How to Keep Cold Sores Dry

Cold sores not only look horrible, they also are painful.

Cold sores are an embarrassing and painful part of a lot of people's lives. As many as 80 percent of America is infected with the oral herpes simplex virus that causes cold sores and they can pop up as frequently as once a month. Once the cold sore has developed, a blister appears on the lip that can last anywhere from a few days to two weeks. Since cold sores can't be cured, the best thing you can do is try to treat them by drying them out.

Things You'll Need

• Tea tree oil
• Q-tips
• Cotton swabs
• Lysine tablets
• Nail polish remover
• Neosporin

Instructions

1. Buy lysine tablets from a local drugstore or pharmacy. Lysine is an essential amino acid for the body that can reduce the severity of cold sores and help dry up the blister. Follow the instructions on the bottle as to how many tablets you should take each day.

2. Pay attention to any tingling of your lips. Getting the cold sore at its earliest stage makes it a lot easier to treat than when you are dealing with the later stages. When you feel a slight tingle, use tea tree oil. Tea tree oil comes from the Australian tea tree, and is antiviral and antibacterial. Dab some onto your cold sore with a cotton swab several times a day.

3. Dip a cotton swab in nail polish remover and place it directly on the cold sore for 30 seconds. This will sting for a little bit but stay strong; it helps the sore dry out faster. Do this three times a day, at different times to the tea tree oil treatment, until a scab forms.

4. Apply an antibiotic ointment when the sore finally dries up. Apply often so that there is no scar and it heals faster.

5. Replace your toothbrush. Your toothbrush can keep the herpes virus in its bristles, so replace it once your cold sore is gone to reduce your chance of reinfection.

Tips & Warnings

• You also can use rubbing alcohol as a replacement for nail polish remover. Witch hazel can also be used to dry up a cold sore.

• Apply ice to the cold sore blister to ease the pain.

• Ask your doctor about obtaining an prescription medication if it doesn't go away.

References

• Pure Liquid Gold: Tea Tree Oil Uses
• University of Maryland: Lysine
• Mayo Clinic: Cold sore