The first thing that happens when you get a cold sore is often that you notice that tingly feeling on your lip. The next thing: It’s pretty common to get anxious about how to get rid of it, fast. Cold sores, obviously, are super uncomfortable and not-great looking. Yeah, knowing that they clear up on their own in a month—and that you’ll have to endure the redness, crusting and oozing that the blisters bring—isn’t much of a consolation.
Fortunately, there are over-the-counter and prescription cold sore treatments that can speed up healing, especially if you start treating your cold sores at the earliest sign. Here’s what cold sores actually are, how they form, and how you can prevent outbreaks altogether.
What are cold sores, anyway?
Cold sores are usually caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). That’s a strain of the virus that’s closely related to the HSV-2 virus that’s responsible for genital blisters. These are just two of the eight types of viruses in the herpes family that affect humans—another well-known one causes chickenpox (herpes zoster).
It used to be that HSV-2 was the virus mostly seen in genital herpes and HSV-1 in cold sores. But today, both viruses can be found in either place and cause symptoms for you there, and both can be spread by oral sex. (Here’s more about what to know when it comes to sex and HSV).
Preventing cold sores
Once you pick up the cold sore virus—lots of people pick up HSV-1 in their first six months to three years of life—it sits dormant in your nerve cells. In fact, the word herpes comes from the Greek word “to creep,” since the virus tends to creep along a nerve pathway and sit at the end until a trigger prompts it to rear its ugly head again.
So the best way to avoid an outbreak is to reduce your exposure to certain triggers, although that can, admittedly, be pretty tough. Classic triggers include exposure to sunlight, stress, physical stress, being sick with a common cold or fever, getting a minor injury or having cracks in the lips, and using steroids.
Since triggers can be hard to avoid, the next-best thing to do is to catch a cold sore early. One thing about cold sores is that they often give you a heads-up via symptoms like tingling, itching, inflammation, or soreness where the fever blister is about to appear. Doctors call this the “prodromal stage,” and it actually does you a favor. If you catch a cold sore in the early stages and call a doctor to get an antiviral medication, you may prevent a cold sore from breaking out—or at least keep it from sticking around so long. Here’s how to make the healing process go as quickly as possible.
How to get rid of cold sores fast
1) Use an antiviral medication
Topical over-the-counter meds don’t work as well as prescription antivirals as cold sore treatments, says Bruce Robinson, M.D., a dermatologist in private practice in New York City and clinical instructor of dermatology at Lenox Hill Hospital. Over-the-counter creams may provide relief from the tingling and burning, but they aren’t the best option if you want sores gone fast.
The best way to treat cold sores is to start treatment early—in that prodromal stage—with a prescription oral antiviral medication like valacyclovir (which you probably know as Valtrex), says Lorraine Young, M.D., co-chief of dermatology clinical services at UCLA. A common regimen is to take 2,000 milligrams in the morning and again later on in the day. This “decreases the virus from replicating, so then it will help it to heal faster,” says Dr. Young. It may even prevent the cold sore from erupting in the first place.
There’s even a newish way to get this medicine; there’s a form of acyclovir that you can put between your lip and gum on the side the cold sore is erupting on. It sits there and dissolves slowly throughout the day, offering your body a steady stream of medicine to tame the virus.
2) Add a steroid cream
A topical steroid cream (like cortisone) can help reduce the inflammation associated with the sores, which can make the pain, redness, and irritation feel a little less annoying.
Important note: Steroid creams are only an option if you’re on antiviral drugs. Remember the thing about steroids triggering breakouts? Steroids decrease your body’s ability to fight infections, so you have to be careful with them.
“If you just did the cream without viral therapy, you would be feeding the cold sore infection,” says Dr. Young. “But if you’re on the antiviral medicines, that could help decrease the symptoms.” Don’t put any kind of covering on top of the blister, as air speeds up healing.
3) Make your own cold sore solution
Dr. Robinson advises making a cold sore treatment solution with Domeboro, an over-the-counter powder available at drugstores that helps with skin irritation (lots of people use it to soothe poison ivy rashes). Just dissolve the tablets or powder in about 12 to 16 ounces of water. You’ll notice some gunk at the bottom of the glass—that’s okay.
Then dunk a thin cloth, like a handkerchief or pillowcase, into the glass. Wring it out and lay it on the blistering area for about 15 to 30 minutes. Repeat two to three times a day until the sores dry out. (Make a new batch of the solution each time.) It takes some effort, but many people find the effort to be worth it.
“It sucks the moisture and water out of the blister,” says Dr. Robinson. “I can get someone who has an outbreak to scab within three days using that—which otherwise might take a week to 10 days.”
Once it’s dry, stop the soaks and keep the area moist with a topical antibiotic ointment like Neosporin. This helps prevent secondary bacterial infection—meaning it keeps any opportunistic bacteria from jumping into the broken skin and causing you more trouble—and aids the healing process. Another way to keep bacteria out: don’t pop the blister! “People pick at anything on their skin, so it can be tempting to do that,” says Dr. Young. If you get an additional infection, that not only makes the sore stick around longer, it can also lead to scarring.
4) Use cold compresses
Reduce swelling and irritation with a cool, wet towel. Apply that cold compress for five to 10 minutes several times a day as the blister heals. Also, to keep irritation to a minimum, avoid foods that are particularly acidic, like tomatoes and oranges.
5) Consider lysine
This amino acid comes in pills and ointments, and there’s some evidence that it’s useful for chasing cold sores. But it’s not for everyone—it can cause stomach pain and diarrhea, and it can change how your body takes up calcium, so don’t use this amino acid and calcium at the same time.
6) Try aloe vera
While it won’t zap cold sores overnight, aloe vera has been found to reduce the pain associated with cold sores. It also contains vitamins A, C, and E, which may help to expedite the healing process.
7) Apply or consume lemon balm
Recent research has shown that the benefits of lemon balm can include protecting you from certain viruses, including HSV-1, by preventing cells in the body from attaching themselves to the virus and reproducing. You can use this remedy by using a lip balm containing lemon balm (and if it’s too hard to find, you could DIY it by mixing unflavored lip balm or petroleum jelly with lemon balm), or soaking a warm compress in it and applying it to your lips.
8) Wear sunscreen
If you’re currently experiencing a cold sore outbreak, wearing sunscreen can prevent further irritation while it heals, and also reduce your chance of future flare-ups when worn regularly.
For nearly 10 years, Christa has created health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness content that’s steeped in science but engaging enough that people actually want to read it. She’s tuned in to all the latest research that people with an athletic lifestyle need to know, and prides herself on helping her readers apply it to their everyday lives.
Contributing Writer
Emilia Benton is a Houston-based freelance writer and editor. In addition to Runner’s World, she has contributed health, fitness and wellness content to Women’s Health, SELF, Prevention, Healthline, and the Houston Chronicle, among other publications. She is also an 11-time marathoner, a USATF Level 1-certified running coach, and an avid traveler.
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