Is this a cold sore?

[FootballOn]

Assistance needed please!
When you have the beginnings of a cold sore, what does it look like and how does it feel?

9yr old has a red dot on the outside of her lip and one red dot on her actual lip and says her lip feels dry/cracked even though it isn’t dry.
Is this a cold sore?

Can't tell. She should avoid touching it, and if it's a cold sore it will soon turn into a sort of transparent scab with a yellowish fluid visible beneath it. It would then usually crack apart leaving a raw area before properly scabbing over.

This is it now - coldsore?

It definitely could be. Is it itchy or tingly/painful? If it is I’d say it is.
I get cold sores often and some of them are very painful when they start out. Often the first sign looks like a small spot then it develops into blisters

Definitely could be…

Yeah but I wouldn't jump to that at this stage.

She says it’s not itchy or painful other than if she smiles (I think she means like if you have really dry cracked lips and smile, except her lips aren’t dry or cracked)

You will have a better idea over the next day or 2

You also have to take into consideration whether any relatives with the virus have kissed her, and whether she shares drinks with other people. If not then she wouldn't be exposed to the virus.

Shit just thought my toddler was blasting his sisters recorder all of yesterday
FFS

@Amiiee I asked her about this and she went to the park with friends a few days ago and confessed she had been drinking out of her friends water bottle despite having her own, so I’m guessing this is where it’s come from

Hope not, could be bacterial

I’ve just smothered some Zovirax on in case.
do you think it LOOKS like a coldsore?
Thanks for your replies ❤️

It looks identical to bacterial infection or graze on day 1.

Sorry what do you mean? Identical to day one of a cold sore?

Just that the first stage of a cold sore is only a small red area, same as the beginning of a bacterial infection or even just irritation. The difference you would see to tell better if it was a cold sore would have been in a day or 2

It doesn’t look like a typical cold sore to me but mine are usually huge unsightly things that always come up overnight so by the time I see them in the morning they’re well developed.
don’t panic if it does develop just make sure she doesn’t touch it and keep it clean give her her own face towel until it clears up.
looking at the picture again it looks like it could be a little blood blister or a tiny scrape/graze

I get cold sores. They are more blistery than that, a few small ones clustered together. They start more as a round patch, I think it’s a line on the first photo? The blisters form filled with fluid and then they burst and scab.

It looks more like a crack in her lip to me.

Hmm. Not sure this is accurate? People can carry the virus without ever showing symptoms. OP could easily have it without knowing.

Although, I also don’t think it looks like a typical cold sore.

It doesn't look like a Coldsore to me but that doesn't mean it isn't.

I don't think it looks like a cold sore. More like an insect bite. Ask her if it is tingling? A bit of zovirax won't hurt her though.

looks like she’s getting more little red bumps over her top lip now 🫣

Doesn't look like it to me. When I get a cold sore it's usually swollen, red and itchy before anything else appears and feels very obviously like something is going on with my lip.

I would refrain from putting anymore Zovirax on her lip, if you want to find out what it is

FWIW OP, I have a real fear of cold sores in my kids for reasons I won’t go into. I know they are harmless and so many of us carry the virus in our bodies anyway. I got in contact with the heroes association to ask some questions a while back and they confirmed to me they are ONLY passed by kissing. NOT sharing drinks/recorders etc with someone as the virus is fragile and dies outside the body. So as long as your daughter is careful not to kiss your toddler or anyone else (if it even is one which it doesn’t look like to me) you will all be ok x