Do you dry yours out or keep it covered and moist? I keep getting conflicting advice
My mom always told me to dab rubbing alcohol on it and let it dry into a scab as fast as possible, but a coworker swears drying it out just makes it crack and take longer. Last time I tried keeping the area covered and it honestly felt like it healed with less scabbing, but maybe that one was just milder to begin with. Curious what has actually worked for people here over multiple outbreaks, not just one lucky time.
Great question, and you are not alone with this. Catching the trigger early is where most of the difference comes from.
I've gone back and forth on this so many times, but keeping mine covered and a little moist has been way gentler for me, drying it out always left me with cracking that took forever to heal. Honestly though everyone's skin is different, so it might just take some trial and error to find what your lips like.
Honestly I went back and forth on this for years and what finally worked for me was keeping it covered and moist, because every time I let it dry out it would crack and split open and take twice as long to heal.