What Does a Staph Infection Look Like? Pictures and Warning Signs

The quick answer

A staph skin infection usually starts as a bump or patch that is red, swollen, warm and painful. It may fill with pus or leak fluid.⁶ The CDC notes that staph infections often look like pimples, boils or other everyday skin problems, which is why they’re easy to brush off at first.¹

The exact look depends on how deep the infection goes and which part of the skin it affects. Below are the most common types, described in words so you know what to watch for, followed by the signs that mean it’s time for a doctor.

Boils and carbuncles

A boil is a deep pocket of pus under the skin.² Here’s how one usually develops:³

• It starts as a small, painful red bump.
• The skin around it turns red or purplish and swells.
• Over a few days it can grow, sometimes to more than 2 inches across.
• A yellow-white tip may form, which can break open and drain.

Boils often appear on the face, neck, armpits, thighs and buttocks.³ A carbuncle is a cluster of boils joined under the skin. It goes deeper, is more likely to scar, and can come with fever and chills.³ Not sure if your bump is a boil? Our guide to boils, pimples and cysts can help.

Impetigo: crusty, honey-colored sores

Impetigo is a shallow skin infection caused by staph, group A strep, or both. It is most common in children ages 2 through 5.⁴

It starts as red, itchy sores that break open and leak clear fluid or pus for a few days. Then a crusty, yellow or “honey-colored” scab forms, and the sore usually heals without a scar.⁴ It is most common in hot, humid summer weather and usually appears on the face, around the nose, mouth and ears.⁵ In some children the bacteria cause blisters instead of the typical crusts.⁵ Impetigo spreads easily, so it’s worth a call to your pediatrician.

Folliculitis and cellulitis

Folliculitis is an infection of hair follicles. It looks like small, pus-filled bumps around hairs, a lot like pimples.² Because it can pass for acne or a simple rash, it’s easy to miss, especially when only a few bumps appear.

Cellulitis goes deeper into the skin. Instead of a single bump, you see a patch of skin that is red, swollen, warm and tender.⁵ The key feature is that it can spread, so the red area gets bigger over hours or days. Cellulitis needs a doctor’s care, and severe cases may need a hospital stay.⁵

Peeling, blistered skin in babies and young kids

In babies and young children, staph can release toxins that damage the skin. This is called staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome. It often begins with an infection, sometimes in the diaper area, and then large areas of the top layer of skin can peel away with light pressure, leaving raw, red skin underneath.⁵

This needs medical care right away.⁵ If your baby has blistering or peeling skin, call your pediatrician or go to urgent care without waiting. Babies can get sick quickly, and a very sleepy, feverish or fussy baby with a skin problem should be seen the same day.

Can you tell if it’s MRSA?

No. MRSA skin infections look the same as other staph skin infections.⁶ The only way to know is for a doctor to test a sample from the infection, which also helps them choose the right treatment.

Staph can also cause infections inside the body, in the blood, lungs, heart valves or bones.¹ These don’t always show on the skin, and they need urgent care. That’s why any skin infection that is getting worse deserves a check, whatever it looks like. You can learn more in our guide to MRSA symptoms.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment if a skin infection:²

• Isn’t improving, or is getting bigger or more painful
• Comes with a fever of 100.4°F or higher
• Keeps coming back, or is spreading to people you live, play or work with
• Is on the face, or is in someone who is older, has diabetes or has a weakened immune system

Get emergency care or call 911 if a skin infection comes with fever or chills plus fast breathing, a racing heartbeat, or new confusion. These can be signs that the infection has reached the blood.² Don’t squeeze or pop any bump; a doctor can drain it safely if needed.