Cold sores on your lips are extremely common. In fact, more than 90% of the people are known to suffer from cold sores at one time or the other. But, unlike acne, cold sores are actually quite easy to get rid of. In most cases, cold sores are caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus. Since they’re very contagious in nature, you can easily end up transferring cold sores as well.

Symptoms of Cold Sores
One of the first signs of cold sores is a tingling or an itching sensation around your lip or mouth area. You should start noticing small blisters in the area that seem to be filled with fluid. In most cases, cold sores last for about 8 – 10 days, after which they burst and heal themselves. For most people, the first infection tends to have the worst symptoms. Since your lips and your mouth area are most affected by cold sores, it always helps to understand how to get rid of them. Just imagine having to walk around with a blatantly obvious cold sore right below your lips and you’ll realize why getting rid of them as soon as possible is so important.

How to Prevent Cold Sores
For almost 25% of the people, cold sores is an issue that keeps cropping up from time to time. However, you can expect the outbreak and the symptoms to be milder every single time. Preventing cold sores can be extremely tricky because one might unwillingly pass them onto another person, even when they have no symptoms whatsoever. After all, mistaking a cold sore for a pimple is quite common. Here are a few tips on how to prevent cold sores.

  • Refrain from kissing a person with a cold sore – If your friend or your partner has a cold sore, it makes sense to refrain from kissing them until it heals itself.
  • Avoid sharing utensils – Try to avoid sharing coffee mugs and utensils with a person suffering from a cold sore. You could end up catching the infection via spoons, forks, napkins, plates as well as towels.
  • Lower your stress levels – One of the most common reasons of recurring cold sores is excessive stress. Lower your stress levels, maintain a balanced diet and sleep properly to get your skin back on track.
  • Protect your lips from sun damage – Exposing your lips to the harmful UV rays of the sun might as well trigger yet another outbreak of cold sores. To prevent this from happening, use sunscreens and SPF lip balms to prevent exposing your lips to the sun.
  • Wash your hands after touching a cold sore – Make sure that you always wash your hands if you happen to touch a cold sore. You might not just transfer the virus to another person, you might end up giving yourself a cold sore outbreak on some other part of your body as well.

Remedies for Cold Sores
You don’t really need any particular remedies for cold sores as they go away on their own, but you can look at things like pain relievers like Tylenol or Advil or topical skin care products to make them go away faster. If you’re suffering from frequent outbreaks, it’s always best to visit a skin specialist for a check-up.