Illustration of a person with black hair pointing to a cold sore on their bottom lip
How we are regulated
View Chemist 4 U listing on GPhC website

Cold 
Sores 

Cold sores are annoying, contagious blisters that pop up on your lips, giving you a sore, itchy, or tingly feeling to go along with the blemish - lovely! Cold sores will usually go away by themselves within 10 days or so, but it’s important to note that they’re very contagious from the first moment you feel that itching sensation to the day when the popped, scabbed blisters have finally cleared up.

Of course, everyone who’s had cold sores will know that when you’ve had one, they’ll keep coming back for more, as the virus which calls them continues to lurk in your skin. All of these things combined make finding a suitable cold sore treatment extremely important, as they can help to soothe the tingly, sore sensation while helping the skin to heal more quickly, helping you to get rid of that cold sore.

Start Cold Sores consultation Start Consultation View Treatments

Remember, your final treatment will be decided by our prescribers based on your answers provided within your consultation. You will be asked to indicate a preferred treatment option from a selected list after completion of your consult.
Let us explain how it works
select consultation
Step 1
Choose a condition
Select your condition
complete detail
Step 2
Complete a consultation
Answer questions designed by our healthcare professionals, so we can determine the relevant treatment for you
suggested treatment
Step 3
Choose a treatment
We will determine any relevant treatments that we can provide to treat your condition
fast delivery
Step 4
Fast and discreet delivery
We will issue the prescription and treatment in one cost and have your treatment sent out to you fast and discreet by Royal Mail
Laura Henderson - Medical Content Writer
Laura Henderson
James O'Loan - CEO & Superintendent Pharmacist
James O'Loan
CEO & Superintendent Pharmacist
26/04/2024
i
How we ensure accuracy in our content

What cold sore treatments can do?

Antivirals like aciclovir can be prescribed to help to ease particularly large or stubborn cold sores, and although no treatment can remove the herpes virus that causes cold sores completely, antivirals can help to keep it under control so they’ll come back less often.

Antivirals are available as creams, tablets, and liquid medication, so your prescriber can choose the best cold sore treatment for you and get your prescription sent out quickly and discreetly.

Antiviral creams can be used from the first moment you feel that tell-tale tingle of a cold sore forming on your lip, working on the virus from the word go.

This is great if you usually get particularly severe cold sores, as it helps to speed up your healing time, sending that sore packing more quickly.

On the other hand, antiviral tablets may be better for those who find that their cold sores keep coming back, as they help to keep the virus under control and give your poor lips a break.