Key takeaways

  • Impetigo is a bacterial infection that affects your skin, causing sores and blisters.
  • It can appear differently depending on the stage of infection, what part of your body it affects, and your skin tone.
  • Impetigo is usually treated with antibiotics, and the exact kind you are prescribed depends on how widespread and severe your condition is.

Impetigo is a common contagious skin infection. Bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes infect the outer layer of your skin called the epidermis. Your face, arms, and legs are most often affected.

Anyone can contract the bacterial infection, but it most commonly affects children, especially those who are ages 2 to 5 years old.

Impetigo often begins in minor cuts, insect bites, or a rash such as eczema — any place where your skin is broken. But it can also occur on healthy skin.

The first symptoms of impetigo are discolored sores on your skin, often clustered around your nose and lips. These often appear pink or red on light skin and dark red, purple, brown, or gray on dark skin tones.

These sores quickly grow into blisters that may ooze, burst, and then form a yellowish crust. The clusters of blisters may expand to cover more of your skin.

The sores can be itchy and occasionally painful. After the crust phase, they form discolored marks that fade without leaving scars.

Impetigo types

There are three types of impetigo based on the bacteria that cause them and the sores that form. Each type goes through a series of stages.

  • Nonbullous: This is the most common form of impetigo. It causes patches of skin discoloration and sores that can break and crust over.
  • Bullous: Bullous means blister. This form of impetigo forms large, fluid-filled blisters that can burst open. Crusts then form at the open sores.
  • Ecthyma: This is a more severe but less common form. Echtyma impetigo affects deeper layers of your skin and can cause large, painful blisters that break into sores. These sores crust over and may leave scars.

Impetigo and other skin conditions

Impetigo can cause similar symptoms to other skin conditions. People may mistake impetigo for:

Strains of Staphylococcus (staph) or Streptococcus (strep) bacteria cause impetigo.

These bacteria can get into your body through a break in your skin from a cut, scratch, insect bite, or rash.

The disease can be contagious. You can contract these bacteria if you touch the sores of a person with impetigo or if you touch items like towels, clothes, or sheets that the person used.

Who’s at risk of impetigo?

While anyone can contract the bacteria, close contact with someone with the infection is the most common risk factor for the disease. Impetigo spreads more easily when people are in close quarters.

Adults and children are at higher risk of impetigo if they:

Age is also a significant risk factor for impetigo. The more common nonbullous variety is seen most often in children ages 2 to 5 years old. The less common bullous variety occurs in children younger than 2 years old in 90% of people with it. When impetigo does occur in adults, it’s more common in people assigned male at birth.

If you suspect impetigo, seeing a doctor or other healthcare professional is a good first step. They can usually diagnose the infection by its appearance.

If your sores do not clear up with treatment, a doctor may want to culture the bacteria.

This involves taking a little bit of the liquid from your sore and testing it to see what type of bacteria caused it to determine which antibiotics will work best against it.

Antibiotics are first-line treatments for impetigo. The type of antibiotic your healthcare professional prescribes depends on how widespread or severe your lesions are.

If you have impetigo in only a small area of your skin, topical antibiotic creams, gels, or ointments are the preferred treatment. Options include mupirocin cream or ointment (Bactroban or Centany) and retapamulin ointment (Altabax).

If your impetigo is severe or widespread, a doctor can prescribe oral antibiotics such as:

Home treatment

The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) reports that with treatment, impetigo usually heals in 7 to 10 days. If you have an underlying infection or skin disease, the infection may take longer to heal.

Home remedies are also available at your drugstore or natural products store. Keeping the area clean and covering it with bandages if possible can stop it from spreading.

Always reach out to a healthcare professional first before trying any home remedies.

Learn more about home remedies for impetigo.

If the lesions cannot be reliably covered, children with impetigo should stay home until they no longer have an active infection that can pass to others. Adults who work in jobs that involve close contact with others should ask their doctor when it’s safe for them to return to work.

Good hygiene is the best way to prevent impetigo. Here are some tips that promote good hygiene:

  • Bathe and wash your hands often to cut down on skin bacteria.
  • Cover any skin wounds or insect bites to protect the area.
  • Keep your nails clipped and clean.
  • Do not touch or scratch open sores. This can lead to infections spreading.
  • Wash everything that comes into contact with the impetigo sores in hot water and laundry bleach.

The bacteria responsible for impetigo can cause complications, including other more serious infections and harmful immune responses.

  • Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome: Staph infections can trigger the release of certain toxins around the infection. If the toxins spread, it can lead to staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome.
  • Soft tissue infection: The bacteria that cause impetigo can cause other infections, including necrotizing fasciitis. Skin or soft tissue infections that spread rapidly are an emergency and require immediate medical assistance. Call 911 or local emergency services if you experience this.
  • Toxic shock syndrome: The same bacteria that cause impetigo can also cause toxic shock syndrome. It’s a potentially life threatening condition that needs medical attention. Call 911 or local emergency services if you experience fever, low blood pressure, and rapid heart rate.
  • Rheumatic fever: Your immune system may respond to impetigo with inflammation through rheumatic fever. This isn’t contagious, but it requires immediate treatment. Call 911 or local emergency services if you suspect you have rheumatic fever.

The open sores are highly contagious. Scratching the sores can spread the infection from one place on your skin to another or to another person. The infection can also spread from anything touched by a person with an impetigo infection.

Hygiene is key to managing impetigo spreading. If you or your child has impetigo, wash and disinfect everything the infection might have come into contact with, including:

  • clothes
  • bedding
  • towels
  • toys
  • sports equipment

Can I use Neosporin for impetigo?

No, doctors may not typically recommend Neosporin for impetigo.

In an older clinical study, roughly 20% of the people treated with Neosporin experienced clinical failure, compared to only 4% of the ones treated with mupirocin, a topical antibiotic. This 2012 paper further emphasizes that mupirocin is more effective against impetigo.

Your doctor will prescribe the right antibiotic for your needs.

What can be mistaken for impetigo?

Impetigo can be similar in appearance to other conditions, such as eczema, ringworm, or cold sores. A doctor will prescribe appropriate treatment for your specific condition.

Can impetigo be caused by poor hygiene?

Inadequate hygiene does not cause impetigo, but it can increase the risk of contracting the bacteria, which can enter a wound or scratch through the broken skin.

It’s advisable to keep the area clean by washing your hands frequently. Some factors can increase your risk of contracting the infection, such as a compromised immune system or having other skin conditions, such as eczema or psoriasis.

Impetigo is a highly contagious bacterial skin infection that generally isn’t serious. It clears up faster with antibiotics and requires good hygiene to prevent it from spreading.

If you suspect that you or a loved one has impetigo, contact a doctor for diagnosis.