Kerra S.

is modding

Bod Squad

Reoccurring Cold Sore

I have a cold sore on my lip that keeps coming back. What can I do about it?

Ouch. That nasty, festering splotch returns because it’s caused by a virus called herpes simplex type 1. Like most viruses, it never goes away—once you have it, it can attack throughout your lifetime. Sounds scary, but it’s not—one in four people gets cold sores, also called fever blisters. Herpes simplex type 2 causes a sexually transmitted disease that shows up “down there.” That’s not what you have. Type 1 is highly contagious, and girls can get it from sharing drinks or towels. Since a sore can stick around for 10 whole days, Dr. Jim Mitterando, South Shore Hospital, Weymouth, Mass., told us some ways to make it more tolerable: 1) Take Tylenol or Advil for pain, 2) put ice on the sore, 3) don’t pick it under any circumstances, or 4) see your doctor for Zovirax, which can shorten the outbreak. There’s no way to avoid cold sores since stress, your period and sunlight trigger them. But, as you get older, they’ll assail you less often.

BY ANDREA T. ON 11/26/2008 2:22:00 PM 81 COMMENTS

< PREVIOUS NEXT >

POST IT ON YOUR

E-MAIL

81 READER COMMENTS

I have a cold sore right now =[

5844366 on 5/20/2009 8:26:20 PM

hey you might try eating yogurt. it helps a lot!!!

zephyr190 on 4/16/2009 8:15:24 PM

if you have a cold sore, you can also eat yogurt. it doesnt matter what kinfd, but the bacteria in it will get rid of that cold sore in a few days or a week depending on how bad it is...

zephyr190 on 4/6/2009 7:56:44 PM

I have a really embarasing moment for yall. One time I had a cold sore and would not go away. I have a bf so we made out one night in his bedroom then the next day at school he came up too me with a big cold sore on his mouth he said " thanks for the cold sore!" and he said it really loud. so for some advice to u dont kiss any boys anytime soon!!!!( tilll it goes away)

jamie3215 on 4/5/2009 12:14:05 AM

i had a huge cold sore once and my chapped lips were even worse try Bert's Bees it beeswax and it may sound weird but it works!!!!

tomboysrokz on 12/24/2008 3:02:42 PM

i had a huge cold sore once and my chapped lips were even worse try Bert's Bees it beeswax and it may sound weird but it works!!!!

tomboysrokz on 12/24/2008 3:01:37 PM

ask mom 2 get u some vitamin b tablets and take 1 evry day will take patience ( about 2-3 weeks)

vollyballcrazi26 on 12/17/2008 5:56:40 PM

I NEED SOME makeup things you can make by yourself, i get these bumps on my face this time of year and 2 years ago my face swelled up and was flacky. luckly i didnt have skewl yet, but i dont want that to happen again. i dnt want ppl to think tht i have acne or zits and pimples. so i want to cover them up . but i cant wear make up yet so what should i put on it to cover it up? thnx!!!! multiple answers welcome!! from everyone !!!THANKS!!!!

kcto14 on 12/14/2008 1:51:59 PM

pop.lock.n.drop.it
i've got the same prob. i've learned to not let it bother me much, and that really helps!

♥elphie♥ on 12/12/2008 10:40:28 PM

i don't get cold sores

♥elphie♥ on 12/12/2008 10:39:28 PM

MOD!!!!!!!
ok...so i got my period like a year and a half ago. the first time was VERY heavy then skipped a few months...the other first few times -after a few months from the first-(when it was kinda unpredictable-i've never had really "random" periods) it was light, like i would use a light, maybe a regular tampon for about 4-6 hours. then, in august of this year, it started getting very heavy. i used a super tampon one day, and i remember it lasted 2 hours and it still leaked. so then i moved up to super plus, and those lasted for about 6 hours. now, my last period was heavy on the 1st and 2nd day, then the rest of the days it was lighter and my period was shorter...i started today again and its light.
should i be worried that my period was so heavy then light (so quickly)??? help! thank yah!\

Hey girlie, Nah, I wouldn't be worried. Flow can change at the drop of a hat and then switch back for no reason. xo Annemarie

nicole1044 on 12/9/2008 5:33:06 PM

thats sooo helpful!! thanks for letting me know about this.

narnianpirate on 12/8/2008 10:56:22 PM

i hate cold sore i usually bite them till they go away

laxluver1954 on 12/8/2008 7:06:31 PM

OMG! I always get cold sores before something big(birthday,play,christmas,etc),but using aberva makes it go away in like a few days!

iluvlibby on 12/8/2008 9:25:14 AM

*****MOD****
PLEASE HELP!!
we have to shower (nude) after gym class every day, and our teacher kinda stands there and watches us (ewww!). anyway, i'm on my period and i will be for the next few days. im not allowed to use tampons, and i dont want to have a bloody mess because i am really heavy. this is going to be really akward, but should i tell my pe teacher?? what do i say? plese help me i do not want to shower in front of all these other people when im on my PERIOD!!

swim_chick_hottie on 12/7/2008 10:54:12 PM

animegurl230! i have a round face too, and i got side bangs, and a layered haircut, and it looks really good...especially if u have curly hair, and u flat iron the bang...yeah...even if it's straight, it looks good...it also frames your face...

nirvanaluver on 12/7/2008 12:14:28 PM

mod- me and my ex bf broke up cause were not gonna c eachotha 4 a long time, but we promised eachotha we will b friends. he is goin out with this grl and stuff and iat first i didint care. but now is is being mean. he told my friendthat he doesnt care about me anymore cause we wont c eachotha. he also lied to me bout lots of sumthin. id understand he is lik the nicest pperson. now i am jealous wat should i do

Hey babe,

Talk to him and try to resolve everything.<3 Sherryn D.

Dance4lifex2 on 12/6/2008 8:35:09 PM

OMG Cold sores suck kuz they hurt. if u pick @ them the pain doesnt go away!!!!!!! i hate that!!!

danib10 on 12/6/2008 6:28:37 PM

ANYONE

k i've had side bangs since the end of summer & i'm STILL having trouble styling them. here's wat i usually do (even tho it never works): first i take a shower every morning. after that i wrap my hair up in a towel & get ready 4 school. when i'm done getting ready i take my hair outa the towel & blow dry it. then i straighten my side bangs (my hair's naturally straight but my side bangs curl at the bottom). but when i do all of this the hair that's not part of the side bangs falls into my face with the bangs & makes them look stringy, crappy, & greasy. i have my part on the left. is there anyway 2 stop my hair from falling in with the side bangs?? also i use a 2-in-1 curling iron & straightener....should i use a flat iron instead or does a straightener work the same?? my hair is down 2 the middle of my back & my side bangs are down 2 my chin. plz help

CheerChick013 on 12/6/2008 1:18:48 PM

****************mod**************************
i'm going to go get those infinity pads from always, and i wanted to know if u still have to keep them on for the same length as a regular pad???

nirvanaluver on 12/6/2008 9:18:52 AM

*************************mod**********************
i have a little problem...so, the guy i like claims he likes me (he calls me baby, he waits for me when we go out to the busses, he says i'm hot, and he says he actually means it) and i'm starting to not believe it because this girl who's my friend knows him really well, and she says it's just his personality, because he knows i like him, and he's taking advantage of that...and my other problem is that now, a lot of guys are calling me 'babe' that i don't even know..
like, the other day, when i was walking into b-hall, all these guys were coming out, and this ne eighth grade guy was like,'hey, babe'...i mean, i'm in sixth grade, and i don't even know these dudes, so, what do u think i should do???should i keep believing what the guy i like says, or should i pass it on as a joke??and about the guys that call me babe, what should i do about them???

nirvanaluver on 12/6/2008 9:10:57 AM

MOD MOD MOD:
I'm going to a party tomorrow at a hotel. We are going to go swimming and i haven't gotten my period yet. it's almost 2 weeks late. I haven't learned to use a tampon and i was wondering if u can wear a panty liner into the pool? I need help. I'm not sure what to do!

Hey babes, No you ABSOLUTELY cant wear a panty liner in the pool. I suggest learning how to wear a tampon just in case. xo JANA

funkeymonkey8397 on 12/5/2008 6:45:33 PM

*************MOD*******************
I am only 15 but already have wrinkles all around my eyes. I look like im in my late 30's already!! I get plenty of sleep but i have crows feet and undereye cirles that wont go away! It isnt only when i smile. I have to restrict my smiley so i dont look 90. Is there anthing i can do to make them go away? Its so embarrasing! Thanks
15 looking like 40

hey babes, wear sunscreen. Sun exposure causes early wrinkles. xo JANA

superqt23 on 12/5/2008 5:10:12 PM

Quite annoying!

*Oh Snap It's Potter*

Oh Snap It's Potter on 12/5/2008 4:06:29 PM

pop.lock.n.drop.it
I know how you feel my hair is really dark on my arm's but the hair bleacher work's really good

america129 on 12/5/2008 12:59:29 PM

OMG! today, at the end of the day, the guy i like waited for me outside when we were goin' to da busses, and he was like, u like my belt???it's sexy, and me and my friend were like.."surreee" and then when we were walkin' outside, somehow i ended up talkin' about how my friends were trying to convince me he was weird, then he said something about me being a hottie, and then i was like, no, no, ________ told me it was a joke, and he was like, no, i really really think ur hot...
and then, earlier, when i was going out of da gym, he was going in , and he nudged me and was like, hey, baby...
OMG!OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!
i'm sooooooo happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nirvanaluver on 12/4/2008 7:58:04 PM

i posted a comment but i cant find it on the page

lovin_u_love_me on 12/4/2008 5:42:48 PM

MOD
Im finding brown stuff in my undies but it is not alot only like 5-10 smudges. is it like pre peroid stuff? i haavent got mine yet. i dont know what it is. PLEASE HELP!!

hey girl, Sounds like your period is about to start. xo Annemarie

lovin_u_love_me on 12/4/2008 5:09:45 PM

OMG I <3 this article i always get cold sores they are like brothers, they are ugly and annoying and it takes forever to get rid of them!! LOL joking. some brothers r really nice. ok now i will go to read the article. mabe i should have read it before i commented. OH WELL!!

lovin_u_love_me on 12/4/2008 5:06:00 PM

********************mod*************************
so, there's this dude i like, and he's really funny, and i usually see him at lunch, well, one of the girls (who is like our messenger) sat in front of him at lunch, and she just IM'd me saying that he was like,"you,my house at 7:00, come naked"...i mean it was totally a joke, but i mean i don't know if i should really be interested in a 'relationship' anymore, because he calls me hottie...♥...do u think it's just his immature seventh grade boy mind that's doing that???should i really b worried??

nirvanaluver on 12/3/2008 8:42:33 PM

Hey leave me a comment!

emilybryant on 12/2/2008 9:35:38 PM

cold sores r ANNOYING!!! hey girlies plez check out my profile and leave comments!!

shopperlove5 on 12/2/2008 8:49:42 PM

***********MOD!***************
ok. i hate my arms. i mean my arms are ok but i have alot of dark hair on them and it is soooo gross and embarassing. i have 2 questions.
1. do people notice this alot? and
2. how can i get rid of it?
thank you sooo much if you help!!!!!!!!!!

Hey girlie, You probably notice this more than other people, but there's a few products you can try. In the drug store you can pick up a hair bleacher or lightener, or you can even shave it off. It's just a matter of what you prefer. xo Annemarie

pop.lock.n.drop.it on 12/2/2008 7:53:26 PM

you dont have to take advil and all that stuff. well when i get them they dont hurt. i was told to take a vitamin C every day and i have not got one in a while now. that has helped me.

yooyooyoo on 12/2/2008 7:40:27 PM

smileysewie (or is it sevvie??)
you should just explain that to your parents!

MOD!!!!!!!!!
one breast is bigger than the other...should i be worried? and my ex-bf had told me once that he heard that (if you are a female) "if your left handed your right breast is usually bigger and if your right handed your left breast is usually bigger..." have you ever heard that??????

happy early christmas! this is my fav part of the year-the smell...the weather...every one's closer...the music...EVRY THING!!!!! lol

nicole1044 on 12/2/2008 6:01:56 PM

Does anyone else think that picture is really odd looking??? I know she just has both her hands together, but when you first look at it, it kind of looks like she has two thumbs...

amanda92992 on 12/2/2008 3:12:02 PM

MOD OR ANYONE THAT WANTS TO HELP--------------------
girls basketball tryouts are coming up at my school, and i don't want to try out, but my parents will be disappointed if i don't. if i try out and make the team, i don't know what the heck i'll do. i don't want to go through what i did in volleyball- a punishment EVERY time we do something wrong (5 ladders, 25 push ups etc.), rejection from coaches, falling behind a little in school, and having no down time for myself. WHAT THE HECK SHOULD I DO?!?!?!?!?!?!

smileysevvie on 12/1/2008 9:44:38 PM

MOD
I am 12 going to be 13 in May. My heigth is 5' 2". My weigth is 126. Am i fat? I think i am. I suck in my stomach so no one can see my gut. HELP!!!
<3333 thanks!

Hey girl!

I am not an expert in this subject so if you are concerned please speak to your parents and a doctor about it.

<3 Brianna

cocoshoes on 12/1/2008 5:33:44 PM

OMJ u guys!!!!! most cold sores on ur face is NOT herpes i get cold sores and its because of genes a lot of people in my family get them or have the gene for them

oceanblue26 on 12/1/2008 5:06:22 PM

mod mod mod!
hey! hope you had a great thanksgiving! im sorry to bother you, but i need some help! i have had my period since this summer, and for the first time i got cramps! they hurt sooo bad and i dont know what to do! any advice on how to make them go away?? thanks so much! xoxo

ixheartxnickxj on 11/30/2008 7:22:16 PM

ughh i hate cold sores. my mom gets them and her doctor said to eat yogurt every day and they wont come as often. it totally works! you should try it! i havent had a cold sore in foreverrr neither has my mom!

ixheartxnickxj on 11/30/2008 7:17:56 PM

Hey MOD***
I have dandruff! (Ewww! I know)
I don't know how I got it (I got it in the past month) and I don't know how it goes away...
Do you have any answers?

Hey Girl, try a rich moisturizing conditioner and head & shoulders shampoo! *Cara T*

balloonluvr on 11/30/2008 1:41:43 PM

GL girls so sorry about asking that much im just overeacting thx

greengirl111 on 11/30/2008 12:13:59 PM

MOD MOD MOD.
isn't herpes like some kind of sexual thing?

Hey girl, Herpes in your genitals is a sexually transmitted disease, but the cold sore kind of herpes can be transmitted through sharing a water bottle, or a cup, or coming into contact with someone who has one. xo Annemarie

kittylover101 on 11/30/2008 11:23:34 AM

hmm

xoabercrombiegalxo on 11/30/2008 8:09:46 AM

good luck!! i hate 'em!!!!

lulu850 on 11/29/2008 9:15:53 PM

MOD! MOD MOD MOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! okay so a few days ago we had to do a heart disection at school. it was nasty and i found it so mean to the animals!!!! i havent been able to look at meat and not feel grosed out by it or sad! i wanna become a vegetarian, but my mom is really against it! IDK what to do! i cant eat meat anymore! I WONT! HELP PLEASE! thanks

Just explain how you feel to her find some facts on the internet about not eating meat and the slotering of animals seeing it might even turn her against meat to See ya tobie

cool.as.a.cuke on 11/29/2008 6:39:14 PM

****MOD****** Hello! I got a quick question! Is conditioning your hair everyday bad???? Some people say it is and some people say it isn't? i am not sure! Please help!!!!! thank you SO ♥much!

i don't see why it would be Tobie

flamencodancer on 11/29/2008 6:08:05 PM

Hey kajeet35454! Annemarie is def. rite. you should totally try tampons. i also play volleyball and i use playtex sport. they are amazingly comfy and i can't even tell they are there. maybe you can try those. it may seem scary to try tampons at first but after you try a few times it's nothing!

trackstar on 11/29/2008 5:00:54 PM

plz answer!i dont no wut 2 do!

Green Girl you have to give the mods time to answer you we have a lot of mod ?s and a lot of comments to approve. you don't have to ask us 20 times where your stuff is we will get to it. And that goes for all the girls. Now about you ? Im not a doctor and if the test came back neg then you don't have step. if you want another oppinion go see another doctor and he can administer another test. thats all i can think of ok see sorry i couldn't be more help on the subject. see ya tobie

greengirl111 on 11/29/2008 4:53:26 PM

POST A COMMENT

You must be signed in to post a comment. SIGN IN or REGISTER

What's your style like?

Casual. I love to wear tennis shoes and sweatpants! Anything comfy.
Dressy. I love wearing dresses and cute frilly tops.
Country girl. I always wear cowboy boots.
Unique. I have my own original style full of different clothes with crazy colors!

Enter today to win Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy from Her Interactive.

CLICK HERE to snag a Nintendo Wii and DS. Plus, Charm Girls Club video games!

Download November’s “Totally Tech Giveaway" Calendar.

It’s the holidays but you’re getting the prezzies!

CLICK HERE to win one of 5 Hardy Boys® Treasure on the Tracks games for Nintendo DS.

CLICK HERE to see what else is up for grabs!

Next time you see your crush, give him one long glance in his direction when you spot his eyes in your direction. Also remember as you look away... SMILE! Your gorgeous grin will let him know that you've got tons of confidence and you're a happy gal. He'll be gaga in no time!

Design an amazing t-shirt and win!

Gather ‘round designers! Create the coolest t-shirt and you could see it featured on Girlslife.com as part of Tulip’s Glam It Up contest. CLICK HERE for deets.

YOU WROTE IT

It was a strange scent, faintly familiar, like the perfume my mother used to wear. The aroma lingered around me, smelling like dried sunflowers and a soft touch of the new spring air.

LOGIN OR SIGNUP