When your skin gets red, sore, or crusty, it’s easy to panic. Is it impetigo, a common, contagious bacterial skin infection often seen in kids. Also known as school sores, it typically starts as red sores around the nose and mouth that burst and form honey-colored crusts. Or is it cellulitis, a deeper, more serious bacterial infection that spreads into the skin’s lower layers and can become life-threatening. Also known as skin and soft tissue infection, it causes swelling, warmth, and pain that can spread fast. Both are caused by bacteria—usually staph or strep—but they’re not the same thing. Confusing them can delay care or lead to unnecessary worry.
Impetigo stays mostly on the surface. It’s messy and itchy, but rarely dangerous. You’ll see it in toddlers after a cut or bug bite, or in athletes sharing towels. It doesn’t usually make you feel sick. Cellulitis, on the other hand, digs deeper. It can start from a tiny cut, a blister, or even a fungal infection like athlete’s foot. The skin turns bright red, feels hot to the touch, and swells like a balloon. Fever, chills, or red streaks moving up your arm? That’s your body screaming for antibiotics—fast.
Where impetigo often clears with topical creams, cellulitis almost always needs oral or even IV antibiotics. If you’ve got diabetes, a weak immune system, or swelling in your leg, skipping treatment for cellulitis isn’t an option. One study found that nearly 1 in 5 people with untreated cellulitis ended up in the hospital. Meanwhile, impetigo can sometimes clear on its own—but doctors still treat it to stop it from spreading to others. You don’t want to be the reason your kid’s whole class gets sores.
Impetigo looks like wet, sticky patches that dry into crusts. It’s not usually painful. Cellulitis? It burns. It throbs. It makes your skin tight. If the red area keeps growing over 24 hours, or if you start feeling feverish, don’t wait. Go to urgent care. Both conditions are treatable, but only if you catch them early. And while impetigo is more common in kids, adults get cellulitis all the time—especially after surgery, insect bites, or skin conditions like eczema.
Below, you’ll find real-world insights from people who’ve dealt with these infections firsthand. Some learned the hard way. Others figured out how to prevent recurrence. Whether you’re a parent, a caregiver, or just someone who’s had a weird skin rash, these posts give you the facts—not the fluff—so you know exactly what to do next.
Impetigo and cellulitis are common skin infections with different causes, symptoms, and treatments. Learn how to tell them apart and which antibiotics actually work - based on current UK and international guidelines.