Almost all of us in the USA now carry the cold sore virus (herpes simplex) in our bodies. It never goes away but lives on in the infected nerve cells. Sun, stress and irritation of the area are ‘triggers’ that can wake up the virus. It then moves down the nerve endings to cause another infection at the tip of the nerve ending. These infections can occur anywhere in the body. We really don’t want them to spread if we can help it.
You may not even know you have a re-activation. You may see a slightly crusty red spot on your skin. Or your lips may feel unusually dry and a little swollen and don’t get better on their own. A lot of facial cosmetic treatments can trigger a re-activation. Prevention is much easier on your body than treating it.
These Cosmetic Treatments are the Culprits:
- Laser skin treatments.
- Radiofrequency skin treatments.
- Lip fillers.
- Microneedling
Procedures that do not require treatment
- Botox,
- Facial fillers other than lips
- Surgical procedures on the face, as long there is no active infection.
The infection is very important to treat because it can cause scarring. Prevention only takes three days. Treating a re-activation may need medication for a month or longer. So, it is best to prevent it.
This is our approach:
- Three days of preventive Valtrex (valcyclovir) pills, starting the day before treatment through the day after treatment.
- Lysine tablets sold in pharmacies. They may reduce re-activation.
- Topicals, e.g. Abreva around the skin of a previous re-activation.
These over-the-counter remedies are not enough on their own.
Preventing a reactivation with medication is definitely safest for you.