how long do chicken pox take to come out
Chickenpox spots usually take about 10–21 days to “come out” (appear as a rash) after someone is first exposed to the virus, with most people developing spots around days 14–16.
Quick Scoop
- After catching chickenpox (varicella), there is an incubation period of 10–21 days before the typical itchy rash appears.
- For many children and adults, the spots tend to show up around 2 weeks after exposure, often starting on the chest, back, or face.
- A person is usually contagious from 1–2 days before the rash shows until all the spots have crusted over, which is typically about 5 days after they first appear.
Simple timeline
- Exposure to someone with chickenpox.
- 10–21 days with no spots yet; there may be mild fever, tiredness, or no symptoms at all toward the end of this period.
- First red spots appear, then turn into small fluid‑filled blisters over several hours.
- Over the next 3–5 days, new spots can continue to come out while older ones scab over.
When to get medical help (important)
Seek urgent medical advice or emergency care if:
- The person has breathing difficulties, confusion, a very high fever, or seems very unwell.
- The rash becomes very painful, very red, or looks infected (oozing yellow fluid or very hot and swollen).
- The person is pregnant, has a weakened immune system, or is a newborn exposed to chickenpox.
If you think you or your child has chickenpox, or you know the exact day of exposure and are worried about symptoms, contacting a health professional for tailored advice is always the safest move.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.