You can get a cold sore any time during the year, but many people seem to get them during the cold weather months. Flair ups are due to the herpes simplex virus, which was contracted by kissing someone or sharing a drink with someone that had it.
If you’ve ever had a cold sore, you know how unsightly it can be and how much you long for it to disappear. Since it can take up to 10 days before it goes away, there are things you can do speed up the process.
- Apply a cold sore medication daily such as Abreva.
- Do not pick it the cold sore or you’ll have a look at a scab much longer than it will last.
- Apply lidocaine to reduce redness.
- If you’re in pain, apply some benzyl alcohol and take some over-the-counter pain medication such as Tylenol or Motrin.
- You can also put ice on it to reduce the pain and redness.
- If you put heat on it, it will draw blood to it and might help it heal quicker.
If all else fails, you can try to hide it with some concealer if it extends past your lip and some lipstick to cover what’s on your lip. Just be careful with application, you don’t want to draw attention to it either.
Photo Courtesy of: urban_data on Flickr
Tue, Jan 5, 2010
Allergies, Health, Pain