Cold sore scar

[scars101]

Hello Terri,
I recently had a cold sore OB on the right side of my lower lip edge (12/2/15). I took valacyclovir as prescribed and it went away but left a scar on the edge of lip, it kind of reddish but mostly just darker than my skin color (it was both on the edge of my lip & skin). The skin is intact but I am worried it is still contagious. I know about asymptomatic shedding and that technically I can be contagious at any moment but does this cold sore scar put me at a higher risk?

I am scared about passing it to my kiddo and even though I never touch it, he is a toddler and I am scared he may touch it on accident and that he will get it.

So my questions are:
1. Is the scar contagious? (skin is intact and it feel like normal skin when I touch it)
2. How long does it take to go away?
3. Is there anything I can put on it to make it go away faster? I have heard of people using mederma, topical steroids, neosporin, etc.

Thank you & happy holidays.

[Terri Warren]

Generally, a scar is not infectious, no, and since you know about asymptomatic shedding, you know there is always a slight risk of shedding. I don’t know how long it will take to go away, you might try some arnica, that helps some people. But in terms of your child, I’m not AT ALL concerned about him touching the scar and getting herpes. When someone has an active cold sore, it’s best not to kiss a child on the lips, but this? No worries, from my point of view.

Terri

[scars101]

Thank tou for putting my kind at ease. But what exactly is it about a cold sore that makes it contagious? Is it the fluid? The skin? Mine, like I described above, is just a red little dot. No sensations and the part of my lip that had the lesion is completely normal, no discoloration.
I also take valcyclovir suppressive therapy 500mg daily. I used to get really bad outbreak before being put on this.

But anyways, just to clarify. The scar I have now I now more contagious than I would be had I never even had this cold sore, correct?

I’ve read articles that day you are still contagious til the lesion is completely healed and as it is scarred I feel like it is not completely healed. Is this irrational?

Can I go back to normal? As in touching my face like I would normally and wearing lipgloss, etc.? I just don’t want to break out the way I used to, or worse pass it on to my kiddo.

Again, thank you in advance.

[Terri Warren]

It is mostly the fluid but you can also probably contract HSV 2 from the scab as well. The scar, once the scab is gone, is not infectious.
Are you more infectious with HSV 1 now that you’ve had an outbreak, is that what you are asking? but this isn’t your first cold sore, right? You are not more infectious now that you have a scar vs. when you were getting cold sores without a scar. Is that what you are asking me?
The time you need to start to worry about transmission is when you start feeling the cold sore coming on to when the scab falls off. I believe you can get back to normal now.
Let me know if I didn’t make sense of your question.

Terri

[scars101]

I guess I am more concerned about this one because it never really scabbed. I got it, took the valacyclovir, and it never got to the giant blister stage. They just stayed as little bumps and flaked a bit til it didn’t flake at all and all that was left was a red mark. Intact, but red.
I went to my aesthetician last week and she said she had a similar problem and she ended up using a low dose glycolic peel and it went away.

I remember my dermatologist telling me about this as I had scarring from pimples, but then telling me it could cause a cold sore outbreak.
Do you recommend a low dose peel for a cold sore scar at the edge of the lip? or would that just cause another outbreak. Again, I would be on suppression therapy, 500mg BID, would that be enough?

[Terri Warren]

well, no, I don’t recommend this. Peals can cause herpes outbreaks to start as you are irritating the nerves. I’ve never heard about a peal as a treatment for a cold sore scar, sorry. Perhaps she has more experience with this than I do, but if you decide to do it, you might consider taking more like 2 grams, 12 hours apartment, just twice. That’s something to discuss with your provider. That is the cold sore treatment dose.

Terri

• This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by Terri Warren.

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