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sometimes_interested t1_iwro75x wrote

Reply to comment by iayork in Is there an anatomical reason Chicken Pox scars form where they do? by [deleted]

Does every lesion lead to scarring though? Or is just where the person has excessively scratched and irritated it? Or is there some other factor?

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fucklawyers t1_iwrsbhm wrote

I’m old enough that I got pox partied (36. If you were the first in the mom group to get chickenpox, you got a bunch of playdates with all the kiddos that hadn’t had it yet). I REMEMBER being absolutely covered, I’m talking like at least four in a square inch. Anecdotally, I have zero scars.

Mine was not too itchy. I just remember being exhausted and dizzy/out of sorts.

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LordOverThis t1_iws29o7 wrote

Same age group here. Not pox partied but instead just childhood incidental exposure, but definitely also just covered in lesions.

I have one scar.

Now we’re at n=2 for data points that not all lesions lead to scars.

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Druidgoddess t1_iwryp2p wrote

Not scientific but when we were kids were told not to scratch them as that's what causes the scarring. The face ones are easy to access, see and absently scratch when sleeping. I figure its likely more that than anything.

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iayork t1_iwrumwd wrote

If you will read the second sentence in my post, you will see that “Only about 20% of children with chickenpox ended up with scars.”

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naturalalchemy t1_iws1m7a wrote

I'm assuming this is due to the infected person's own reaction to the infection rather than any particular variation in the virus?

I have two kids who got infected within a week of each other (probably older kid got it at nursery and passed on to younger child), so very likely the same strain of the virus. One got very few spots (less than 10), but almost all scarred. The other was covered in hundreds of spots, but with no scarring.

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JJnanajuana t1_iws1y60 wrote

Can only answer for me. Had chicken pox, lesions all over, was told not to scratch them to prevent scaring, itchy af, avoided scratching face (as much as possible, still did a bit) to avoid fac e scaring, scratched body constantly. only scar I have is one exactly where op described.

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