Shingles is caused by a virus that lies dormant in the spine. Anyone that has been exposed or has had Chicken Pox (herpes zoster) is susceptible to an outbreak sometime in their life. Current pharmaceuticals help manage the first outbreak pretty well. Reoccurring outbreaks do not seem to respond to those pharmaceuticals as well (as far as topical treatments go) and some people have allergic reactions to those products. This instructional application is a gentle alternative and has been proven to alleviate some of the intense pain associated with an outbreak and dry up the lesions in most cases more quickly than the pharmaceuticals.