How to Stop a Cold Sore in the Early Stages

Worried you might be developing a cold sore? Cold sores, fluid-filled blisters that develop as a result of the two types of the herpes simplex virus HSV-1 or HSV-2 virus, are extremely common, affecting well over half the world’s population.

Stopping a cold sore before the first sign appears, cutting the healing time from two weeks to zero — most people would love a cold sore treatment that works before they actually have a cold sore. And the good news is that it’s possible… sometimes.

Below, we’ve covered the best ways to attack cold sores when and as they form, as well as the medications that are most effective for helping you treat, heal and remove cold sores as quickly as possible once they start to develop.

While it’s rarely possible to completely avoid a cold sore, treating it before it develops into a larger sore is a good way to limit its development and deal with a smaller, less obvious sore.

Because of this, it’s important to be aware of the initial warning signs of a cold sore. The faster you can act once you notice these symptoms, the less time the cold sore will have to break out and affect your lips, gums and mouth.

The first sign of a coming herpes simplex virus type 1 outbreak is typically itching or tingling around the lips. Normally, you’ll start to notice your lips itching or tingling for a day or two before the cold sore starts to form — a phase known as a “prodrome.” 

If you’ve had cold sore outbreaks before, you might find it easier to recognize this feeling than someone who has never been affected.

You can also be mindful of things that can increase your chance of an outbreak.

Cold Sore Triggers

Cold sores tend to be triggered by other conditions. It’s best to be extra attentive to the potential warning signs of a cold sore if any of these issues affect you, which include:

• Weakened immune system 

• Hormonal changes

• Fatigue

• Sun exposure

• Stress

• Existing skin conditions like eczema

If you’re looking for the magic answer to how to stop a herpes outbreak in its tracks, we’ve got some bad news: cold sores are not curable, and many people struggle to identify the signs of a cold sore beginning stage until the cold sore progression leads to the first blemish. That means that the odds are stacked against you. 

Luckily, the treatments are stacked for your assistance too.

Many cold sore medications are available over the counter (OTC) without a prescription. Typically, these products are topical creams and ointments that are applied directly to the sore. Sometimes, applying them early does increase your chance of containing sores — preventing them from appearing. Antiviral medications, which require a prescription, can also lessen the severity of an outbreak and minimize healing time.

Topical Medications

Topical medications are only effective on the area they’re applied, meaning you’ll need to use the medication over the area surrounding the cold sore as it begins to form.

Most topical medications will speed up the healing process, but they’re rarely the best option for preventing cold sores. 

There are several ways to treat cold sores while they’re still in the itching/tingling stage. If you rarely get cold sores, over-the-counter topical treatments like docosanol can provide a modest amount of relief and potentially shorten the amount of time needed for the cold sore to heal.

Antiviral Medication

Antiviral medication is designed to prevent the spread of the virus by stopping it from replicating within your body. This means a cold sore doesn’t have the same environment to grow in that it normally would, shortening its lifespan and making it smaller and less obvious.

Used early, antiviral medications like valacyclovir (Valtrex®) are scientifically proven to reduce the amount of time required for cold sores to heal. This means you can effectively “zap” a cold sore in its early cold sore stages and cut down the total amount of time required to heal.

Other oral antiviral medicine types used to treat cold sores include acyclovir and famciclovir, both of which have a similar mechanism of action to valacyclovir. All of these medications are available with a prescription, meaning you’ll need to see your healthcare provider before taking them.

Our guide to valacyclovir goes into more detail about how antiviral medications work to stop cold sores from developing and speed up the healing process, as well as things like common dosage instructions, potential side effects and the amount of time required for valacyclovir to work.

While it’s best to treat a cold sore during the itching/tingling beginning stage of cold sore progression (before it develops), doing so isn’t always possible.

Once a cold sore develops into an open sore, the treatment options are the same as before — topical medications such as docosanol and oral antiviral medications such as valacyclovir.

Cold sores can be quite painful after they develop, meaning you might also want to use an over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen as part of your collection of home remedies. It’s best to avoid eating spicy foods or hot liquids (such as hot tea or coffee), as these can sting if they touch an open cold sore. It’s also suggested to avoid salty foods and citrus.

Use a cold compress on the affected area. 

While healing a cold sore after it develops can be a slower process than treating it in the earlier stages, it can and will happen. Follow the instructions of your doctor and use medications such as valacyclovir as recommended, and within a few days, the sores will begin to heal.

Touching a cold sore also increases your risk of spreading the virus to other people. It can also irritate the sore, worsening the appearance of the cold sore and increasing the amount of time required for it to heal.

If you accidentally touch a cold sore, even when it’s in the beginning stages of cold sore development, wash your hands thoroughly as soon as possible. During this time, avoid sharing razors, toothbrushes and skin-to-skin contact and activities.

Also avoid oral sex, as cold sores (HSV-1) can also spread to the genitals. While HSV-1 on the genitals isn’t technically the typical genital herpes (HSV-2), it still happens. We talk more about the differences (and similarities) between these two types of herpes in our guide, HSV-1 vs. HSV-2: What’s the Difference?.

Beyond medication, there are also several tips and techniques you can use to speed up the cold sore healing process — and, just as importantly, to avoid accidentally making the outbreak worse.

• Avoid touching the cold sore. Cold sores contain infectious fluid that can affect other parts of your body. Touching an open cold sore is an easy way to transfer this fluid to your fingers and increase your risk of spreading it to your eyes, genitals or other parts of your body.

• Avoid using any non-pharmaceutical products to “treat” the cold sore. Things like facial moisturizers, cold sore lip balms and other products don’t speed up cold sore healing and are more likely to slow down the healing process than provide any improvement. Instead, stick to proven treatments like topical cold sore ointments and oral antiviral medications.

• Focus on a healthy lifestyle. Lack of sleep, excessive amounts of stress and a poor diet can all weaken your general health and slow down the healing process for a cold sore. Focus on sleeping well, eating well and avoiding too much stress until the sore heals.

Avoid any activity that could spread the cold sore to other people. Skin contact like kissing is best avoided until the sore is completely healed. It’s also best to avoid sharing things like dining utensils and facial towels when you have a visible cold sore.

Most of the time, treating a cold sore early will reduce the size to which it develops and shorten the healing process. But catching it can be hard. Here’s the big picture:

• Cold sores can be treated with topical medications, but it’s often difficult to stop them before they form.

• If you get frequent outbreaks, the best option is usually to treat your cold sores using oral antiviral medication.

• Most of the time, cold sores will heal on their own. If they don’t, it may be time to talk to a healthcare professional. 

• You may still be contagious, even if the sore is prevented from fully forming. 

• That means that even if you think you stopped it right at the first signal of a tingling sensation, it’s best to act as if you’re going to have to wait for it to clear up regardless.

Have more questions? We’ve got you covered with helpful explanations about asymptomatic herpes, herpes outbreak frequency and the best rules for kissing with cold sores.