What should you know about impetigo contagiosa treatment?

A clinician first checks whether the sores and crusts fit impetigo and considers their number, location, depth, and rate of spread. A limited area may be treated with medicine applied to the skin, while more extensive or difficult-to-treat infection may require medicine taken by mouth. [Topical Antibiotic Therapy](/treatments/medical-dermatology/topical-antibiotic-therapy/) and [Antibiotics For Skin Infection](/treatments/medical-dermatology/antibiotic-therapy-for-skin-infection/) explain these treatment categories. Other rashes, including [Atopic Dermatitis](/conditions/atopic-dermatitis/), can look crusted when irritated or infected.

Use the medicine for the full instructions given, even if the surface looks calmer early on. Wash hands before and after application, cleanse gently if advised, and avoid picking, shaving, or rubbing the sores. Cover lesions when practical and use separate towels, bedding, clothing, razors, and cosmetics. Do not use another person's medicine, combine products without advice, or share a prescription. Tell the clinician about allergies, pregnancy, other medicines, and any previous treatment that did not help.

Contact the treating clinician if new sores continue, redness spreads, pain or swelling increases, or the skin is not settling as expected. Seek urgent care for fever with rapidly worsening redness, marked facial swelling, eye involvement, trouble opening the eye, or feeling very unwell. A reassessment may be needed when the diagnosis is uncertain or the infection has returned.

Which treatment is suitable for the extent and location of my sores? How should I clean and cover them? What should I do if I miss an application, develop a reaction, or see new lesions during treatment?