What should you know about cellulitis look like?

The skin may appear red, shiny, tight, or darker than the surrounding area, depending on your natural skin tone. It often feels warmer and more painful than nearby skin. Swelling can make the texture firm, and nearby glands may become tender. The area may be on a leg, arm, face, or another part of the body; it does not have to follow a neat shape.

A photograph cannot confirm the diagnosis. Contact dermatitis, an insect reaction, eczema, a bruise, a clot, and other problems can resemble cellulitis. A clinician uses the appearance together with touch, timing, symptoms, and examination of possible entry points such as cuts or cracked skin. Athlete's Foot can contribute to breaks between the toes.

Arrange prompt medical advice when redness is new, painful, warm, swollen, or enlarging. Note when it began and whether the border is moving. Keep the area clean, avoid scratching or squeezing it, and protect any break with a clean dressing. Resting an affected limb in a raised position may reduce discomfort.

Do not rely on leftover antibiotics or steroid creams unless a clinician has advised them for this episode. Tell the clinician about wounds, bites, recent procedures, Type 2 Diabetes, immune problems, or a previous episode of Cellulitis.

Seek emergency care if the skin becomes rapidly more swollen, blistered, dusky, numb, or severely painful, or if you feel faint, confused, unusually weak, or short of breath. Fever with shaking chills or fast breathing can accompany a serious spreading infection such as Sepsis. Facial swelling with eye symptoms or any trouble breathing or swallowing is an emergency.

Ask which features support cellulitis and which suggest another cause. Ask whether the border should be monitored, whether an entry wound needs treatment, and what change would mean the infection is not responding. Confirm how to care for the skin while it heals and how to reduce repeat episodes.