Are these pimples or cold sores around my lips? What should I put on them?
I woke up with a few small red bumps around the corner of my mouth and I honestly cannot tell if they are pimples or the start of a cold sore. My lips have been really chapped from the heat lately and I did spend a long day outdoors without any lip balm. For those of you who deal with cold sores often, how do you tell the difference, and what do you keep on hand for lip care when something like this shows up?
For me the tell is the feeling before the look, a cold sore usually gives me that tingling or tight burning feeling a day early, while a pimple just feels sore when I press it. If you are unsure at all, a pharmacist or your doctor can look at it properly.
The chapped lips and the full day of sun would be my first suspects, since sun and dryness are two of my biggest triggers. I keep an SPF lip balm in every jacket pocket now and it has made my summers a lot calmer.
I keep abreva in the bathroom drawer so I am never scrambling to find something, and I try to stay consistent with lysine and sleep when I know a stressful week is coming. Nothing here is medical advice, just what keeps my routine steady.
Down to about two a year now, prevention genuinely works.
Mine always start with that tingly, itchy feeling before anything shows up, while pimples just feel like regular bumps, so that might help you tell them apart. When I'm not sure I just keep the area clean and moisturized and avoid picking, and if it doesn't clear up in a few days a quick chat with a pharmacist usually sorts me out.
For me the tingle gives me a few hours of warning at most.