Although 50% of sufferers of shingles are over 50, shingles can strike at any age. Also known as Herpes Zoster, shingles manifests as painful and unsightly sores that often spread across the chest, back and face. Early detection and early treatment are keys to successfully treating an outbreak, but shingles has remained difficult and time consuming to treat. Many people develop a condition called "post herpetic neuralgia" in which the sores from the shingles outbreak have healed, but a lingering and sometimes very severe pain persists.