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EXTREMELY CONCERNED

As a child I had a rash develop on my philtrum (the space between my lips and my nose).  I don't recall the rash being  present on my lips as the real irritation was occurring directly beneath my nose on the philtrum.  It was bumpy and red to the point where it looked black, almost like the burned grease found on pizza crust sometimes.  After a while it flaked off like a scab (the scab was reddish/blackish almost like I scraped my arm and peeled off a bloody scab).  My mother told me that it was due to my mucous secretions that occurred often because of my allergies as a child.  I have never had any thing like this occur since then.  My question is, was this herpes?  I'm really worried!!!!!
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Avatar universal
"Dry winds and weather" cannot do anything like this. Your mom undoubtedly is a lovely person, but she doesn't understand the medical aspects of skin lesions. If the black crust story is correct, I still think something like impetigo makes the most sense. It probably wasn't herpes, but it simply isn't possible to know with certainty at this point. And as noted above, and without meaning to sound insensitive, I really don't see that it matters very much at this point. As discussed, a blood test remains an option if you feel you must know with greater certainty whether you might have oral HSV1.

Thanks for the thanks. Take care.
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Avatar universal
I just talked to my mom and she gave me more details.  She said that the dry winds and weather irritated my skin.  She said that the rash was bumpy, crusty ??? red/brownish/black (like a deep scrape healing itself) and right on my philtrum.  It wasn't near my lips from what I recall. Also, I wasn't in any pain.  It bothered me like dry skin, but from what I recall they weren't fluid filled or painful.  Does any of this information sound like it's herpes related?  BTW, thank you for your response, much appreciated.
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Avatar universal
First, I would certainly encourage you not to be worried! Even if it was herpes, what does it matter? Half of all adults in the US have had oral herpes as a child. If you're not having recurrent oral herpes outbreaks (cold sores, fever blisters) or haven't had any since that initial event, you probably never will, and probably won't infect anyone. Having oral HSV1 is entirely normal, usually not a cause for concern.

Now to the question itself:  Mucus secretions themselves don't ever cause anything like you describe. Your mom was wrong, or you misunderstood, or both. Impetigo, a superficial skin infection with strep bacteria (the same type that can cause strep throat) is the best bet. Impetigo was much more common in past years than it is today. But herpes is possible but probably less likely; the eschar (medical term for scab) of herpes rarely would turn black in the way you describe. But based on the information available, there's simply no way to know for sure.

What you could do, however, is have a blood test, which will show if you have been infected with HSV1. Frankly, I see no need. It will only answer your curiosity, without any important health implications either way. But it's something you could discuss with your doctor.

In the meantime, for sure don't worry about this! It's simply not a significant issue for you (or shouldn't be) at this point in your life.
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