After your visit
Cold Sores: Protecting Your Skin and Other People
A cold sore affects more than the visible spot on your lip. During an outbreak, simple habits can reduce spread while you follow the treatment plan. Keep medicines and personal items separate, and avoid touching the area unnecessarily.
What to do next
- Avoid kissing and oral sexual contact during an outbreak. Be especially careful to avoid exposing newborns.
- Do not share lip products, razors, towels, or items that contact the sore.
- Wash your hands after touching the area or applying treatment. Avoid touching your eyes.
- Use the treatment your clinician recommended. Keep a record of when symptoms began and how often outbreaks recur.
When to contact your care team
Seek prompt care for eye pain, redness, light sensitivity, or sores near the eye. Contact a clinician if sores are severe, fail to heal, or occur while your immune system is weakened. Herpes can also spread when no sore is visible; outbreak precautions do not eliminate all transmission risk.
Put it into practice
At follow-up, describe how often outbreaks interrupt eating, work, or relationships. That helps the clinician discuss whether your current strategy fits your needs. Do not apply another person’s prescription or assume every lip lesion is a cold sore.
Notes for your next visit
Write these in your own notes or on a printed copy. Bring them to your follow-up.
- First symptom and date:
- Treatment started and response:
- Questions about preventing future outbreaks:
Sources and further reading
General education for adults. Follow your clinician’s individual plan and the current instructions for your prescribed product. If instructions conflict, ask your clinician or pharmacist to clarify. For a medical emergency, call 911.