5 Home Remedies for Shingles

You can help treat shingles symptoms with products you may already have at home.

Medically reviewed by Farah Khan, MD

Home remedies for shingles—such as calamine lotion, cool compresses, oatmeal baths, and Vaseline—may alleviate painful symptoms. Wearing loose clothing avoids irritating the skin.

Shingles occurs when varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which causes chickenpox, reactivates. The hallmark shingles symptom is a painful, itchy rash on one side of the body or face. Shingles is most common in adults older than 50.

Read on to learn about home remedies for shingles, medical treatments, and other tips for managing symptoms. 

Shingles Symptoms

An itchy, painful red rash on one side of the body is the hallmark symptom of shingles.

Other shingles symptoms may include:

• Chills

• Headache

• Fever

• Upset stomach

Shingles usually clears up within three to five weeks. You may first notice a burning or tingling pain, itching, and numbness on one side of your body. A red rash will develop in the same area about one to five days later.

After a few days, small, water-filled blisters will replace the red rash. Those blisters soon rupture and scar, healing and fading over a couple of weeks. That process can be highly uncomfortable and painful, making even the slightest actions difficult.

See a healthcare provider immediately if you have shingles, especially on your face or near your eyes. A shingles rash in those areas may cause lasting nerve damage if untreated.

Some people with shingles develop postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) after their rash clears. PHN causes long-lasting nerve damage and pain in the affected area. PHN risk increases with age.

Related: Chickenpox vs. Shingles: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

Home Remedies

There are home remedies that may ease shingles symptoms. Here's what you need to know about minimizing discomfort and pain with items you may already have at home.

1) Baking Soda or Colloidal Oatmeal Baths

Soaking in baking soda or colloidal (ground) oatmeal baths can soothe your skin if you have a rash. Baths can temporarily relieve itching and be soothing, Lindsay Strowd, MD, a dermatologist at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, told Health.

Colloidal oatmeal is made up of ground oat grain. Colloidal oatmeal contains fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that soften and soothe the skin.

Keep the following in mind when running a bath to help alleviate shingles symptoms:

• Look for baking soda or colloidal oatmeal. Make sure that you do not use the kind of oatmeal that you eat, which will not relieve itching. You can find colloidal oatmeal at many places that sell beauty and health products.

• Add baking soda or colloidal oatmeal under the faucet as your bath fills with lukewarm.

• Soak in the bath for no more than 10 minutes.

2) Calamine Lotion

Calamine lotion is an over-the-counter (OTC) topical pink lotion that can relieve itching.

Keep the following in mind before applying calamine lotion to your skin:

• Calamine lotion helps treat mild itchiness, pain, and skin discomfort.

• Do not apply calamine lotion to active blisters.

• Only use calamine lotion after your skin scabs over any blisters, Lauren Ploch, MD, a dermatologist based in Augusta, Ga., told Health.
  

3) Cool Compresses

"The skin can feel extremely sensitive to even the lightest touch. Keeping it cool with the use of cool compresses may help," said Dr. Strowd.

Here's how to keep your skin clean while using a cool compress:

1. Carefully wash your rash with water and mild soap.

2. Apply a clean moist washcloth to the area. Avoid contact with any open blisters, said Dr. Ploch.

3. Keep the washcloth gently pressed to the area for five to 10 minutes several times daily.

4) Loose Clothing

Loose clothing may help ease discomfort and pain while your skin heals.

Here's how to choose clothing that may ease shingles symptoms:

• Dermatologists advise covering your rash to help prevent spreading VZV to people who have not had shingles. Shingles is contagious until your rash clears.

• Do not wear clothing that fits too close to your body. Tight-fitting clothing may irritate your skin as it heals.

• Pick cotton or linen clothing to reduce itchiness. Those soft fabrics are more comfortable than others.

5) Vaseline

Vaseline helps keep you from touching your rash and spreading the infection to others, said Dr. Ploch.

"Covering the rash with a thin layer of Vaseline and then a large cotton bandage will protect the skin from clothing or other irritations," said Dr. Strowd.

Here's how to carefully apply Vaseline to your skin:

1. You can also use petroleum or dimethicone products, noted Dr. Ploch. Aim for plain, non-irritating products for sensitive skin.

2. Apply a thin layer of Vaseline after washing.

3. Cover with a non-stick bandage.

4. Repeat these steps daily until your rash clears.

Avoid using lotions or other topical OTC medicines that contain fragrances that may irritate the skin.

Medical Treatments

Consult a healthcare provider as soon as you notice shingles symptoms. Antiviral medicines are most effective in the earliest stages of shingles. Those medicines help reduce the severity of shingles symptoms and shorten the length of illness.

Antiviral medicines that treat shingles include:

• Acyclovir

• Famciclovir

• Valacyclovir

A healthcare provider might prescribe oral or topical medicines to help ease any pain.

Shingles Vaccine

Shingrix is a vaccine that helps prevent shingles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges healthy adults older than 50 to receive Shingrix. The CDC advises people older than 19 with weak immune systems to receive Shingrix, too.

Healthcare providers administer Shingrix in two doses, separated by two to six months. Two doses of Shingrix are over 90% effective.

Managing Shingles

You can take other steps, in addition to at-home remedies and medical treatments, to manage shingles.

Keep these tips in mind to ensure that your shingles heals properly and does not spread to others:

• Avoid contact with people who have not had chickenpox, pregnant people, and those with weak immune systems if your skin sores are oozing.

• Ensure that your skin is clean. Dispose of used bandages, and wash any fabrics that touch your skin sores in hot water.

• Get plenty of rest if you have a fever.

• Take narcotic pain relievers as prescribed. Do not consume alcohol or operate heavy machinery. You may need to take narcotics with food if the medicine upsets your stomach.

• Use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or Tylenol (acetaminophen) to alleviate pain.

Consult a healthcare provider if your pain does not improve after three to four weeks.

Related: What Actually Causes Shingles—and How You Can Prevent It

A Quick Review

Although most cases of shingles do not last longer than four weeks, skin sores can be painful. See a healthcare provider right away if you think you have shingles symptoms. Starting antiviral medicines as soon as possible is essential to reducing shingles symptoms.

Home remedies for shingles like using calamine lotion, cool compresses, oatmeal baths, Vaseline, and wearing loose clothing can help ease discomfort.

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