Coldsores

[monkeysmama]

I know this doesn't seem like a Style & Beauty question but it kind of is.

I get awful coldsores and currently have 3 on my lips and one just above my lips . Lovely.

I am going to a leaving do on Tuesday and a baptism on Saturday and need to look good. How can I cover up the coldsores?

I've tried those little fiddly covers (like the blister plasters) but they fall off.

Anyone with any more helfpul coldsore advice will get a virtual high five from me as thanks.

MM

Those compeed patches work, these are your best bet. Is this what you are using already? Zovirax to speed things up? Are they blisters? crusty? scabs?

I wouldn't worry, everyone will understand and no one will care to be honest.

Get thee to a Gp - oral acyclovir [zovirax] in tablet form. They won't want to do it, but it will work wonders.

I used to be on the drug everysingle day, as i got massive attacks with every period.

Also lysine supplements longer term.

I am currently sporting a fetching compeed plaster .They only really work if you start using them at the first sign of sore.

If you already have full blow ones there isn't really much you can do except use the ointment.I suppose the compped plasters may help to disguise them on the day.

zovirax cream, but you have to get it on at the first tingle for best results.

or tea tree oil, but its not as good.

Compeed patches are like glueing a piece of plastic onto yourself! I pulled one off last time and it pulled the coldsore off with it! It left an open sore. They wrinkle up aswell as they are not as elastic as your skin.

I really haven't got on with the Compeed patches.

I have a house (& every handbag) full of Zovirax to be handy for the first tingle and am covered in it now. Also have some Zovirax tablets I bought in Italy where the sell them over the counter. They do seem better than the cream but am bfing and have been told I shouldn't take them now.

I might experiment with a Compeed thing and lipstick .

Boots do a cold sore relief lotion that is really good once they are out, it's basically alcohol and dries them out really quickly. Once they have dried/scabbed, get some aloe vera on them to speed up healing.

Take L-lysine supplements if you can, eat lots of tuna if you can't. I also rely on the Aciclovir tablets as I get bad outbreaks when I am run down and they are the only thing that seems to really really work but no good to you now.

I don't like the patches either, they seem to keep them moist and prolong healing ime but I know some people like them. Good luck, they are horrid horrid things.

If it's a blister then just slap some lipstick on it, if it's a scab then there isn't alot you can do about it, just paint round. If it's a red spot, get some green conceller (sp?) (yes, green!), dab some on, then go over it with your normal foundation before putting lipstick on it. The green calms the redness down.

Ice wrapped in a muslin held on it to reduce any swelling too.

Acyclovir has been used in pregnant and breastfeeding women - though of course you may prefer not too, quite understandable. It's a balance isn't it?

You have my sympathy - I spent the fortnight before my wedding doing frantic mirror checks and taking the tablets.

They are awful awful things. If yo have delayed healing too, get some antibiotic ointment if you want to. It is not unusual for the open sore to be impetigo as well as the viral infection. Joy.

I'd recommend the lysine too. It won't clear your sores up by Tuesday but they may very well be away by Saturday - it's worked for me in the past really well. Zovirax on the other hand doesn't work on me at all, no matter how early I get it on the tingle. I sympathise - I get coldsores pretty often and utterly hate them.

Thanks for all these suggestions. Tried taking lysene years ago. Will give it another go-going on holiday soon & they always come out in force on my nose & cheeks in the sun. Lovely!

Use one drop of Melissa oil on each blister or when the tingle first starts.

You need to look for Melissa Officianalis and not "nature identical" as it doesn't have the same properties, just same smell.

Melissa is a fab anti-viral and I use it on my cold sores. Works a squillion times better than zovirax etc.

It is an expensive essential oil - approx £20 depending on whether its organic or not (the nature identical ones are very cheap - think £3 or so for a bottle) but it is worth it.

TRMJS - thank you very much. Before I start googling can you reccomend where to buy some?

Thanks again
MM

Try essentiallyoils.com. They have quite an old-fashioned site - you download their price list as a pdf and you can order either via email or phone. IIRC, their prices are exclusive of VAT.

Otherwise try nealsyardremedies.com . Their oils are also excellent and I often use them in my practice.

also Quinessence have an excellent reputation and are slightly cheaper than the other two stores when I checked online prices

Some dentists offer ozone treatment for cold sores but you have to pay and it has to be done at the first tingly sign of one to be of help.

I tried it once but the CS was too far along to be stoped iirc.

I hate hate cold sores; they are awful horrid things. Symapthies

I have a whopper atm , bigger than the compeed plaster.

Anything that will help it heal faster??

I've found Fenestril the best thing to use, Zovirax burnt a hole in my lip!

moshhie-can you get fenestril over the counter?

Yes, it used to be prescription only under a different name but over the counter now as Fenestril - good stuff.

ANOTHER VOTE FOR MASSES OF LYSINE - ALSO (sorry just noticed CL on) tea bags - still hottish, but squeezed out and held against the buggers - mine were drying out within the day (did look a little orange for a bit)