Herpes symptoms can and do vary, but most of the time herpes symptoms consist of an outbreak of blisters, which are often preceeded by a pain or discomfort or tingling sensation in the herpes affected area. There is no universal cause for the appearance of herpes symptoms: different people get herpes outbreaks at different times. During the appearance of herpes symptoms, herpes is at its most contagious. Herpes symptoms will eventually clear on their own, though they clear more quickly and with less discomfort when effective treatment is used.