Can stress alone cause a cold sore?

Thank you for sharing. For most people the biggest lever is daily sun protection on the lips, even on cloudy days.

The mental side is real, glad someone said it.

Oh absolutely, mine show up like clockwork after a rough week at work even when I've been careful about sun and sleep. I honestly think stress is my biggest trigger, more than anything else.

Yes, for me absolutely. My worst one ever showed up the week of my dad's surgery when I hadn't been outside in days, so I'm pretty sure my body just decided that was the moment to fall apart a little.