What Are Common Causes of Face Blisters?

There are many possible causes of face blisters. Among the most common are sunburn and a bacterial infection called impetigo. A person may also develop face blisters in relation to a viral illness called chicken pox. In all of these cases, the blisters and related symptoms are only temporary — treatment or time usually put an end to any and all symptoms.

One possible cause of face blisters is sunburn. An individual can get a sunburn from overexposure to the sun or even from an artificial tanning bed. The symptoms of this condition usually include redness in the area as well as discomfort or outright pain, depending on the severity of the burn. Eventually, the affected skin may begin to blister and peel as well. Any part of the body that is exposed to the sun can suffer the effects of sunburn, but sensitive, exposed facial skin may prove more prone to it than other areas.

A person may also develop face blisters because of a condition called impetigo. Contagious and caused by a bacterium referred to as staph or strep, impetigo typically causes reddened sores that ooze and crust, blisters that fill with liquid, and itching. In some cases, it may also cause sores that hurt. It is most common in children, but can affect people of all ages. Often, people develop impetigo when the bacteria responsible infect a lesion caused by another skin condition, a cut, or another type of wound — an individual can develop it without any such risk factors, however.

Sometimes face blisters develop because of a common childhood illness called chicken pox. This illness is caused by a virus and results in a rash that might resemble insect bites and forms mainly on a person's face, head, and torso. The raised bumps that make up the chicken pox rash eventually develop into blisters that are filled with fluid. In time, the blisters open and become crusted over. Other symptoms can include fever, coughing, headaches, and a general feeling of being unwell.

Although chicken pox usually affect children, the illness can also develop in adults who did not have it as children. Those who did have it usually develop an immunity to it and do not develop it a second time. Additionally, some people may avoid chicken pox blisters altogether, as there is a vaccine that can prevent a person from contracting it, or at the very least, make a case of chicken pox less severe.