How To Prevent and Treat Cold Sores

Banish Nasty Cold Sores With These Proven Remedies

August 9, 2017

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Acne scars. Blackheads. Crusty lips. Razor bumps. F*ck! Men deal with some incredibly unattractive facial blemishes. However, none causes a man to loss the self-confidence he exudes more than cold sores. Those red-oozing, puss-filled blisters around your kisser can be a painful batch to bear.

It’s only a matter of hours before that tingly sensation at the edge of your lip turns to an itch. That itch then turns into a pulsation. Then that pulsation finally puffs up into a bubble, which multiplies depending on the severity of exposure. Cold sores is some pretty ugly stuff that requires immediate medication therapy.

Seeking the proper treatment sounds basic in theory, but it’s a bit more complex. It’s not just about running into a Duane Reade and grabbing an over-the-counter topical. How could you know the severity of your condition unless investigating it first? Right? We must narrow down the culprits, more so figure out how in hell you ended up with so many fever blisters on your upper lip. Let’s tap into the biological repulsiveness of cold sores.

So…How Do Cold Sores Develop?

Cold weather: Cracked lips and lack of moisturize will bring about these bumps.
Damaged facial tissues: Sensitive spots like your lips can be easily injured through severe irritation.
Dental trauma: Many cases have been reported of people noticing blisters after having extensive dental work.
Fever: Elevated temperatures can prompt the formation of blisters.
Excessive sunlight: UV rays won’t just damage your skin, but your lips as well.
Stress: Commonly linked with mental and physical ailments, stressors tear down your immune system and trigger the condition.

As you can see, many factors provoke oral herpes. Wait…herpes? Exactly. Catch your breath. It’s just the PC term for herpes simplex virus type 1 aka cold sores. This doesn’t exactly put you in Usher territory (praise up for that one). Though like unprotected sex, this is also a viral infection you can contract from direct skin contact.

Prevention and Treatments

The first cold sore is always the worst, but once produced, the virus remains in your system forever by living inside nerve cells beneath the skin’s surface. Some of us develop a certain immunity to the condition over time. Others, well, not so much. As a way of sparking the healing process, consider practicing some of these preventative measures.

Doctors say cold sores generally clear up without treatment anywhere between two to four weeks. Now is that really a committable time frame for any man vulnerable to future outbreaks, or public ridicule? Nope. One bump itself calls for an alleviation. And we have some of the best cold sore treatments money can buy, per category.

Topical Creams

Abreva

A nonprescription mainstay, this antiviral ointment blocks the virus from penetrating healthy skin cells and spreading the infection. It relies on active ingredients such as docosanol (10%), a saturated fatty alcohol that acts as a moisturizer and stabilizer to shorten the duration of symptoms. Applying it five times a day expedites healing and clears out bacteria. Universal acclaim and clinical recommendations deem it the must-have.
$14.99 at Amazon.com

Zilactin Cold Sore Gel

When the pain becomes unbearable, smear some of this gel on your lips. While promoted as a healer, Zilactin is more of an alleviator that contains benzyl alcohol to stop germs from spreading and sooth any itchiness or inflammation. The formula does form a “patented bio adhesive” upon application that covers the sore from coming in contact with free radicals. This same film is easily removable by applying a second coat on top of it and instantly wiping the area off. So it’s not only potent in use, but also easy to use.
$10.00 at Amazon.com

Campho-Phenique Cold Sore Treatment

If Abreva seems a bit out of your budget, just know this alternative has you lips covered, literally. Fever blisters are met with a maximum strength formula that cools and dries out the cold sore to maintain a scab-free surface. Speaking from firsthand experience, I found it to work faster than Abreva, especially on minor abrasions without leaving behind oily residue. You can’t go wrong at that price, and if so, a few more bucks will warrant you any of the two selections above.
$3.98 at Amazon.com

Natural Oils

Nature’s Answer Alcohol-Free Licorice Root

Licorice root is a more palatable and safer option than the rest, yet proves to be almost as effective by inhibiting virus cells and counteracting symptoms. Credit this to the anti-inflammatory compounds and acid it hosts. Give those puckers some comfort with a few drops. Eating licorice snacks and sipping licorice tea are two other alternatives to take into account.
$9.76 at Amazon.com

Herb Pharm Lemon Balm Extract

Lemon balm carries antiviral properties that provide your lips some shielding against oral herpes. Research even suggests treating cold sores during its early stages with this extract is most effective – shortening heal time and other harmful conditions. Herb Pharm’s organic potion absorbs instantly onto lips and supports the nervous system from serious neurological complications like encephalitis, which can lead to a host of other illness-related symptoms.
$16.99 at Amazon.com

Pills

NOW L-Lysine Double Strength Tablets

Most people make l-lysine pills part of their diet for several reasons, the majority dealing with skincare issues. L-lysine itself is an amino acid praised for carrying preventive and healing properties that neutralize certain substances in various foods responsible for triggering cold sores. Consuming it reduces anxiety and relieves shingles as well. A recommended 100 mg dose should do the average man good.
$7.45 at Amazon.com

Puritan’s Pride Bee Propolis Caps

A resin material that bees collect from botanicals, propolis is rich in antioxidants and antiviral elements tp tame herpes replication. An ointment might work, but why deprive yourself of taking in the amino acids, minerals, and vitamins awarded from swallowing these beneficial caps. Daily dosages once to several times a day will make inflammation docile and heal sores quicker.
$10.00 at Amazon.com

Wild Cards Treatments

Herpecin-L Lip Balm Stick

Unlike the market’s other popular lip balms, this one is specifically designed to protect and treat bumpy lips. Its unique formula features dimethicone, an active ingredient that serves as a skin protectant and healing agent, along with SPF compounds that act as sunscreen. Allow it 15 minutes to penetrate sores and deliver a soothing sensation to do away with the burn, while keeping lips moisturized.
$4.44 at Amazon.com

Desitin Maximum Strength

Diaper rash cream? Really? Using it is probably no more shameful than that harvested plantation of herpes you have sprouting up there. A study conducted back in 2011 showed zinc oxide to be an aggressive ingredient that cured cold sores in one-and-a-half days sooner than those treated with most other treatments. With it being a popular additive in Desitin, one might expect the same results such as reduced blistering, itching, and soreness.
$3.60 at Amazon.com

Compeed Cold Sore Patches

Kill off the circulation of ruptured blisters and reduce the risk of contamination by sealing them off with these circular lip adhesives. This option is particular is said to heal cold sores “at a comparable speed to acyclovir 5% cream” for faster treatment. Whether or not this is true more so depends on the severity of your condition. But it does aid in preventing scab formations, plus keeps blisters moisturized so they don't crack open and jizz fluid that spreads HSV-1.
$9.99 at Amazon.com

DIY Home Remedies

Yogi Echinacea Immune Support Tea

The echinacea plant boasts a variety of health benefits – reducing symptoms of colds, flu and other infections. Sharing a cup of Yogi’s specialty tea will definitely bolster your immune system, and its defenses to halt further outbreaks. When making it, let the tea steep for about 10 minutes and proceed to squeeze as much juice as you can out of it. This will ensure you get all that extra lip-healing juju out.
$19.34 at Amazon.com

Swan Hydrogen Peroxide

A product that costs cheaper than the shipping, yet remains arguably the most effective antiseptic for abrasions and cuts, hydrogen peroxide is overlooked as a cold sore treatment. Shame too considering how great it works to disinfect them. Swab down the blister to kill any lingering bacteria and let it breath for about 5 minutes, just enough time to dry, rinse, and air it out.
$1.51 at Amazon.com

Crest 3D White Luxe Glamorous White Whitening Toothpaste

More of a temporary pain reliever with the capabilities of calming irritation, most toothpastes can help make cold sores “less noticeable” and dry out these suckers fast. Opt for a whitening toothpaste instead of a gel, one free of irritants like SLS, as the ingredient may aggravate the blister and transform it into a canker sore. Stick to our Editor’s Pick for manage any discomfort, while purging the mouth of oral filth and warranting pearly whites. Maybe even consider another DIY hack such as mixing salt and toothpaste for cold sore application. Heard that works too.
$7.44 (2-Pack) at Amazon.com