Common Cold Sore Myths
While approximately 20% to 40% of the population suffer from recurrent cold sores, treatments have not improved much over the past 20 years. There is also an increasing amount of viral resistance to the prescription drugs available. Surveys show that the vast majority of cold sore sufferers are not happy with their current cold sore treatment, or have found nothing that works well for them. Below, we address some common cold sore myths.
A common misconception is that cold sores only happen during cold weather, or when you actually have a cold. There is no universal cause of cold sores, and they have a wide range of triggers. These include stress, hormonal changes, injuries, sun or cold wind exposure, as well as a cold or viral illness which weakens your immune system, giving the HSV-1 virus an opening for a flare up.
Some people believe that cold sores can only affect adults. In fact, the HSV-1 virus is so contagious and so widespread that exposure in childhood is common. Children may become ill with their first infection with a sore throat and fever, as well as the cold sore blisters. While these fluid-filled blisters are rarely serious, they can itch, burn, ooze, crust over, and stay for a week or more.
Another myth is that once you get a cold sore, you have lifetime immunity. The truth is the opposite – once you are infected, the herpes simplex virus 1 stays in your body for a lifetime. It travels to the nerve cells at the base of your brain, where it can be inactive for years. When your immune system is weakened, the virus can be reactivated, causing cold sores.
Many believe cold sores happen only on the lips, however they can also appear on your tongue, cheek, eyes, or your genital area. While rare, blisters in the eye area can be dangerous to your vision, and you should contact your health care provider immediately. If you nibble on your finger during a breakout, you may see blisters there.
Cold sores are not the same as genital herpes. Although HSV-1 and the HSV-2 virus that causes genital herpes are closely related, they are not identical. That said, both viruses can live on the mouth, lips, or genital area, and can be transferred during sexual activities. There is no cure for cold sores, but there are various prescription and over-the-counter treatments to reduce the duration and severity of an outbreak, or reduce pain and itching. These work well for some people, but not for most – in general the studies have shown that the primary treatments reduce a 5-day outbreak by only about half a day.
NextLeap Cosmetic for Cold Sores is a revolutionary new product designed to address cold sores using the brightening powers of tranexamic acid, which is widely utilized in cosmetics to address skin discoloration, primarily caused by sun damage and aging. The broad definition of “cosmetic” is anything that affects appearance, which can include concealers and make-up as well as things that work in other ways, like dark spot correctors that brighten the affected area. NextLeap is a clear serum, not a cover-up type of cosmetic, that can be used effectively for skin discoloration, ideally underneath an existing dark spot corrector, hydration, or exfoliation product for greater effect.
However, NextLeap has been formulated to address the skin discoloration caused by cold sores as well. NextLeap works well by itself, but you may get even faster results by using it underneath Abreva or other topical cold sore products, because they work in different ways. Our customers report consistent resolution of the appearance of an outbreak within 24-48 hours if used at symptom onset – and often before it’s noticeable if used at first tingle. Still helps if used later, after noticeable outbreak has started.
