To tell you how I cleared my problem spots/ cold sores?!

[LiterallyCantBelieveIt]

Hi all!

Grim subject I know but I just wanted to spread the news about something miraculous that worked for me!

To cut a long story short, I've had a very stressy year and my skin has responded by going into never-ending cycles of hormonal type break-outs around the chin area and to make me look especially beautiful, I've had endless breakouts of cold sores too. Yay me!

Tried everything and was just about giving up. I'm 33 and my skin was worse than I'd ever experienced, even as a teenager.

So finally, I decided to buy some supplements - I won't say which because I don't want to give anybody the impression that I'm advertising and there are loads of brand available. Three weeks ago I bought zinc/magnesium/B6 (combined pill - really just bought them for the zinc but thought the other things might help) for the spots and a massive pack of L-Lysine for my cold sores. I didn't quite believe they would work but thought it worth a go.

FUCK ME! My skin is completely, completely clear! I've been taking these pills for three weeks and one week in, I had zero blemishes. Zero! ONE WEEK IN! I decided my period would be the big test but that's come and gone and I've gained not one spot. Not one!

So obviously, I'm all evangelical now and wanted to spread the word far and wide. Stop wasting your money on lotions and potions (although admittedly, I still do use a hyaluronic moisturiser daily and an acid peel weekly - but I've been doing that for four months with no significant difference), try these supplements!

I genuinely want strangers to feel my skin. It is oh so smooth So this is the next best thing. By the way, I know not everything works for everybody so this just might be my 'cure' but it's worth a go if, like me, you've tried everything and you are getting no results.

I am popping over to amazon for a look now. I take Diannette for my skin and it works wonders but the second I come off it they come back.

My dd started taking zinc supplements for something else and they cleared her skin beautifully.

I believe you...I take l-lysine but you need to take it for 6months, take a break for at least a few months. If you overdo the b6 you can end up with nerve issues too so don't take more than 100mg and take breaks

Holland & Barrett are even cheaper

I've recently started taking proper care of my skin and whilst I thought all the palaver was a load of bunk my skin is transformed.

It takes way more time than I can be arsed with most of the time though.

Thanks op. I just need a miracle cure for toenail fungus now please.

Peroxide for fungal toenails. Seriously. Last year I bought a small bottle from Super drug in the hair dye section and rubbed a bit into my manky toenail every few hours for a week. The fungal bit has grown off and the new growth has no signs of it at all.

I was considering using domestos

I will try that Wildthyme. I remember someone on here once swearing by Cilitbang...

Sudocreme's fantastic for spots/redness.

And it's much cheaper than most of the specialist acne products.

Well done OP!

Any rosacea tips out there?

My recent discovery that may help a few people is that tea tree oil mixed with coconut oil and applied direct to your fanjo is the perfect cure for repeated bouts of thrush :-) Yay.

What is MLM btw?

MLM are those annoying companies that some women (mostly) 'work' for. The ones where they start trying to flog you aloe vera juice and magical and overpriced toothpastes or mascaras via Facebook. All a massive scam.

Surfskate thanks for adding that. I hadn't realised so I'll take a break at the relevant time.

I've just been reading by the way (just internet stuff so not sure how reliable) and the consensus seems to be that supplements are more effective than topical zinc, for those considering the options.

MyThreeKnights coconut oil really is wonder stuff. It makes for a great conditioner.

I use an Lysine balm from Holland and Barrett as well as the tablets. I do think they have reduced my cold sore outbreaks. The antiviral creams and tablets never helped.

I had this all-out desperate spending spree to fix myself a few weeks back (when I bought the vitamins). I've bought two rounds of the antivirals Firstword and a bunch of creams etc. But I've not had to use any of it so far. I'm hoping I never do.

Oooh, I also discovered L-lysine a few years ago! Was very skeptical but it's amazing. I don't even take it every day. If I feel a cold sore coming on I take 2 immediately. Then I take one a day for a few days. Most of the time now the cold sore doesn't materialise and if it does, it's there for a much shorter period and it's not nearly as painful as it used to be.

I'm going to try the zinc supplements, thanks! I have much worse skin now in my 40's than I had in my teens

Or people could eat better, and get those nutrients via food.

I track my micronutrient intake on Cronometer, and have felt much healthier since I started doing so, and made sure I was getting enough of everything.

Wish there was a supplement that could give me
More energy

@VenusClapTrap try Vicks. DH's podiatrist said it was far more effective than any of products designed for fungal toenails.

Ooh thanks Badger.

Dorset: iron and b6 worth a go if you aren’t already taking these

I found L-lysine brilliant for reducing my cold sore outbreaks (I was getting three or four at a time) reason being that its thought that lysine blocks another amino acid called arginine, which HSV-1 needs in order to grow. If you google, you can find which foods are high in Lysine and low in Arginine - I now don’t take a supplement, just manage mine by diet (dried apricot anyone?) and I know it works because if I do accidentally eat food high in Arginine, I almost immediately get a breakout of cold sores.

Rosie apparently it's really hard to get enough L-Lysine if you are a vegetarian or vegan. I'm not vegetarian but I hardly eat meat.

I agree with what you are saying though. I always try to eat healthily and my partner (the household cook) is a 'clean eating' enthusiast so we generally do eat really very well. It just wasn't working for me which was really disheartening. I eat so much kale I should be shining with health!

Same here Kinky - mine were getting to the stage where one was followed immediately by three others. It was genuinely so depressing.

I'm going to miss out high arginine foods from now on, or at least scale them down. I do love peanuts though and they are high in arginine

Love this thread - thanks guys!

If people have bought these supplements, it'd be great to hear whether they worked for you as they did for me. I hope so.

Mumsnetters everywhere will be easy to spot for their gorgeous glowing skin!

I don't even get the tingling sensation that everyone talks about, it's just wham, hello cold sore.

I was coming back to ask what strength you buy but see you've answered already. Off to order!