- A Texas man shared pictures of his lesions over the course of his monkeypox.
- He wanted to raise awareness of symptoms among the community.
- Not all monkeypox lesions will look like his, so it's best to consult a doctor.
A patient with monkeypox took detailed pictures of his monkeypox lesions over time and shared them on social media.
Silver Steele, the patient's professional name as an adult performer, used social media to share the picture to spread awareness of the symptoms.
This is what his lesions looked like over the course of 21 days, from July 11 to August 1.
In Silver Steele's case, the lesions were mostly in and around the mouth.
When they first appeared, Steele thought they might be razor burn or pimples, he told Insider for a previous story. They were not itchy at first, he told Insider.
Within a week, the bumps started looking more like lesions. They were raised and blister-like and developed scabbing at the center. This is when the lesions started getting painful for Steele.
Other few other lesions appeared on Steele's hands and leg later on, but these were less painful.
Steele quarantined while his lesions were still scabbed over. Monkeypox is thought to be spread through intimate contact. The lesions are extremely contagious until they have completely healed over.
Within about three weeks of his first symptoms, Steele's lesions had almost completely healed.
Steele has now made a full recovery and has left quarantine. He counts himself lucky because he had access to high-quality "concierge" medical care.
Not all monkeypox lesions will look the same and the bumps can easily be caused by other diseases, Dr. Esther Freeman, director of Global Health Dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital, previously told Insider.
So it is always better to check with a medical professional to get a formal diagnosis.
For instance, a study of symptoms in this outbreak has shown that patients can develop the rash around the anus or genital area, which didn't happen in Steele's case.
