Shingles may only result in an adult who has been infected with chickenpox as a child. The varicella-zoster virus can remain latent for decades and may be reactivated later in life by a variety of stimuli, including stress, aging, and immunosuppression. Once reactivated, the virus moves along sensory nerves to the skin of the face or trunk. This results in the production of the painful lesions in a condition known as shingles