text: This sounds to me like a classic herpes virus infection.  These are very common.  Shingles is a form of herpes called herpes zoster but I think you have Herpes simplex.  The only way to know for sure is to get checked when you have a fresh outbreak.  A doctor can do a Tzanck preparation which is essentially a free test, they just take a sample and look under the microscope after the slide is stained.  If you want to get high tech, you can ask for a viral pcr test of a fresh lesion.  These are extremely accurate but a bit more expensive.  You may be able to go to a free STD clinic for their expertise.  Although this is not an STD problem, those doctors are pretty skilled with skin conditons.  Good Luck!