if a herpes rash ever goes away.

Sorry, needed to vent my fears one last time:(
Regardless I'm going to the Doc and will post back with what I am told on Tuesday.
Thanks!

[gracefromHHP]

At this point I'd stop using all topicals and see the doctor again.

this isn't herpes.

grace

[collegekid22]

also something that I noticed even a couple months ago that i've had and this is something really weird.. but the hair that is now inside the rash on my scrotum had a coating around it and it seemed like skin and I could take my fingernails and scrape some of it off.  I haven't noticed as many lately and only like or two since i've been using the medicine but I did notice that the past few months before I had or realized the rash.  I have no clue what that could even relate to? maybe you do?

[collegekid22]

Ok jessi and Grace I need a lil more help.. it's now been 3 weeks of using lotrimin and I have went through almost 4 tubes of it.  The redness is still there and it still has the defined line on my lower scrotum where you can see the infected and non infect area.  So it's been red for at least 5 weeks I'd say that I've known of or realized.
Could this be herpes?  is it possible for a herpes rash to stay red constantly?
I know I should go to a dermatologist, but I just want to get more of a heads up on what it might be and was looking to you guys for some help.
Even if it's bad, I'd like to hear what you think it is.
Again I've went in and got tested and everything came back negative. Herpes was visual and clearly hpv has no test.  So that leaves me thinking it's herpes.

Thanks for your help!

[collegekid22]

Thanks Jessi!  I really appreciate you and grace giving advice when I've posted.  I was really freaked and when grace originally told me it sounded like jock itch it gave me a little more confidence to go see a doctor cuz I was a little afraid to.
I checked it out today again and it's still red but the redness has started to fade a little cuz it was REALLY red before.  The doctor said it would be 2-3 weeks and its now been 2; I guess I've just been impatient and even with going to the doctor, thought I had Herpes and was depressed and couldn't sleep for a few days and then got over it.  But now I'm starting to believe I got lucky.  If it doesn't go away I'll make sure to see a dermatologist.  Thanks again!

[auntiejessi]

Herpes gives you outbreaks.  You'll get symptoms, they'll last a couple of weeks, give or take, then they go away.  At some point, you will probably get another outbreak, but the length of time varies.

You should probably follow up with your doctor since the lotrimin isn't working.  There's some resistance to the over the counter treatments now, so you might need a stronger, prescription strength cream.

Aj

[collegekid22]

bump.  I have a red rash on my scrotum that has been there for at least 3 weeks and will be two weeks tomorrow of using lotrimin on it and it is still pretty red.  When I went and got checked for an std it was diagnosed as jock itch.  I'm just wondering if it doesn't go away from lotrimin if that means it is herpes?  and if the rash will spread to other places.  Or possibly, what else it could be.

Thanks!