Does smallpox look different than chickenpox?
A. Yes. Smallpox begins peripherally—that is on the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet and on the face. From there it works its way to the center of the body or the trunk. Chickenpox does the opposite; it goes from the center out, with lesions first appearing on the face or trunk. The palms and soles are rarely involved. Chickenpox lesions on any one part of the body are in different stages. For instance, if looking at a child with chickenpox, some of the lesions are healing, while some are just coming out. With smallpox, all lesions are in the same stage of development.
