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COLD SORE GONE withen 24 hours, no joke!

Submitted by cowboy

Alright I came on this site looking for remedies for a nasty cold sore that I developed last night. So I took all into consideration and here's how I got rid of my multiple cold sores overnight.

Right before bed I took the "potion" and applied it to my sores not rinsing off and letting dry to my lips went to bed on that and my cold sores were gone when I woke. The next morning I put on neosporin for the scabs and my cold sore was gone within 24 hours. also Ice during every part of having a cold sores kills the virus.

Visitors comments

A Little harsh Comments By: Colleen on 2005-01-23 Seems like this tip is a little harsh. I wouldn't use it at all!!   dont be weak Comments By: irene on 2005-02-20 this is for sure not for the weak because it burns at times bu amazingly this is the best way I have found yet and Im 33 and have been fighting cold sores for near 20 years. so if you dont want this cold sore you have when you wake up then a would try this. thanx cowboy   the burn Comments By: Ali on 2006-03-27 I'm actually trying this as we speak. being a poor college students doesn't allow me to pay for those expensive creams. About the nail polish remover though, the burn isn't that bad. Suck it up if you think it will be worth it.   Scared to try it! Comments By: Brittney on 2007-05-01 Today I feel TWO evil cold sores approaching. I get about one a year and usually try Abreva or Novitra, both HELP but do not make the sore disappear. However for some reason I am deathly afraid to put fingernail polish on the sores. I guess I need more proof that this works before I'll try it. Seems like it would irritate the sore further and make it worse.   Burns so good Comments By: Krissy on 2007-06-12 Well I thought this was crazy but I willing to do anything to get rid of this nasty sore. It relly works but it relllly hurts.   Only if you can withsatand BURNING! Comments By: anon on 2007-07-08 works but burns like hell   part way through the process Comments By: Anon on 2007-12-06 I find you don't have to pop the blister. That seemed a little scary to me. I was also afraid of the burning, but I was so desperate I started with q-tipping Peroxcide on my lip. It didn't burn. So I got a little braver and went for the nail polish remover. It didn't burn either but it did create a small opening in my blister on its own and it immediately drained. I had a huge fluid-filled blister on my lip and looked scary. Now that the blister is deflated I'm going to keep using the nail remover and do the peroxicide salt aspirin mix tonight. This fingernail polish remover thing is wonderful. God I wish I knew about this sooner!   THIS DOES NOT WORK - DO NOT TRY THIS IDIOT ADVICE UNLESS YOU WANT TO MAKE IT WORSE!!! Comments By: Fat Lip on 2007-12-07 Because of all the idiot advice I've followed on sites like these, I have the worst fever blister I've ever had. When I felt the tingling, I'd read to cut a clove of garlic and rub it on your lips. The next morning I had the biggest blister I'd ever had when this was the supposed magic trick to prevent them. All the garlic did I think was aggravate and accerlate the fever blister. Then I came to this site. I put fingernail polish remover on my blister for 20-30 minutes. Two more fever blisters began developing although the remover did take the liquid out of the first one. It burned and it hurt. Guess what? Pain is not an indication you are doing something good. Again all the acetone did was aggravate the blister causing my lip to swell up terribly. This has never happened before. Last night I was desperate. I ordered Acyclovir off www.myprescriptionpharmacy.com for $92 including shipping with no prescription. I pray they are legit and send the medication that I ordered. I did the aspirin-peroxide-salt mix. Again, the salt burned. Today my lip is terribly swollen. The fever blister did not go away in 24 hours. In fact, it's worse because the swelling is so extreme and the new ones that came look very irritated and angry. I pray I do not get an infection. I don't know what the solution is to fever blisters. I think it's in taking lysine regularly for prevention and maybe prescription medication, but once they come I think you just have to ride it out. All this other stuff just makes it worse.   It Works! Comments By: Theresa on 2007-12-10 I just got 2 cold sores last night and I was able to catch it early. At first i just used abreva and carmex but that wasn't good enough for me. So i went online to see about other ways to get rid of this crap on my lip, i found that if you use salt and/or fingernail polish remover REALLY WORKS! It dose burn but it seems to be working. TRY IT!   Feel The Heat! Comments By: Kate on 2007-12-30 This is a great TIP! I love it! Thankyou I'm 16 and i was soooo afraid to see my boyfriend especially considering it's New Years and showin up with this grosse thing on my mouth! Thankyou! I tried the nail polish remover and felt the heat of the sting and immediately it started going down. :) Cheers!   Popping blister makes it worse Comments By: Blister sufferer on 2008-01-08 Having suffered with blisters for over 40 years, I've tried most every remedy. The salt and peroxide sometimes helps by drying up the site but stings badly. My doctor advised against popping blisters because the liquid is highly contagious and will spread/create more blisters whereever it touches your lips! This is why you see more pop up after popping! BTW it can create problems elsewhere too if you get my meaning. Of all the remedies I've tried, Campho Phenique is still the best... numbs the hurt and helps to heal.   AHHH! Comments By: joy on 2008-02-05 o god its burning bad lol thnx tho   be very careful Comments By: hatethesethings on 2008-02-16 this is a good way to get rid of your cold sores if they are new...but when you pop the blisters make sure you are VERY carful not to get the pus on n e other part of your lips because u will see within an hour or so anouther blister forming   owww =/ Comments By: anon on 2008-02-19 im using the nail polish tip right now. i have 2 cold sores on my upper lip. this stings like crazyy =/ i used non-diluted nailpolish. i really hope this works.   I think it's all bullsh*t Comments By: Nathan on 2008-02-29 None of these home remedies work for me, I have tried hand sanitizer, scented and non-scented, bleach, rubbing alcohol, Lysine, neosporin, blah blah blah. I have a huge swollen lip now from all the harsh crap. And the sore is no smaller now. I am using Abreva now, and that seems to feel like it might be doing something positive. Lysine sounds chemically sound to help prevent them but I started that too late. I think the best way to deal with them is to not obsess, I doubt the extra stress that causes helps. Look at how many other people get them, sure it's ugly but it'll go away.   hmmm Comments By: jess on 2008-03-03 i am going to try it, i just woke up this morning and i have the blisters now so i didnt really even get to have the tinglingy warning stage!! so here goes nothing   didn't pop them Comments By: HELP on 2008-03-20 I don't know what happened but the blisters spread down my lip, onto my face. I know not to pop the blister cause they will spread, worse. Instead I put a HOT wet rag on them for about 3-4 mins. The heat opens pores and then I treated.   PLEASE WORK!! Comments By: COURTNEY on 2008-04-05 This cold sore is one of the worst ever. I've been holding the nailpolish remover the my cold sore and it seems to be working. I'M not sure though but it burns well c after i try the paste   I've used nail polish for years! Comments By: -sw- on 2008-04-09 I'm a nurse and I keep it in my locker at work for just that reason. As soon as I notice a tingle or bump I hold a qtip soaked in nail polish on the spot for a few minutes and repeat as often as humanly possible. It dries it out and decreases the bump if you catch it early enough. Overnight I use Arm & Hammer peroxicare toothpaste. The worst time is when you shower or get any moisture on the lesion... it takes off at that point, doubling in size and severity! I try not to get a cs wet AT ALL -even if that means no shower for a day or two.   Didn't work Comments By: LJ on 2008-04-27 No change. The peroxide, while it treats it, irritates it way too much, along with the salt.   I got a cold sore Comments By: Kelly, on 2008-04-30 This " cold sore gone within 24 hrs,no joke" is a joke. Cold sores last almost 2 weeks. And this remedy doesn't work just over night. I use Rubbing alcohol instead of nailpolish remover, those creams like Abreva don't work as well as they should for the money we pay for them. If you want to prevent them just wash your hands ALOT and eat healthier. But if you have one right now, then keep clean, wait it out and stay positive, stress can just make it worse.   I hope this works Comments By: Cara on 2008-05-09 It stings less than teatree oil anyway [= Thanks buddy   Lets Just See lol Comments By: Jade on 2008-06-02 In the middle of trying it! anything to get rid of the little b*****d   i think its working Comments By: Jillian on 2008-06-25 i always get cold sores and never know how to treat them.. they are horribal little things that just irritate you to the max. i have been getting them all my life and im 16, the nail polish really helped the irratation and the ichyness and stinging.. im putting the paste on right now and going to bed, fingers crossed if it will be gone for me tomorrow! thanks for your help..   oh please! Comments By: in trouble on 2008-07-03 are u kidding i don't think it will work, it will go away maybe but then it would come right back. i have the biggest cold sore (and truly this is the biggest one i have ever seen) and all the pain isn't worth it. like some other comments sa, don't worry about it stress will make more and or bigger. they mostly form from heat so try to stay out of the sun with it on. If u use any of the creams, leave it on overnight and try not to lay on the side ur cold sore is on, lots of time+treatment cream+ dark= smaller cold sore, it won't go away, but it will get smaller, and before u put any cream on it, take a tiny little tissue and wet itjust dab on ur blister DO NOT SPREAD ANYWHERE ELSE!!! wait till it dries then add the cream!   The best cure Comments By: D on 2008-07-05 If you get cold sores often THE BEST thing that you can do is go to your doctor and have Valtrex prescribed for you. If you feel a cold sore coming on then take the Valtrex. Since I have taken Valtrex at the first sign of a cold sore, I have not gotten one. It works wonders.   choco and nuts Comments By: pete on 2008-07-15 what i found is that if i drink lots of water, dont eat nut or chocolate especially choco and nut bars combined then the amount of cold sores that i used to get were reduced by a great deal i've only had one in about 4 months and that was caused by a very wild weekend.   The Best Cold sore Tip Comments By: Matt on 2008-07-16 The best cold sore tip that i can give to anyone with any nasty cold sores is go to the local supermarket a buy sea salt add warm water mix the two together add to lip. Also i found that when the blister bursts try adding some cheap purfume on the lip it drys it up well.   solution may vary Comments By: anon on 2008-07-18 I think that maybe the remedies only works for some people, so dont get mad and discourage other people from trying to get rid of cold sores if they have the guts to do it then its thier fault if it doesnt work.   Why not give it a go! Comments By: Trai Muza on 2008-07-31 I have abs no idea if this is going to work but I'm going to give it a bash anyway! To be honest i've always used my boyfriends aftershave to dry it out but as normal it always takes a couple of week to heal. Fingers x-d this will be my miracle cure! :-)   uhm Comments By: brianaa on 2008-08-05 ouch; try NEVER!   cold sore blues:( Comments By: linda on 2008-08-05 ive had coldsores all my life and they really get me down. i have two massive ones at the moment and ive always used zovirax.ive found that it works quite well however id give anything a go that will help further.ive just tried the nail varnish remover, it still stings a little but i will keep trying.Fingers crossed.   DIDNT WORK AT ALL Comments By: ALEXIA on 2008-08-27 IT ACTUALLY MADE IT WAYYYYYY WORSE.. HAD TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND THEY SAID DONT EVER DO THAT!   pleasently suprised Comments By: anon on 2008-08-27 i tried the nail varnish remover and i was pleasently suprised. i had two huge coldsores and i though they were never gunna go away. usually they last at least a wk or two but after using he nail varnish it worked within a couple of days. It was pretty uncomfortable and it stung a bit but it is worth it.   I'm a little worried Comments By: me on 2008-09-01 I'm afraid that this will make it spread over my lips...   Worked for Me! Comments By: Ian on 2008-09-10 I got a cold sore on monday. My gf is coming to visit on friday. It is thursday right now. and you can't tell i had a ridiculous coldsore on my face!   Unbelievable!! Comments By: Natty on 2008-09-13 Since I was a little kid I've gotten cold sores. They definetly suck and always show up at the most inoppurtune times. I woke up day yesterday with a nasty blister that basically covered my entire upper lip(yeah, cute I know). I tried this cure last night and woke up this morning and it is already scabbed over and peeling off. Thank God! It does sting like a b**ch, but well worth it. I will continue dabbing the remover on today and hopefully this monstronsity will be completely gone tomarrow. Thanx Cowboy!   nail polish remover bad idea!! Comments By: Rob on 2008-09-26 using this left me with two very bad scars that wont go away...   I'm trusting this... Comments By: Michelle M. on 2008-10-20 I'm not exactly sure how I got this, but it does not seem to want to go away. People at school kept laughing at me, and it was embarrassing. I'm going to my boyfriends house tomorrow, and I would like to kiss him, but I don't want him to get one as well, let alone see me with it. I'll post another comment soon telling you if it worked or not. I'm trusting you guys!   the real cure Comments By: ANON JACKIII on 2008-10-28 a had a few cold sores the past year and every time i do get it i use this method to cure them really works it juss take some time no cold sore will go away the next day ...wash your hands everytime you cure your blister ....every moring ,afternoon,and before bed mix witch hazel aND PEROXIDE TOGETHER AND APPLY TO COLD SORE EVENTUALLT WILL GO AWAY WWITH SOME TIME..   Whoa It Burns! Comments By: kittykat on 2008-11-03 From what I can tell, its working. The blister looks like drying up and feels like its reducing in size. I've been using lots of ice and rubbing alcohol in between the acetone and salt treatments and put some abreva on it and applied a small band-aid.   It made a believer out of me! Comments By: Joan L on 2008-11-18 Like most cold sore sufferers, I've had them since I can remember. And as a nurse, I NEVER, EVER popped them, knowing it could lead to much worse, infection, spreading, etc..Well, this past w/e, I DID it-went online, found this site (had already been icing the affected area), and POPPED THEM! I then Promptly applied nail polish remover (NPR), and proceeded to reapply as often as every 15 min. Prior to sleep, applied toothPASTE. Awoke the next day, they were already scabbing over; cont'd the above until earlier today. My ordeal started Saturday late, approx. 7p, and it is now Tuesday night-I have a tiny, I mean TINY, scab on my upper lip-the only thing that hints of the past few days. I would do it again! Having said all that, I am also a firm believer as well in Valtrex-taken at the first prodromal symptom, you'll never see the cold sore.   i hope it works! Comments By: confused on 2008-11-18 im doin this as we speak! i have a huge one!!! i hope it works!!!   dont do it Comments By: kell on 2008-11-26 i have got coldsores all my life (the big itchy swollen kind) and tried everything and i have learnt there is no magical cure.basically the best way to get rid of a coldsore is DONT TOUCH. never pop one as not only will this make it spread, it will leave a scar. use zovirax regularly, try not to get it wet as this will make it take mre time to dry up. this way its "one day coming, one day staying and one day going" gd luck   Its working so far Comments By: Arron R on 2008-12-02 Its working well but i dont have asprin will it still work if i use advil.. Well we will see toinght..   Keep the cold sore clean Comments By: Anon on 2008-12-07 From personal experience i have found that keeping a cold sore clean prevents it from becoming infected and spreading. Touching the sore with unwashed hands and especially allowing it to rub on the pillow at night always makes them look and feel worse. I've used salt & perfume before & on the advice found here I have just now pressed a teabag to the one that has developed between my upper lip & nose. This is the 3rd/4th time i've had a cold sore appear in this spot. The 1st time it got really infected and spread. It lasted for a long time and looked disgusting. Recently i discovered compeed patches (www.compeed.com). Morning & night after a shower i pressed a salt paste to the sore. After a few minutes I dabbed it away and I then applied a patch (at night you could use a little round band-aid, no gaps for any dirt to get in). It does take a few days to go away but there is no swelling, no secondary infection and no scar afterwards. With these patches I feel my cold sores are much less noticeable and I don't feel as self conscious. The patches are expensive and do not contain an active ingredient however i recommend keeping a pack to hand as they work well to disguise the sore if you have a meeting/work or a night out planned.   doing nothing works best Comments By: F M on 2008-12-08 creams just give the virus a warm moist place to multiply. Just leave it alone. Don't touch,lick or cover it with anything,keep it dry and allow your natural defences to do their job and it will be gone a lot sooner.   I don'y know Comments By: Brittany on 2008-12-27 I woke up this morning with a full on cold sore. You can see the fluid in it and I'm scared to pop it because last time I did that it just got bigger and redder and more noticeable. So, I'm not sure what to do right now. At some point it is going to pop whether I do it or not, so what to do? I'm worried about trying this remedy. I put some abreva on it today and have been doing that all day. I took a shower earlier and I wish I didn't because it actually seemed like it may have gotten a little bigger from the warm water. I'm just going to isolate myself and sleep until it is gone. Oh, and I read in womens health that eating licorice is suppose to help reduce the size. i don't have any and Im not going out in public any time soon. I'll try it next time....there is always a next time.   Trust Me It Works! Comments By: Ashtyn on 2009-01-27 Listen, I know that this might seem skeptical to some of you but it works! Ever since I contracted HERPES in the 3rd grade I have also contracted the cold sore virus. Once you get it once there is no stoping it. Anyway I have tried everything, and Im not kidding Ive had perscription medication and other stuff like that. None of it gets rid of the coldsore fast enough for me. So, yes it does sting a little but I would totally prefer to do that then have to deal with a huge swollen lip and scab!!! Just try it you'll see this is one of those things that actually does work.   swollen lip! Comments By: Dustin on 2009-01-28 omg it made my lip all white! and my lip is so swollen   IT WORKS Comments By: sexy on 2009-01-31 i have been getting cold sores all my life. abreva doesnt work, carmex doent work, etc... i was desperate to have this go away because superweekend is here. how am i supposed to be social with a lump on my lip. i woke up this morning with the tiny bumps forming into a feverblister. came to this site, was a little scared to try at first but seperate for results. SO FAr,ITs working. bumps already scabing and i cant wait till tomorrow to see better results. THX DUDE   yep Comments By: roger on 2009-01-14 u dont need to put the nail polish potion on for that long lol....it does work for the drying out and draining part tho, it might leave a red mark tho...so use witamin E oil or hydrocortosine stuff, that works 2....but this process seems pretty good 4 me   uhhhh i don't know Comments By: lou on 2009-02-04 listen i am very vain and would probably try anything once, but i really don't know about all this stuff with nail polish remover   do itt Comments By: gaz on 2009-02-05 just give it a go! i wasnt sure at first but thought hey ill never know till i try it gave it a shot and it works so well!!   Here is the process that works Comments By: Brian on 2009-02-06 Here is what I have done for years. IT WILL NOT WORK OVERNIGHT, but it will heal in 3-5 days, and when done right, is barely noticeable when it is a scab. 1) Heavy doses of Lysine and Vitamin C. I take 1000mg of Lysine 3X a day, and one airborne tablet dissolved in water 3X a day. 2) Think dry at night, moist during the day. At night.... 3) Pop the blister with a very sterile needle, and don't let it touch another part of the lip. Then use nail polish remover for several hours. You don't have to keep it on. the point is to start the drying process. Just re-apply nail polish remover like every 20 minutes or so for an hour and a half-two hours. 4) Create a mix of salt, aspirin, lysine, and peroxide. Crush the lysine, salt and aspirin, and them mix it with the peroxide. It should be a paste, not a fluid. 5) Apply the paste, and let it dry, then repeat. You should do this for several hours, and you can leave it on over night. 6) In the morning, clean the now scab, and apply a thin layer of neosporin. On top of that layer, dab abreva. The abreva will dry and create a film over the neosporin, which when done properly, will conceal the scab or make it barely noticeable. It will also lock in the neosporin which will heal the scab. 7) repeat the whole process each night. It will be gone within 3-5 days tops.   nail polish? or nail polish REMOVER? Comments By: confused on 2009-02-16 some people wrote nail polish, and some people wrote nail polish remover. in case it's not clear, those are TWO VERY DIFFERENT things. so which one do i use?! -_______-   It works really well!!! Comments By: B.Bunny on 2009-02-18 I woke up yesterday with a small cold sore. Immediately I looked up remedy's and came across this one. I did the nail polish remover thing and it did burn a little but not too bad. I didn't do it as often as I should have but it still worked. Then I mixed peroxide, crushed aspirin and salt together to make a little mixture. I put it on before bed and it burned a little but again it was good. I woke up and much of the sore was gone!!! Not completely but it isn't as noticeable, so I have been applying the solution to the sore throughout the day and it looks so much better!!! I definitely recommend this!   EWWWW Comments By: womanizer on 2009-02-17 ok so lets get this cheap, simple, and fast. get a cup, get ice,milk,garlic power and salt now mix well, ok now get a cotton swab and be cleaning the wound with the mixture. before you start clean it with NAIL POLISH REMOVER. before going to sleep try putting ice till its numb and then put vix over it......youll be o.k. :)   works but they left out 1 very important thing Comments By: fever friend on 2009-02-18 ive had cold sores 4 over 20 yrs & this remedy does work if u dont want 2 use nail polosh REMOVER use rubbing alcohol it works about the same but they left out the most important step: Take LYSINE & crush & put them in the paste as well good luck   Valtrex Comments By: Rhi on 2009-02-23 I wouldn't try anything this drastic...just go talk to your doctor about the Cold Sores and they will give you Valtrex. Valtrex speeds up the healing and sometimes stops the cold sore form coming out completely if taken early enough. I always have some on hand   Hopefull Comments By: Anon on 2009-02-24 this had better work   sophie Comments By: sophie on 2009-02-26 i noticed my coldsore yesterday it was a spot but the became itchy and so on.So i went to sleep with toothpaste on which helped abit, as it took the lumps and bumps away. I am now trying the whole nail polish remover, and applying it on for 30mins as made a differnce already. my coldsore is less bigger than it was. THANK HECK.and is also alot dryer and just a bit red... yes i agree it stings like a bi**h. but deal with it. i have.. i av also used an icecube each time after this treatment which as helped. i will keep doing this several times throughout the day. many thanks cowboy. x   dam this burns Comments By: matt on 2009-03-01 well im just using the nail polish and im hoping for big results , doesnt 30 minutes seem a bit much though .   Does this seriously work??? Comments By: Courtney on 2009-03-02 i have 16 cold sores surrounding my mouth and i honestly believe i have a disease or something. school is a nightmare, but if this works then maybe i will try it...???   holy shit Comments By: anon on 2009-03-10 i had a cold sore than poped it now it looks really shitty, is this a scar or something,what should i do. Im totally humiliated and am sort of having a panic attack. I didnt know of infections that could spread and what does that mean? This herpicin totally sucks, i should of just let it pop itself   TRIED IT ALL Comments By: SUNBURST on 2009-03-13 I'VE TRIED BLEACH & NAIL POLISH REMOVER THE BURN WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT DRIED IT UP ALMOST INSTANTLY WELL LIKE 30 MIN NOW I AM TRYING THE ASPRIN TRICK   popping it Comments By: tiffany on 2009-03-15 ive recurring cold sore i tried evrythn pple suggested perfume,urine,salt and tea bags my question is for these to wrk effectivelt do i need to pop it 1st cus i am so scared it wl spread help pliz???   not enough Comments By: sufferer on 2009-03-20 start out by taking an antiviral medication like valtrex, putting abreva on it, and also 4000 mg of lysine. if they still form, wait for them to fill up with fluid first before you use the sterile needle. then use this method described and thats about as good as youll do, just dont touch it and keep it dry and it should be complete gone within 5 days.   it seems to be working Comments By: athena on 2009-04-03 ok so iv read most the comments and noticed that most of the people who said that this tip didint work used NAIL POLISH and the tip said that u should use nail polish REMOVER. DO NOT USE NAIL POLISH!!! this tip defenately worked for me! i have a photoshoot tomorrow and i got a nasty cold sore last night. i looked up cold sores and forund this, i tried it, and it seems to be working. i just hope it dissapears completely by tomorrow. :(   truth Comments By: Jess on 2009-04-03 Think about this: If there were a truely way to completely get ride of your cold sore in 24 hours... there wouldn't be this many theories,home remedies and medicines. The truth of the matter is that healing time varies from person to person. I've suffered from cold sores for many years and I can tell you they are worse at the beginning and over time get easier and easier to manage. Mine usually last about 3 days now. Below are tips that really help: * Take QUICK showers and don't get your face wet. Wash your face separately in the sink with a face wash and keep the infected area dry. The wettness and steam only makes things worse. * Use ice if you are at the tingling stage.. but remember to wrap it in a towel. Always keep it dry. Touching it only makes things worse... if your cold sore is already at a blister stage the ice won't do anything and all the touching will make it worse. * you can keep the size down by using alcohol (on a qtip so you don't dry out the rest of your skin) and abreva (ALSO on a qtip). Keep switching between these so the blister doesn't have a chance to grow. *I've found that abreva helps shorten the healing time some... but doesn't really do anything else. It needs to be applied in very thin layers because too much of it will give the blister a chance to soak it up and grow. * If you do the above, your sores shouldn't reach a point where you would need to pop them. * Other than applying the alcohol and occasional abreva.. don't touch it at all. The less you touch the faster it will heal. * LOAD up on l-lysine supplements (anywhere from 4,000-5,000mg/day) and vitamin c supps. Drink lots of water and fluids. *avoid anything with nuts, chocolate and caffine (especially coffee). I found that these three things really contribute to cold sores... they actually help the virus grow. *don't go out drinking!!! this only weakens your immune system and will take longer for your sores to heal.. they will often get worse. *ladies: stress and hormones cause cold sores to re-appear. You are more likely to get these during your period... so if you often get cold sores try to limit your coffee, nuts & chocolate intake around the time of your menstral cycle. *And lastly, try to relax and get a lot of sleep. The healthier you are the faster it will heal. Hang out with someone who makes you laugh and doesn't care if you have a cold sore... trust me it will help, and you won't be so stressed out about it.   okay.. Comments By: sugarr on 2009-04-16 I have tried everything on this page and nothing has worked, anyone know what else i could do ><' It has went down a bit though   Revalation in cold sores! Comments By: Beany19 on 2009-04-14 I used to get a decent amount of cold sores. I got one recently and did not have time to act in prevention. I had this huge blistering thing on my lip! The nail polish remover alone burns but has aken my cold sore down more than i could ever have imagined! I can't wait to try the other part because i have never done anything that has worked as well as this so far!   Uhhh. . . Comments By: Sayahun on 2009-04-16 I just tried my first application on the nail polish remover. Is it supposed to turn your skin around it all white? And if so, how long until it goes back to normal color? Hope this works! I've been putting ice, alcohol, and garlic on it and nothing much has happened   Comments By: Anon on 2009-04-28 You should count yourself EXTREMELY lucky if you managed to get rid of a cold sore in 24 hours! I wish all these remedies worked that well for me..   Hoping this works Comments By: Martha on 2009-05-05 I really hope this works because i have prom coming up and i've had one cold sore for the past week or two and am now getting one on the other side and i need to get rid of them within this week so i look good for the dance and pictures. thnx for the advice   iTS tRUE Comments By: PRiNCESS_94 on 2009-05-19 OMg iM 14 ANd WE hAVE 8tH GRAdE SENd Off ON tHURSdAY..2 dAYS fRM NOW.iM tRYiNG tHiS RiGhT NOW AND YES i AM fEELiNG tHE bURN.bUT i bELiEVE iTLL WORK!!tHANKS COWbOY!!   is there hope? Comments By: destiny on 2009-05-19 ok so i have a boifriend and i think i might love him but i have a nasty cold sore on my bottom lip and i dont want him to see me like this   it really does Comments By: Anon on 2009-05-26 I was very wary of this so called 'nail polishe remover remedy, but i was desperate and I didn't have time for over the counter medication to work. So although I was scared that the bail polish remover would burn my lip and leave a scar, I went along with it anyway. It worked, within 1 day I had a little bump, just like I had bitten my lip. BUT no signs of a cold sore, no blisters, no redness. half way through the next day I repeated my remedy prpcedure with a cotton swab, and my 'cold sore' / bump seemed to melt away. I love this rememdy, IT MAY NOT BE FOR EVERYONE... but it did wonders for me.   hey Comments By: sk on 2009-06-01 can someone please tell me where can i find peroxide? what is that? TipKing says: Hydrogen peroxide is available in drug stores or chemists   we'll have to see Comments By: George on 2009-06-16 i have a gf who i like to kiss alot so i dont want these soars on my lips so she can get them too i hope this works!!!   cold sores kill my career. Comments By: oc. on 2009-06-16 I definately enjoyed this tip. I am a working model,and a cold sore can be the kiss of death for us. To top it off, this is the first cold sore I have EVER gotten. Not the worst, the first. TWO DAYS BEFORE MY WEDDING. I am more despirate than you have any idea of. I definately do NOT want the chance of getting more, so I took every single precaution possible. I washed my hands,then used hand sanitizer, and wore clean rubber gloves. I went out and bought lancets (very thin sterile needles that diabetics use to test their blood sugar), I used alcohol pads to prep EVERYTHING with, I used paper towels and kleenx and toilet paper to touch my mouth with to make sure that ABSOLUTELY NONE of the puss spread. I washed my hands constantly, I used abreva 7-9 times instead of the reccomended 5 times daily. I drank a bottle of water every hour. I took 6 pills of 500mg of L-lysine a day. I knew I needed to be careful but this is my job,and more importantly the best day of my life! The first few hours were a little crazy,and looked a worse than it started to be honest,probably from the inflamation,but I just decided I would have confidence that this would work-I can't have this ruin everything that I worked SO hard for. ITS WORKING! About three hours later, I can feel my lip is normal size again, although I can't tell exactly what it looks like because the abreva dries white. I plan to do the proccess again before I go to sleep again just to make ABSOLUTELY SURE! I know that sounds drastic, and under normal circumstances I might not be SO pushy about it, but please understand, this is my wedding,the one time I get to have an entire day to myself, I want to feel confident to be looked at,every woman should have that feeling everyday,not just models. It's already working for me. I'm sorry for those of you who did not have such a good time with it.   NOOO DONT DO IT Comments By: Dustin on 2009-06-26 OMG i did this i had to go to the er! my lip swelled so bad! it made it a million times worse! my doctor asked if i was high when i did it! lol he said that is the last thing you should do!   ONLY !6! Comments By: Danielle on 2009-06-29 im 16 nd im a cheerleader nd havin a fever blister is totally unacceptable! so while lookin for a fast cure i saw this one.right now i have a swab of finger nail polish to my lip nd yea it burns but not that bad! B4 i go to bed im gonna put that potion on my lip. hope this works. ill tell u tom. my update!   SCAREDDDDD Comments By: ginny on 2009-07-14 well by reading all the comments i dont know who to believe some say it works and some say it just makes it work , im confused i need some advise school is going to start and i dont want this "thing" on my lip, im putting an ice cub on it right know it just nums it but it will hold off for now so tell me the truth does it work or not   THIS REALLY WORKS! Comments By: Gemma Burnett on 2009-07-19 i get cold sores quite often, then my mum said try spraying to sprays of perfume on it at any stage in the development of it so i did and woaah! withing a few hours it scabs up and peels off, it does sting a little but it gets rid of the nasty ugly blisters on your face, try it x   AMAZING! Comments By: elena on 2009-07-21 i just had a new sore come up on my lip a day ago and so i was looking around to find ways to get rid of it, and this came up! at first i was thinking are you crazy??? but i gave it a go hoping no more cold sores would show up! and it did!! thank god!! i love it!! thanks so much!   coldsore blues Comments By: Anon on 2009-08-05 ive gotten cold sores since i can remember and tried alot of stuff but what i found that works for me is getting a piece of aloe plant and rubbing on affected area.repeat along w/taking lysine, drinking lots of water and plenty of rest   Confused Comments By: Erica on 2009-07-30 I agree Ginny some say it work some say it don't and I'm not trying to do this and end up with WORSE or having to rush to the ER like some of these people. I just got mine last night while I was sleep when I woke up its more a pimple...what do I do!!   don't overdo it Comments By: Earl Hickey on 2009-08-07 A lesson I learned a few years ago was once the blister opens and becomes damp STOP using all remedies, over the counter or otherwise. All that Abreva, Novitra, salt, nail polish remover, tea bags, alcohol, agent orange, will do at this point is irritate the sore. Apply Neosporin or Triple on it a few times a day and let nature take it's course. I had a cold sore for almost 3 months once because I kept irritating it with every home remedy and over the counter medicine I could find. When it first starts to tingle, hit it with your cure. If you catch it soon enough you have a good chance it won't become an open sore. But once it opens, let it be.   DO NOT POP IT Comments By: MICHEAL JACKSON on 2009-08-13 Do Not Put Hydrogen Peroxide It Will Leave A White Stain. Just ADD Salt, Add To The Sore Then Wash It With A Cotton With Water. Then Add Salt Again To This 4 Times. Wash Your Mouth With Listerine. Do NOT POP IT, It WILL SPREAD ELSE WHERE??? EXAMPLE Pimples You Do Not EVER want to POP THEM CAUSE it Will LEAVE SCARS and SPREAD ALL Over Your Body.. Just Let IT Heal On Its OWN   SO CONFUSING PLEASE HELP Comments By: Meagan on 2009-08-20 PLEASE SOMEONE GIVE ME SOMETHING THAT WORKS. I have tried EVERYTHING. I have tried the nail polish remover crap and altho I can say it did make it dried up it was still there and did NOT go away in 1day. I am trying neosporin on it now . . I have tried putting aloe and salt on it till it burns it away. I have tried hot honey, hot tea bags, carmex, toothpaste. I have resorted to taking my VALTREX which is a perscription pill that I can say helps it not get that big and sometimes prevents them from coming, and my abbreeva. What doctors need to do is make a flesh colored abreeva so you can wear the meds. and cover it up at the same time . . . just gave someone a MILLION dollar idea. . . im going to write them . . but in the mean time feel free to E-Mail me if you have any suggestions.... MeagMc4@yahoo.com   I dont know! Comments By: Rebecca on 2009-08-21 Okay i have a big cold sore on my bottom lip and i have so many things to do tomorrow and i cant go with this thing on my lip! I got this last night when i was asleep. I want to use the nail polish remover and everything but then i read some of the comments about swollen lips and now im scared to do it! But i really want this thing gone so i dont know what to do! Hopefully this works!   My Way Comments By: anonymous on 2009-08-27 Alright. I've tried every remedy in the book... and for three years I've been cold sore free. Finally after tons of stress from just starting college, money complications with loans and student accounts, and my hours at work being drastically cut, I broke out... my whole lip was a cold sore. No Joke. Here's my remedy that got rid of them in just 2 DAYS: Pop 1 - 500mg pill of Lysine daily. Sterilize a needle with fire, then soak with alcohol. Pop the blisters and drain, but gently! Apply Melissa or Lemon Balm to the cold sores every 3 hours. Brew a cup of Earl Grey tea and add 30 drops of Lemon Balm to the tea bag while in the water. Let cool slightly, apply lukewarm tea bag to your lip and hold for 15 minutes. Give 5 minutes for your lip to dry. Then reapply tea bag for another 15 minutes. You can do this as often as you like before you notice results. For me it took only 4 applications. Reapply melissa every 2-3 hours. Repeat as you feel necessary. :)   hope it works Comments By: Amber on 2009-09-01 i have this huge thing on my lip and i have to get rid of it i put ice on it then i found this website. i just tryed the nail polish remover and yes it does burn but its not that bad if u cant deal with that kinda pain wow. i hope the other part of this remedy works but i guess we will see   easyer way Comments By: Frances on 2009-09-02 yeah that is effective, but instead of BURNING YOUR LIPS! dont use nail polish remover, use aftershave or hot water and salt, it is less painfull and will not scar :)   nice one Comments By: jimmy on 2009-09-08 this does work. i hate coldsores with a passion. i always burst the sore with a needle sterilised with fire. clean up this with a tissue with nail polish remover on it. then hold a cotton swab of nail varnish remover dipped in crushed salt on it for as long as you can. it works. feel the burn.   seems to work Comments By: sweet al on 2009-09-09 i am trying part of this.....I mixed salt, clear care contact solution (contains peroxide), ibuprofen and water. i've dabbed it on every 10 minutes or so. the swelling is down and it doesn't feel as uncomfortable. we'll see how fast it goes away. Not sure about the nail polish remover and popping it idea. seems kind of sketchy but who knows!   TRYING IT!! Comments By: freaked outtt on 2009-09-10 just put nail polish remover on doesnt burn bad hope this workssss   not giving up Comments By: thnks tezza on 2009-09-14 im trying this now and it stings like crazy i have had it for about 4 days and i put perfume but it didnt help i will atleast do this for about 20 mintues leave it for about 5 then put something cold on it then do it again i hope this and its kinda giving me a headache to but if it helps i wont give up on it   NO! Comments By: craig on 2009-09-14 The only real way to cure and prevent future cold sores is to constantly keep them moist, with vaseline or zovirax. if tyou dry then out they will seem less liquid but will last longer and perhaps create a scar. if your beginning to see a yellow liquid it is infected so none of this works and you will need to see a doctor   Attempt Comments By: Emma on 2009-09-19 My friend keeps getting coldsores and so do i, she uses perfume to dry it out while i just wait for mine to go or use ordinary coldsore cream, hers goes alot faster so i might try using perfume or sea salt in warm water or maybe the biggest.. nailpolish remover? sounds like the nailpolish remover has got more ratings. I really need to get rid of my cold sore, i keep getting them and my mum keeps saying its my boyfriend's fault when it isn't! he's fine, it's really embarrasing, need it to go asap it's saturday and i need a miracle for it be gone by monday as i have college. :(   its okay Comments By: Elle on 2009-09-20 i am only 11 and i have suffered from cold sores about 3 times a year i hate thm but i cant help but ouch them its so itchey! i am trying it now and i amtyping whilst holding a cotton swab to my cold sore . for all the people who are afraid DONT BE ....it stings a little but after about 15 seconds it is fine x i used curex nail varnish remover and i dont kow if it will hurt xxx wish me luck ....   I love it Comments By: cassidy on 2009-10-05 I am 13 and i got a cold score right befor my first date and it wored wonders   TRUSTED, CHEAP MEDICAL SOLUTION Comments By: Simon in London on 2009-10-09 Don't waste your time risking reinfection and pain. Follow these instructions to the T and you'll be fine. First buy some Acyclovir 5% antiviral cream from a chemist or the internet (especially if you're in the US as you can't buy it OTC in the US). Then get some COMPEED cold sore patches which are proven to be as effective as the cream. Again, they are only licensed for sale in Europe so go to the internet for help if you're stateside. Both should cost no more than $10 per packet. Then - combine both treatments! add only a tiny amount of cream to the middle of the sore otherwise it will stop the edges of the patch from sticking. keep reapplying every 4-8 hours and the sore will (a) be stopped from flaring up and (b) be gone in a day or two. GUARANTEED!!! Acyclovir tablets are also a good bet you can get Valrex or a generic copy from the net also. As long as you take them in time they stop the virus dead in its tracks. if its already starting to blister then you are too late.   TRUSTED, CHEAP MEDICAL SOLUTION Comments By: Simon in London on 2009-10-09 sorry - i should also say that the patches are amazing as (a) they form a physical barrier so you can actually kiss people without fear of transmitting the disease and (b) they disguise the sore making it almost invisible.   I would't do this. Comments By: Stefilin on 2009-10-11 I would definatly not do this! Honestly, i hate it VERY much but puting on nail polish remover & all of its chemicals on an open wound like that is wrong, just wait for it to heal naturally. 9 out of 10 people get it so its not that big of a deal. just let it go, all im doing is putting on some Lypsyl which helps get rid of it faster.   Asdfghjkl Comments By: Ashley on 2009-10-14 Im 13,i went to the doctors about 4 months ago and my mom told him about the cold sores and stufff,he prescribed Zovirax cream,it works perfectly. You put it on 3 times a day and the cold sore goes away within 5-10 hours.   Please People! Comments By: No Easy Cure on 2009-10-17 I understand the stress!! Oh crap.. not a cold sore (cs).. I need it to go away NOW! Understanding the mechanisims of a cs will help you understand that silly ideas like this only make it worse. Don't damage your lip cels by adding harsh chemicals to them.. that will cause the virus to target that spot over and over! The hard cold facts are that once a CS blisters the virus has already replicated itself enough to survive and the virus goes dormant back to the nerve root. The key is to catch it when it wakes up and begins traveling to the lip cel.. (tingle stage) Lysine will work. 2000 -6000mg a day. You can read the science behind it on the internet.. If it blisters..use ice, Abreva, campho.. whatever, but your in for 8-10 days so relax, wash often and try to prevent damaging other areas by spreading it...   Oh Wow! Comments By: Not good advice on 2009-10-17 Can't believe this type of advice is out here. I will tell you as a clinician this not good advice! You should never pop a cold sore blister. You really risk spreading the million viral particles that are inside the blister. Let your body heal it and treat the pain. You shorten the life by treating very early but at this stage the risks are too high to try these types of treatments.   Do NOT do this Comments By: No Way on 2009-10-17 Have you ever seen a person with cold sore lesions all over? That's because they spread it by touching the fluid that contains the virus. Best Advice is to know your triggers and prevent. The strain is HSV-1 and it lives dormant in a nerve root. Certain activities can cause it to awake and surfice (cold sore). Think prevantive with diet and limit the trigger activities. If you are going to be in the sun or stress add Lysine to your diet. Don't be desperate and cause it to be worse.   SCARED TO TRY IT ALSO TRY THIS Comments By: Ashley on 2009-10-18 wouldnt hurt if you put NAIL POLISH REMOVER ON A COLD SORE RIGHT AFTER YOU POP IT. Also wat if your coldsore isnt pimple-like,wat if it is flat. (The best thing to do is clean it 3 times aday with HOT water, but only dap it gentely. when Your done put neosporin on it. It dosent go away over night but it makes it alot better and it helpes with spreading the viris. =D   NoWay! Comments By: Star on 2009-10-21 Looked this up today at work, DON'T DO IT! I came home and was going thru the 1st step, with the nail polish remover, of course it burned (duh) but I didn't think anything of it, when the 20mins was over I removed the cotton ball and the top layer of skin from my lip fell off!!! now I have a party on friday and saturday I have to go to looking like this! THANKS FOR NOTHING!   Its one of many Comments By: Holly-marie on 2009-10-28 Ok im 15 years old, i kno i bet your thinking that i dont have a clue about coldsores yet. True i havent suffered from them for long but because im young but the humilation is worse than the pain for someone my age... Ive tried most things but im not brave enough to put nail polish remover on my lip. I believe that remedies differ from person to person. It just another helpful tip. Although this wont be the best advice but try not stressing cos it does only make it worse. If you havent notice most of your comments say that the coldsore is goes while u sleep.. mybe this is because your calmer. Just give it a go okay :)   ummmm Comments By: A on 2009-10-28 absolutely do NOT pop a blister, it's exremely viral. when you notice a cold sore coming on call your physician and ask for some zovirax ointment, that will help dry it up, or if you see an oral surgeon they may rx a med like acyclovir and ask to try immuno-suppressive therapy. if you do pop the blister try isopropol alcohol or nail polish remover, its burns but it'll sorta help dry it up.   IT WORKS!! Comments By: KJ(: on 2009-10-30 Last Night, I Didn't Have Any Finger Nail Polish Remover So I Put Ice On It For 10 Minutes Then Used The Potion Before I Went To Bed And When I Woke Up All I Had Was A Bump With A Scab On It. I Bought Some Polish Remover And I'm Going To Use It Tonight. HopeFully Its Gone By Tommorrow For Halloween. Thanks For The Advice, It Really Works!!! (:   it burns like hellll Comments By: kazzi on 2009-10-30 well im black n i have big lips so of course i get big cold sores my name is kazzi n i had this cold sore scince last saturday lucily i didnt go to skoo for the next week cause i had a stomach virus but ever scince i got it i been putting alchol peroxide and neosporn it worked a little but this needs to be gon it is now friday october 30 09 n i need this gone by sunday so i tryed putting this stuff on n it burns it made it turn white but i think its gonna work hopefully anti wayz im 13 and im too young for thiss if i had a wish i would wish i would never get themmm well i realllllllllllllllllllllllllyyy hope this works by sunday or else im gonna put a papper bag ova my head   Disapointed Comments By: Amanda on 2009-11-04 I thought for sure this was going to work. It burned really really bad and then it started to ooze. I was very careful not to let the pus touch anywhere else. Well now my blister is a little smaller but holy hell it freakn hurts! It's so tender I can barley open my mouth. And the scab looks terrible. I will never do this one again!   i have just tried this. Comments By: charlie on 2009-11-06 i had a cold sore come yessterday, i have since then been putting tcp on it as frequently as i can it has worked brilliantly its already drying up and getting smaller i am now tryin the nail polish remover and that also seems to be working. thank god for these cures i start my new job on mondayy!! :)   WORKS LIKE MAGIC Comments By: birthdaygirl on 2009-11-13 THIS WORKS AMAZINGLY!!!! I thought that my birthday was spoiled cuz I had a really romantic type evening planned with my boyfriend and I could feel one coming last night so I tried this.. this morning the feeling is GONE! and theres no swelling or anything!!! I would absolutely use this! ONLY IF YOU CATCH IT EARLY!! DO NOT APPLY NAIL POLISH REMOVER TO A POPPED CIST!!!!! YOU WILL GET AN INFECTION!!!!!!! But if you catch it early before the puss shows up it dries it up really fast. THANK YOU SOO MUCH!   Tums and Makeup Comments By: P Mullat on 2009-11-15 Tums- First sign of a tingling sensation wet down one tablet and rub it around the potential infected area till it forms a thick layer. Then let it dry and sit for 30 min. Repeat this process for 6-7 hrs. and if no blister has appeared yet this tip just might have worked for you. For reassurance repeat for an additional 2-3 hrs. My results using this method are 50/50. The reason this sometimes works is the alkalinity in the tums fights the acid forming virus trying to make its way to your skins surface from it's root cell. If blisters have already taken up space on your face it's to late to try this. In that case take care of yourself and let the healing process take it's natural course. NO HARSH CHEMICALS PEOPLE!!!! That can lead to disease and major health problems. Lets face the facts, a lot of us have cold sore problems so you are not alone. Just read all these comments from people. They know what your going through. My rating is 5 because its worth the try. It has worked for a lot of my friends and family in the past. Good Luck!!   Seems like a bad idea, but let's find out! Comments By: Player player on 2009-11-25 I got a cold sore this morning at 4am. I went to go buy abreva this morning and oh my this is expensive. I had to go to work so the whole time I wouldn't look at people. I came home and tried this, so far some bumps went away but I feel like it's going to scab and be worse. I guess we won't know until tomorrow morning, and the worse part is tomorrow is thanksgiving! Oh my what will I do. I will post another comment in the morning. Wish me luck!   itt workss !! Comments By: lucy on 2009-12-08 this tip is great the other day i found one and i was like omg ... i had a date wid my boyfriend 2 nights away and i didnt want to go with that thing on my face so then i searched for tips and this one sounded good soo i braved the chances and im sooo glad i did cause it worked !! i recommend it   PLEASE WORK!!!!!!!! Comments By: SHANDA on 2009-12-09 LORD!!PLEASE LET THIS WORK IM BOUT TO GO IN THE BATHROOM IN PRAY BECUZ I WANT TO SEE MY BOYFREND FRIDAY IN IM 15 DONT WANT TO SEE HIM WITH THIS ON MY MOUTH PLEASE WORK..CUZ IM SCARED TO DO IT.   kindof working.. Comments By: anon.. on 2009-12-11 i just got a cold sore yesterday, started off with the tingling, i put ice on it but it became huge anyways! so i looked up home remides and found this. i didn't use the nail polish remover part..but i made the "potion" and that seams to be working..i used a starile needle, staralized with fire and the poroxide, to get all the puss out and cleaned that up with a qtip making sure it didnt touch anywhere else on my lip and then i put the mixture of poroxide, crushed advil and salt on for about 15-20 minutes, washed it off and put ice on it for about 5 minutes waited for about 10 mintues and then put the mixture back on again. the swelling has gone down ALOT and its starting to scab! i don't think i would use the nailpolish remover because of the chemicals in it, you could burn and scar your face! but the other part deffinetly works!!   NO WAY Comments By: Jenn on 2009-12-16 I tried the nail polish remover and the paste it does not work at all, i tried the toothpaste and salt it didnt work either. I found that takin a sterile needle poppin the blister then applying tons of peroxide works the best it worked for me in about a day it was gone.   to each is own Comments By: stezz on 2009-12-16 people are different so the POTION will have different effects on ppl but for me its been werking everytime ive had one the nail polish remover burns like hell because it dries the fluid out of your cold sore ive been doing it for years and my lips are sexy   It Works!! WELL HALF Comments By: Mona.Lisa on 2009-12-17 I'm getting a cold sore now. I always get them when stressed. before reading this article I Rubbed alochol,peroxide and asprin cold flu on my cold sore and it hasn't started to form yet like always.Keep doing it all day.I'll get back to you tommr to share the results   it didn't work for me Comments By: Emma-Jay Sawyer on 2009-12-21 i came to this sight yesterday & i didn't everything right like in the guide & i still have mine!!! Where did i do wrong TT damn coldsore   UCK! Comments By: Amybeth on 2009-12-22 First... I'm sad for all of us who need this help!!! I got a huge cold sore yesterday. Haven't had one in years! I am all about prevention! But I was really stressed out and that's when I get them. Denavir...right away... wasn't working, it was still growing. Dr sent me to CVS for the strongest pills... nope, still growing. This morning...AWFUL!!! Huge blister...Giant Lip... UCK! I tried this mixture just on the blister and it totally dried up the blister!!! I am on tv...careful what I put on my face. No way makeup would have hid this. But a little ice... I am blown away!!! Seriously! I am not telling anyone what to do, it just took my 1/4" blister away!!   high and dry Comments By: jo herp on 2009-12-22 umm? ok i read a few comments and desided to do this nail polish remover thing. i applied the nail polish remover for about 20 minn and yes it burned. after removing the aplacation i walked to my bathroom to see what it had done if anything. the whole side of my lip went numb and my skin on my face and lip was dried out granted so was the coldsoar.... but now i get to walk around with a white lip and a coldsoar. and if this happens to u... do not put baking powder on ur lip cuz this will do nothing but continue to dry ur lip and face up like a raisen. o but threw the the applacation process i do beleave that i was getting high off the fumes. so if u want to be retarted... give this a try.   making a fuss Comments By: Luke on 2009-12-23 people that are saying it stings like hell are wrong... sure there's a little heat but it's not that bad... i'm doing it as i type and hope it works...   i tried nail polish remover before even reading this ! Comments By: vanda on 2009-12-26 itried it last nite and it popped the sore but then i woke up thid mornin and and it came back..   helpp Comments By: Pao Pao on 2009-12-27 well i got my cold sore sat morining& i been putting ice and nail polish remover and alcholo but its still not gone! when you say pop it should something be coming out? should i keep trying to pop it?   woah, Comments By: sp on 2009-12-29 i was really nervous about trying this but i'm desperate to get rid of this hideous thing so i tried it and it's working! i just got done applying the nail polish remover for the 3rd time today and it's already scabbing up and it looks smaller. i have a new years party in 2 days so hopefully it will be completely gone by then! thanks!   Not Bad... Comments By: Anon on 2009-12-30 My coldsore appeared yesterday morning, it is now about the same time the next day. My cold sore has dried out, and looks like it is in the process of healing. The only thing about this is it's pretty swollen this morning.. I'm hoping taking some ibuprofen will help with this. Thanks for your advice! :)   yay!!!! Comments By: coldsore free. =) on 2009-12-30 Yay its working!!! I just had one two weeks ago! Urgh! And I was so POed when I woke upband had one again!! I wad scared by reading people went to the hospital because of it and it spreading but I tried it a few hours ago and now it just looks lie my lips is chapped and red. Its going away!! Its awesme. I know in a few hours it will be gone! Yay for home remedies. I mixed rubbing alcohol with nail Polish remover with acetone. And wa-lah its going away. It didn't really pus a lot either. I know just about eveeryone gets these but teh r still so ugly and embarassing. Idk why we freak out but we do lol. Thank you!   super scared!!! Comments By: Nisha on 2010-01-02 .....blacked out last night and woke up with this medium sized cold sore on my lip!! lol so im going to try this out i hope to god it works....its sounds like its gonna burn but i think i can take it :)   THIS BETTER WORK, OR ELSE Comments By: Nancy on 2010-01-02 Yeah, I got a big nasty cold sore, and I only get them during MY time of the month, lol. I'm gonna try this because I care waaaay to much about how I look. You sissies need to stop whining about the burning, you want the sore gone or not?!?!?!?   that stupid cold sore! Comments By: LALA on 2010-01-04 ok well im 13 and iv been getting a coldsore at least onece every winter (eww) yea well iv tryed everything like abrva nd garlic also ice... et dident work? i was desperate so i came to thid page and i saw that you could use nail polish remover i never tried et so i did for the first time and i used et at least every 20 mins ET WORKS GRATE!! so try et=] thanxx(:   alternative Comments By: the remedy on 2010-01-10 instead of possibly scarring your lip forever, you guys should take 1500mg of l-lysine as soon as you feel it coming on. it should prevent the cold sore from appearing. take the same dose of l-lysine (not on an empty stomach) for one more day after that and you should be home free.   WORKS Comments By: MISS B1TCH on 2010-01-10 defintely helped me..coldsores are so ugly and annoying and painfulll.....js dip the qtip in the remover and press it on the coldsore let it burn and heat up a bit.. intense stuff haha but it works i took it off and it was dried and looked like healing skin (was a lot flatter too) thank YOU soooo MUCHO   it works every time Comments By: tina on 2010-01-10 if i catch it at the tingle phase with my VyGone, it never even shows up...BUT for those pesky ones that give no warning here is the only way i can turn a huge/nasty 12-14 day cold sore into a 2-3 day hardly noticeable one: 1. pop and drain (very carefully) every tiny blister with a lancet (the kind diabetics use) and immediately wash the area with soap/water and alcohol 2. alternate between pressing a cotton ball soaked with nail polish remover on it for as long as possible and applying hand sanitizer 3. dry it out a few times a day with a blow dryer on the low setting 4. AVOID anything moisturizing until its totally dead scabbed up ... this process has never failed me once or created any bad side effects. works like a charm ;)   Def. Worth A Shot Comments By: Bre on 2010-01-13 im 16 and this is my very first cold sore ever! its emabaressing! im just glad its under my lip not on my lip so you can really see it! but im going to be spending the weekend with my boyfriend and i cant face him with this thing on my face! when i first noticed it i was using "Carmex" but that didnt seem to be working so i had my grandma buy me "Blistex" and that seemd to be working great! i mean it reduced in size and it was as red or as painful! then i got on here and found this i tried the nail polish remover and it seemd to work too it dried it up and reduced the size even more! it still hurts a little but thats fine. the nail polish remover burned at some times but other than that it seems to be working great! i think this is def worth a shot even if it only reduces the size! im going to put more "Blistex" and see how it turns out!(:   imma try it :] Comments By: jan dunlap on 2010-01-18 ive tried alot to take away my cold sores i hate having the embarrasing feelingg wen im around my friends or boyfriend. i just wish they could go away forever.. but this seem like it will work worth a try :D   ouch Comments By: carrie on 2010-01-19 on the nail polish part omg it stings   idk about nail polish remover Comments By: quan on 2010-01-19 ...but i always use alcohol and ice. i do have the habit of popping the blister on the RARE cases i get on my lip (i actually usually get them inside my nose). but i make sure i have tissue VERY HANDY to keep the fluid inside the blister from going anywhere and possible causing another blister to pop up somewhere. the alcohol definitely burns but totally dries up that blister! i've comments about cold sores lasting for 2 weeks...mine have never lasted that long...whether it's inside my nose or on my lip. i just got one yesterday stressing about my upcoming wedding family drama and was trying to NOT bust it bcuz it is on my lip this time. not a good idea i see as i sit at work trying to hide from the world. so today after work i WILL go back to my regular remedy...numbing and soothing it with a cube of ice, sterilize a needle, poke a little hole so the fluid will drain, apply alcohol on a cotton ball. DONE!!! gotta see the fiance' on thursday so i've got 2 days to get this thing under control!!!...   hopeful Comments By: Shy on 2010-01-19 im trying it now... hope it works i will post something again tomorrow to say if it worked for me or not   ehhh Comments By: stephanie on 2010-01-20 idk , if i should try it . but i want to kuss i don't want my boyfriend to see it / : but idk if it will work . i'm scared it's not gonna work   Blistex Comments By: Nick on 2010-01-21 Blistex works great! use it every hour.   best remedy so far - age 30 Comments By: Yvette on 2010-01-21 So I was really hesitant to try this remedy because point blank it sounded silly, but I was desperate. My past remedys included expensive abreva, carmax, and toothpaste, but the cold sore still lasted @ least for 7 days, so figuring I had nothing to lose tried the nail polish/aspirin/salt w/a touch of alcohol, and it works. I have never had anything that drained the cold sore that fast. Its been 24hrs since I tried it. No more bump just a slight blemish (that make-up will fix)where the cold sore was.   i use to get them all the time Comments By: works for me on 2010-01-22 like every month or two. then i went over a year without getting one. but then i decided to try to lose weight quick and drank very little water for a week then i got 2 in a row, i now make sure i drink lots of water and now i get them once every year or so, i also drink lots of water when i feel one coming on and when i have one i use abreva, i find they are smaller and go away within 5-7 days   INSANE AND STUPID Comments By: Brittany on 2010-01-25 Ive suffered for about 16 years with Cold sores. Ive tried EVERY remedy there is...from nail polish remover, to salt. Ive even paid the $150 for prescriptions. Let me start by saying...The nail polish remover,Peroxide,Salt, garlic, or alcohol remedies are complete nonsense and very painful. I had a cold sore coming along and I was determine to stop it, so I tried all of the above. The only thing it did was make everyhting horribly worse. I woke the next morning with a cold sore the size of a quarter on my upper lip. It was so painful I had to go see a doctor to get something to stop the pain. The sore was infected due to all the "home remedies" I tried and my doctor literally called me an idiot for trying all of them. I was prescribed Valtrex and it is to this day the ONLY drug that has cleared up an existing sore with in 3 days. If I take it right when the tingling starts the sore does not appear. The Valtrex is very expensive (about $140) Zoverax is another one that works well too...Another topical drug that works wonders is DMSO cream. It attacks the virus from the outside in and stops it from spreading. I would NOT recommend trying salt or any of the above listed remedies as I guarantee it will make everything worse then it was to begin with. To prevent cold sores from happening as often take L-lysine daily. (It really helps)   errrr Comments By: amy on 2010-01-26 use Vitamin E oil 9000 I.U. or higher all the time on a cold sore. like all day just carry it around. o and some abreva that always helps mine heal faster. as for this remedy. i think it might only work for some. the peroxide made my lip swell. but when i put ice and vit E on it it helped the pain and swelling but not all the way. IDK. i wish it had worked for me. i need a remedy for a swollen lip   Hope this can help someone Comments By: Anonymous on 2010-01-26 Hey guys, I've been suffering from numerous cold sores in the past year. And I don't just mean a few, I mean one every month or so. I've tried everything and basically here's what works best for me.. 1.) Talk to your doctor about prescription Valtrex. It's literally stopped my cold sores from appearing about twice a month to once every few months. 2.) LYSINE...even after the sore has broken out (I'm currently getting over one now) this stuff works magic. I'll take about six pills a day, 2 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon ,and 2 before bed. 3.) Apply rubbing alcohol to the sore on a Q-tip. After it is dry, use abreva on it. Do not try to pop the sore, but if it does pop, blot it with a tissue so it does not infect other areas of your face. 4.) Continue to use alcohol (rubbing alcohol left SCARS on my face!!!) and abreva throughout the day. WASH YOUR HANDS before and after using it, and most importantly DO NOT TOUCH THE SORE at any other time. Seriously folks, just leave it alone and you will thank yourself later. 5.) Finally, once the sore has completely dried out, use something like Carmex or Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment (I prefer this). It helps rejuvinate the skin and moisturize it after the alcohol and abreva have completely dried off the area. 6.) Wash the area with warm water and soap. Sometimes, I am able to gently scrub off some of the dead skin that has been moisturized by the Blistex. After doing so, the area is a little bit tender and red, but heals faster. Okay, so that's it. I've honestly tried EVERYTHING out there, and this is what seems to work for me. The cold sore I have now is in the final stages just two days after breaking out with it. So I hope I can pass on some of my experiences so that it can help others- I know how awful and embarassing these things can be!   Scared to try it!! Comments By: desha on 2010-01-26 I have never herd of using nail polish on a cold sore!!! but i'll try it cuz im sick of this nasty thing on my lip.....!   In The Process Comments By: Phillip-Scott on 2010-01-29 i have being using this tratement for the last 2 hours and fair play it work my cold sores are not as red or sore and are gradually going cheers mate   wait it out Comments By: courtenay on 2010-01-29 best thing to do is wait it out but if you do try one of these remedies then be careful because i tried one and my lip swelled up like i got punched or something so please people be careful   HUM Comments By: Emma on 2010-02-02 Im a little confused by all of these comments, it seems like it works for some people and doesnt work for others. I dont wanna try it and end up in the emergency room like someone that did but then again, alot of people are also saying it works great! Im terribly confused!   Another Way :) Comments By: anon on 2010-02-02 1.ok a soon as you feel it POP IT !! 2.then 10 mins later open it up and spray perfume or calone in it (im not going to lie it stigs like a B***h) 3.have a hot bath to steam it a bit like in a sauna to dry it out 4.leave it for 5 mins till dry and the get a cotten bud and spray it with calone/perfume and hole for 3mins 5.get a deodrant such as palmolive soft and gentle ans spray the cotten bud untill wet and hold(it will be cold the go a bit hard or crusty) repete as many time as wanted the time the faster it will dry out and by morning it should be gone enjoy!!   BAD IDEA! Comments By: Tiffany on 2010-02-03 i popped my cold sore and put fingernail polish remover on it just like you said, and it messed up my lip. i have like a permanent scar on it now. thanks alot.   ugh Comments By: Kayla on 2010-02-03 I am thirteen years old, my name is Kayla and I have THE biggest crush on this guy ever... He was talking to me today and I was hiding my face making sure that he didn't see it, he asked me to the dance that's coming up and I said yess and then he leaned down to kiss me and I flipped! I FLIPPED! I have dealt with terrible cold sores all my life, and I am getting sick of having to push people away and feeling so embarassed all the time! I used to have my own methods, but they involved scarring and I need it gone like... tonight because I hate pushing him away! I HATE IT, usually I pop it, use hot water (or ice) and put rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover in it, but I'm scared that if I do that it might be an ugly scab on my face! NO ONE wants to kiss an ugly scab!   FANTASTIC (: Comments By: hjfutls on 2010-02-03 As soon as i put the mixture on i could feel it AND see it working!! i hate cold sores sooooooo much, i hate going in public, i hide my face the whole time, and i've never been able to get rid of them fast, but this really works!! thank you! (:   YAAYY Comments By: chelsie on 2010-02-04 WOooo its working !:D even tho it stings like a bitch its worth it i didnt wann go see my boyfriend tomorow with this thing on my lip !   Works but scars Comments By: desperate on 2010-02-09 My cold sores are always just above my upper lip, I usually pop them anyway because I find it helps them go away quicker. The only problem with popping is SCARRING! I used this tip MINUS the nail polish, I felt that was unnecessary. After popping I use a face toner that has alcohol and witch hazel instead. Your made up "potion" at the end was the best part. Went to sleep after applying the peroxide aspirin mix, in the morning washed it off and they were mostly gone. Only problem is, I'm left with some wicked bruising! Hopefully some Neosporin will help the healing process because I'm really nervous about scarring. :-( Hate cold sores!!!   baby sores Comments By: Kris on 2010-02-12 it's the acetone that makes the cold sore dry up, fingernail polish remover has a high acetone concentration(Be sure not to use one that is acetone free or it won't work). I find that it is best to not pop larger sores, but the little ones are ok. I can't use the aspirin right now, b/c i'm pregnant. But the acetone is a sure thing. The Campho-phenique works well too.   this is wa realy works Comments By: katie on 2010-02-16 i suffer from cold sores not as much now but wen i was younger,iv fount that dippin a cotten bud in deluted bleach cleanin the cold sore kills the germ n stops it from spreadin, leave it dry for a few seconds,then dip a cotton bud in nail varnish remover holdin it on the sore o blister for a few mins this will help dry it out,it will burn but is barible,then 1c thats dry put germaline cream on it this will help 2 heal it so much quicker,n its gn in 1/2 days :)   Maybe it works. Comments By: Jake on 2010-02-18 I don't honestly know if this works and I'm probably not gonna try it. But I do know that popping them gets them to scab over and heal faster. Also the aspiran thing could be done alone. There is some chemical an the aspiran that helps to heal your skin faster. You just crush up a pill, make sure its non-coated, mix it with some water to make a paste, and dab it on. It works if you have a popped zit to.   here goes nothing.. Comments By: dan on 2010-02-25 so, i've got a cold sore and it sucks.. i'm ganna try this..please work.   im trying it now Comments By: Daniella on 2010-02-25 i am 18 years old and i have been getting cold sores my whole life. i get them about 1 or 2 times a year. i try everything and now im gonna try this method. i put the nail polish remover on but i didnt pop it. it seems to be drying it but i think i gonna pop it cause i think it will work better. im scared but u'll never know if it works if u dont try it. wish me luck! and good luck to everyone else :)   This is what I do. Comments By: Anon on 2010-03-22 Normally when I feel a cold sore coming on I have to wait it out a night before it blisters. In the meantime, I will use Abreva, etc.. to minimize the itching. Then, when the blister forms, I will take a needle like others mentioned and pop the sores. I use a cotton ball or paper towel to make sure the virus does not spread to the rest of my face. Then I pour Peroxide on it and wait. It will fizz up. Yes, it stings a little but it helps me A LOT. I keep dabbing it and pouring peroxide on it. I have used bleach in desperation in the past too. Basically, from there it looks a lot better. I will put some RELEEV on it and go to bed. When I wake up, its crusted over. I then repeat the process of the peroxide and paper towel dabbing. It looks a lot better. It helps to dry the things out. Once it scabs you can cover it up some with makeup. They say makeup irritates it, but it helps me. ONLY when there is a scab though. When in the shower dont dont get it wet. You want to keep it wet. I have not used this fingernail polish stuff. That scares me. However, the seasalt can help because it has a natural antibacterial affect.   poopy. Comments By: edawg nighha. on 2010-02-27 Uhmm, doesnt burn tht bad. So why is everyone complaining? Its whatever. I'm doing it this sec. Thanks! :)   ughh.?? Comments By: swagga_fresh on 2010-02-28 lets see. i have school tomarrow and i just got this dang thing last night and i used this remedy bc i been trying everything and i dont want my boyfriend to see me like this soo i tried this remedy and it seems to be workin just fine for me:)) thankz.. lotz of love- cheyenne<3   Garlic Comments By: Me on 2010-03-04 Make a garlic paste (mince fresh clove), put it on affected area. Go to sleep and you will find that the swelling as well as the redness will be reduced. garlic has been used for hundreds of years as an ailment. The oil in the garlic actually reaches the nerves, where the virus resides. unlike most remedies which only go "skin deep"   Hmm well .... Comments By: Amanda on 2010-03-07 i get cold sores once in a blue and pop it, i use alcohol pads or i put it on a rag and hold it on my lip until its done burning then i wash it with bar soap and put alcohol again and leave it for like 2 or 3 hours then i wash it again and re apply the alcohol ...it works very very well only leaving a very small scab. the most important thing is keeping it clean and dry so the nasty stuff inside doesnt go any where else on your face because you will just spead them, so keep it dry and do not allow it to get a crust . keep a tissue with you all day to dabb it if it starts to ooze. hope it works!!!!   Worked Great! Comments By: Nate on 2010-03-08 I didn't use the salt/advil/peroxide paste, however I did use nail polish and it worked great! I also applied peroxide and rubbing alcohol from time-to-time. I also took 4,000mg of L-Lysine 3 times in a 24 hour period (may be to much?). When I went to sleep I applied toothpaste which dried the sore out. It is approx 24 hours and my cold sore is gone..the area is still somewhat red with small scabs but does not itch or tingle like a usual cold sore.   You All Have Made Me Feel Better Comments By: krystela on 2010-03-09 So I was feeling down in the dumps b/c i just moved to a new house in a completely different state. Im nineteen, broke, and all my bills are due Monday. So I guess i was stressing just a little bit. I have a modeling gig hoping to pay my bills starting Saturday. The thing is i woke up with a sexy cold sore. I went back to bed afer i put abreva on it and woke up with another cold sore. I was totally tripping out. But you guys made me feel better b/c reading some stuff about people having them all over their lips, that has got to suck. Im not sure if im gonna do the remedy. I am too broke to spend my cash on my lip. I think im just gonna do what i always do which is put abreva on it and hope the darn thing goes away. did i mention i had a wreck two weeks ago and i just got over a large cold sore. But its all good. Misery loves company. Im feeling much better and im sure its not as ugly as i keep thinking in my head. If i don't get this modeling gig its fine. Ill just be kicked out my house and i can go live with strangers. :)   ABREVA Comments By: LA la la on 2010-03-17 Use Abreva as soon as you feel a cold sore coming on works great for me. I apply it more then directed but either way its gone before i know it. Like i said pay the money get Abreva it works!!!!!!   THE ULTIMATE REMEDY!!!! Comments By: Michelle on 2010-03-16 It's called prayer. I'm not going to try allthis foolish nonsense that will probably cause permanent scarring. I'm not gonna stress out over this either, especially seeing as these nasty cold sores thrive off stress. I will not worry, I am going to just trust God, the ultimate healer that they will go away as soon as possible!! The power of prayer is stronger than any cold sore remedy or medicine!   it burns Comments By: chris on 2010-03-18 this really hurts but i don't care. im 16 and i have to deal with this crap. the other way i take them of is by pooping them then ripping the skin. it hurts but it works.   TRYING THIS AT THE MOMENT Comments By: desperate on 2010-03-19 as i'm typing with one hand the other is holding the nail polish soaked tissue on my lip, sting so so much but fingers crossed it goes. i'm seeing my boyfriend tomorrow and it HAS to work. i'll keep you updated.   1 out of 2 Comments By: This Works on 2010-03-22 In recent history, my cold sores have been smaller and I have been treating them with hydrogen peroxide which worked really well to scab it in no time and I'd follow up with Neosporin or heavy duty lip balm. In fact, I spotted a very small one a week ago, popped it, and applied peroxide and voila! No one noticed anything. BUT... almost two days ago I felt a terrible tingle on my top and bottom lip in the same place so I immediately and obsessively rubbed Abreva on my lips hoping to stop them from showing altogether. THAT DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! This morning I looked like I had been stung by a bee on my top lip and my bottom lip, though noticeable, is much less of a problem. I popped them and treated with peroxide, although I am not entirely sure I managed to cover pop all the tiny blisters. I stumbled upon this website after a bunch of annoying ones telling me to get perscription Valtrex or use Camphor (cold sores love camphor, I think and I don't have time to see my physician for weeks) Finally I tried the nail polish remover... there is no longer a tingle on my bottom lip, I'm pretty sure it killed it immediately and I imagine that one will be gone in no time. My top lip is still badly swollen, honestly, it looks like an air bag blew up only on my top lip (my friends and family asked what happened, I get so insecure about it!) but it does tingle less and I am going to try to keep using nail polish remover until it is down and then I'll move onto Neosporin. Unfortunately, I have to go to classes tomorrow looking like I was in a car accident... maybe I'll say I was.   Everybody's body is different Comments By: Fat on 2010-03-26 Everybody's body is different. Where nail polish may work for you or different cremes or whatever it may not work for others so you all who say that the remedies dont work.....that's just you.You have to find what works for you. AllI did was cleaned it with alcohol and put earwax and blistex chapstick on mine and its gone. The first two days were itchy but today I am fine.Dont pick at it let it scab up by itself and once you apply the chapstick it should be gone within 2 days.Don't do both at the same time though. Do the earwax and if it doesnt work then try the blistex.Also, I used a littl urine on it. Its sounds stupid but old people used to use it as a remedy for alot of things. It works really!!!! so these are the steps 1. clean it with warm water 2. put alcohol or peroxide on it to kill the infection 3. get some ear wax out of your ear and put on it to dry it out and let it stay on for a couple of hours 4. wash the earwax off and put some urine on it. let it sit for maybe 3-4 hours 5. put the blistex chapstick on it and let it stay up there until you wash your face again and then just keep applying the blistex and you should see your result the next day!!!!   Sooo Scared To Try It ): Comments By: Lexy (: on 2010-03-31 Im 12 Yrs Old And Going to A Dance On Friday. My Boy friend is going and we always kiss and stuff well i want it to be gone by friday soo my boyfriend wont think im soo herpeis girl and break up with me soo im going to try it but i read the comments and it says tht it burns should i take tht pain or have my boyfriend break up with me i dont no but i like him alot soo take the pain if it gets rid of it (;   Must be Crazzzyy Comments By: mS Honesty on 2010-03-31 I just had a cold sore, but it took only 4 days heal.its not 24 hours but its better than 10-14 days! if you catch it soon enough when its just little blisters still: i use lysine and lipactin and mixed it. i applied the mix jels constantly throughout the day and bam third day it started to heal ..5th day it was gone.   great !!! Comments By: judi on 2010-04-02 well i have the unbearable on the inside of the mouth ones , those i get chrionically when im getting sick or stressed. so i de3finitely need the natural homepathic "in the kitchen " remedies . as im definitely not putting campho feniqu abreva etc on the inside of the mouth . so thanks heeps for that cure. i just put a tiny amount of undiluted bleach directly on it followed by salt rub yummy and painful followed by the hy-per ox. combo toothpaste as the tooth paste has the OH/HO;( thats organic chem nomenclature for hy- p.- ox) AND ITS ALREADY STOPing killing me as trying to swallow was a level 8 pain its ddown to 7.5 , thats a start tommorow morn itll be for the most part gone im feeling. i also rubbed garlic clove on it last nite which helped , but i really.......... prefer garlic powder to rub   some people have it right. Comments By: F you cold sores on 2010-04-08 alcohol dries up the skin. herpes needs a moist environment. that being said, anyone that tried popping the blisters and apply alcohol probably spread around the virus as they were popping their sores, and thats why you had little success. 24 hours is not going to happen, but it will look better for some people, provided you are EXTREMELY careful. i tried the weak methods and they just made me irritate the sore, keeping it going. Alcohol did work. you should be going throw lots of qtips, gauze (or toilet paper if youre a college student) to dry it up recycling is a bad thing here. if you DO pop it, NEVER NEVER NEVER touch it with your fingers (would you like them there too?), or try to hide it. wear that bitch with pride because its not going to be there long if it can't use your dried up skin. if youve ever drank liquor its not bad at all. the burn reminds me that thing isn't going to have a chance.   Long Time Cold Sore Sufferer Comments By: Melanie on 2010-04-10 If anyone is a little afraid of this approach which appears to work if your cold sore gets large, before it has the chance to grow this big take an antihistamine. Once you feel that first tingle and you know shortly you will have a terrible ugly cold sore pop a Piriton, have a good night sleep because it will make you drowsy and tomorrow it should be gone. Two nights maximum of taking Piriton or medication with similar properties and you won't have to deal with pus or any sort of visible cold sore.   Try this remedy. It will definitely prevent it and not poison you in the process Comments By: Susan Michaelson on 2010-04-12 It's a little herbal remedy called Cold Sores Begone (in health food stores or online, www.csbegone.com). You just apply a few drops when and where you notice the tingle feeling prior to the eruption. This product literally prevents it. I swear by it and all my friends and family who get cold sores uses it also. I'm surprised more people don't know about it.   HELP! please. Comments By: Natalia on 2010-04-13 I am 14 and always have had cold sores. Trust me, i have done research and went to the doctors. Abreva does not work! and popping it is the worst (says the doctors). Currently, i am on perscription. If your cold sores are a biig issue in your life, visit a doctor and they will most likely give you thus perscription: Acyclovir 200mg capsules and mupirocin... the pills must be taken for five days(if cold sore lasts that long) and the ointment as often as possible. Trust me, i am a freshman in highschool and get made fun of each time a cold sore pops up. I am scared to try this but i might dip a cotten swab in nail polish remover and roll it in salt and apply that. i will definitly try the mixture of salt, asprin, and hydrogen peroxide. Stress is the main cause!! Therefore, try not to fret about it.... Trust me, i know how difficult this is.   Peroxide alone might do it? Comments By: Jax on 2010-04-16 Have just dabbed on some peroxide 9% on the biggest coldsore I've ever had and it stung like Hell, but now there is no more tingling for now. The blisters 'fizzed' and burst and the scab looks dry in seconds. Hmmmm. Might work without the painful acetone..?   Not sure Comments By: tom on 2010-04-17 tried it and it sorta made my cold sore go black, although seemed to help itttt i will find out tommorowwww   Liquid Band Aid Comments By: maggie on 2010-04-18 Thanks for all the advice. I have been using the nail polish remover throughout the day followed by abreva and it has helped a lot. I'm going to pick up l-lysine and liquid band aid tonight. I read if you put the liquid band aid on the sore, you can cover it up with make up and it is not noticeable. Has anyone tried this?   Yup, peroxide alone worked Comments By: JayKay on 2010-04-22 I didn't fancy the salt in the recipe here, so I thought I'd try peroxide on its own. I knew the fizzing action peroxide has on infected areas due to fishkeeping, so I tried the 9% solution I got from the chemist for treating my goldfish. There was a pulse of pain for a second, then the blisters fizzed and I wiped them carefully. I threw away the cotton bud each time I applied to a new area (it was huge - biggest I'd ever had, due to nose blowing). After that initial shot of pain, there was no further pain. There was no further tingling at all after that - the peroxide blasted it. Wash off the bleach after 30 secs or so, as I had some tiny white marks left that I had to abrade to get rid of. Fastest I've ever gotten rid of a fully fledged (massive) coldsore (it has taken 3 days). There is also less red scarring and there was no continual blistering or pus as there usually is. Peroxide will be my treatment of choice from now on.   Let's See Comments By: Mel W on 2010-04-21 I have had cold sores for over 10 years now, and I find that Abreva and the presriptions my doctor prescribed didn't speed up the healing process at all. I currently have the biggest cold sore I have ever had on my nose (According to the 3 doctors I've had over the past 10+ years, you can get a cold sore anywhere on the face) and so I came across this method, and since its the only one that I could try without going out to a health store and spending a fortune, I thought I would give it a go! We'll see... might not work for me this time, since I am already 5 days into this sore, but Ill definately try it at the first sign of my next one! And to those who had reactions to this: No need to insult those who do believe this works, everyone's skin tolerance is different when it comes to sensitivity, just because you had a bad reaction, doesn't mean everyone will. A simple warning that it could irritate the skin more would be appropriate enough. At least then those who are aware that they have sensitive skin will be aware of the possibility of a bad reaction!   THIS DOES NOT WORK Comments By: Tom on 2010-04-18 yesterday i tried this and it seemed to be working but when i woke up the next day it was all red   Canker-Rid!! Comments By: 'anon' on 2010-04-21 I swear by this product, although not a cure it really helps, as all of you I suffer from a sore every few months, sometimes it used to get so gross that it was embarrassing to even go to work. I ran into a this site http://www.canker-rid.com/ and as all of you I was desperate and bought it. I can tell you that as soon as I feel tingling I put it on and it stops it right away. If I don't catch it on time and a sore develops I still put it on and my sores do not get any bigger nor spread. I don't need to pop it it will go away after a few applications. It does sting and it's very sticky and brown, it was meant for canker soars but people have been using it for fever blisters and having tried everything this is the best product I have found.   Works Comments By: Jason on 2010-04-23 Cant believe it WORKED, I did it last night before I went to bed and this morning when I woke up, i was pleasantly surprised by how unnoticeable the cold sore became. TRY IT, what do you have to lose   Eeps... Comments By: S on 2010-04-23 I don't think I would try that! As others have said, I've had cold sores all my life and found the best way to get them to go away quickly is just not to touch them! I actually hadn't had one for over a year, which is the longest ever i think, and in the klast two weeks I've suddenly got one after another. I'm trying tincture of myrrh to reduce swelling and dry it out. It worked quite well for the first one, but this second which appeared yesterday morning is a mofo - really big, liquidy and itches like gnargh... So hard not to give it a little poke to take the edge off it! We are all cursed.   Haven't tried it but.... Comments By: Jordan on 2010-04-28 I don't know if any of that stuff works but I know the cold sore patches do. You can find them at any pharmacy. They relieve the pain and tingling, stops it from spreading, stops it from scabbing, even hides it although the patches are visible and the patches are pretty waterproof.   Dangerous Comments By: Sadface on 2010-04-27 I use the nail polish remover which seemed to have helped alittle. But right before I went to sleep I used that potion.(Which stings alottt) I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Right before I opened the door I fainted. And it happened twice. I was on the floor for 5mins before I realized what just happened. I drinked a lot of water afterwards. But now the small coldsore covers MY ENTIRE top lip. Idk what to do. I suggest u leave it alone and wait for it to dry up!   ITS REALLY GOOD!! Comments By: Bethyn on 2010-04-27 Well, when i have a cold sore. i would usually put a dab ov purfume on my lip a couple of times a day, this would mean the sore would dry up and heal as a scab. It stopss the sore from beeing moist and spreading on any other part of the lip. it takes up to 2-3 days.   i need this gone TONIGHT!!1 Comments By: DESPERATE on 2010-05-03 I had no freaking warning whatsoever. im gonna try the nail polish remover but not pop it because i dont want to risk the spread or the scar. im desperate because im gonna see my girl TOMOROW   it burns so bad but Comments By: cody on 2010-05-04 it burns so bad but idk if its going to work i hope so cuz they come up like every year at least once and im also getting high off the fumes   the best thing for me... Comments By: ANON on 2010-05-10 ive been getting cold sores sence i was a little kid and i know it sucks! there no cute, and I deffantly feel down in the dumps for a couple days, but im glad im not the only one! anyways the best thing that has worked for me is rubbing alcohol. This time i popped them with a needle while holding alochol on it and then just kept putting it on. i started getting them thursday, its monday and its already falling off. it does kinda burn though! but suck it up cause it works!   OK!!! Well WE all have our own ways! Comments By: Here to help on 2010-05-12 Ok Well I read through all of this, and heard all of the different methods on here... FIRST- There is no way of actually getting rid of a Cold sore. IT is a herpies virus and once contracted will stay with you for life (sorry sad but true) Just like it's cousin genital herpies, you must just try to deal with the symptoms- WHich as we all know involved a hidious monster living on your face Now I have been dealing with cold sores sence the age of 6 when come kid licked me at the park. (Wonderful right) SO Here is the skinny on all these remedys... DO NOT POP A BLISTER!!!!! First off, It will spread the sore. Apply what ever "Nail Polish " like liquid to your UNPOPPED BLISTER!!! For about Five min on a cotton swap. Have toilet paper or a q-tip ready. Once the blister is dried out enough-it will crack and ooze. That is when you catch all the grose puss....and while it can still spread- the skin immed. around it is also dry, so it reduces the chance of spreading. NAIL POLISH REMOVER works because of the alchol base. It dried out anything you put it on. Those of you who are opposed to using it could try alchahol but even then this will dry out the entire area applied to- HEALTHY Skin as well. So I suggest using a alchahol based skin toner (eg. Clean and Clear Cooling skin toner) Comes in a little blue bottle for about 4 dollers. Avaliable at the local drug store. This will not be as harsh on your skin. THE POTION items listed on here well there is some debate. Now we all love the idea of just mixing a little bowl of goop swabbing it on and waking up the next morning- looking in the mirror and pooff- GONE>. ANd we all wish for a fairy godmother to bibbity bobbity boop us into the fairest of them all. Now who ever said you should put salt in an open wound? Common people! And Toothpaste? The only thing it does for the concotion is make it look more like paste. If you must ... take a bit of abreeva (if you want to spend 20 dollars on it- ) mix it with some crused lysine.Asprin too if it is sore (duh) will take the pain and dull the itch.(can sub out abreva for any of the other otc balms carmex or camphere) Then cover it with a band aid (if going to bed suggest covering the bandaid with tape to keep it in place as you roll around) LYSINE_ Works one 500 mg tab 3x a day (the last being RIGHT before bed so you have it in you all night!!!) WASH YOUR HANDS EVERY!! SINGLE!!! TIME !!YOU !!ARE !! NEAR!! A !! SINK!! And carry hand sanitizer with you. Even a brush could rupture a pod and spread it Sorry people NO KISSING UNITLL HEALED DO NOT!!!! I REPEAT DO NOT PICK THE SCAB EVEN IF IT IS LUMPY AND GROSE IT WILL SCAR TO REDUCE SWELLING... ICE in a plastic sandwich baggie. Try not to get the area wet. It will just feed the monster growing there, (and if you get it really wet) cause him to get his own cold sores!!! Avoid Lipsticks, glosses, all that stuff ... covering it up will just clog it more.. so now your body has to get rid of some more crap The patchs from europe will never aarive in time to make it better ... order them in advance.. though all they do is work like a bandaid that is good at cameoflauge (good for school or work.) Avoid drinking from a glass, it will touch the cold sore.. then you take a nother drink and that part touches another part and next thing you know you end up will cold sore llips!!! Use a straw and drink only from an uninfected area TEA BAGS- The warmth just calms the irritation... NO MOISTURE!!!! Carmex, Blistex, ect.... Apply with a q tip, to keep hands and the product un contaminated and apply AS LITTLE AS POSSIABLE!!! If you layer it on it will stay moist and keep your monster moist as well FINALLY- Stop worrying to much about it. Almost everyone gets them from time to time, and everyone gets mortified. Now think about that... how many people have you ever noticed with a cold sore? AND 9 out of 10 people get them. Stress will just cause you to worrie, and loose sleep and rest if the best thing for your immune system particularry when battling a hidius monster. So that is what you can do for at home remadys. If you cold sores are persistant, wide spreading, yellow pussy or IN areas that are a little to far from the mouth (more then a half inch) See your doctor. (And for all you teens out there... Don't try everything you read on the internet ... Take it with a grain of salt. Remember in a week it will be gone either way and you can always fake the stomach flu if it's really bad)   Please Read Comments By: anon on 2010-05-18 When I get a coldsore, I am devastated. Let's be honest, they are terrible. For a while I did this, popped them, dried them out with an astringent, waited for scabs to form, then moisturized the scabs. The last time I got a sore however, I left it alone. I took a valtrex so it was small, and I didn't pop it. With in 3-4 days it went down on it's own, the skin never broke (blisters never popped), and I suppose phagocytic cells in my lip engulfed and degraded the fluid in the blisters. Once again I have a sore and am at a loss at what to do. I'm tempted to pop it, but it's not really pop-able. It's more many tiny bumps on my top lip, smaller than a dime. It's not red either, and I know popping it and squeezing the fluid out makes it red. I noticed that more fluid would just keep building up as a squeezed, as if the virus proliferated once I popped the blister. So I don't know. I'm going to leave it as it is, I put zovirax on it, and hope for it to go down. Obviously if part of it popped on its own, yes, I'd put some h. peroxide on it to dry it out. But I think I'll wait till that happens. Any thoughts?   WORKED Comments By: Finally on 2010-05-19 It worked for me! It burns badly though. Not as bad as some of those facial scrubs though.   Natural Remedy that worked for me Comments By: yrzk on 2010-05-20 I have suffered for years too. I searched for natural remedies and found the only thing that ever helped me. Mix DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) with a few drops of Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) and dab it on your blister every 2 hours or so..should be disappearing within the next 24 hours. DMSO will help the GSE absorb faster into the body...which naturally attacks the virus..Worked for me.   This is dangerous for your lips! Comments By: M on 2010-05-21 This whole process, while it may work for some, most likely irritates the majority of people's cold sores. I have been getting cold sores for my whole life and the best method to get rid of one that I know of is to avoid irritating it at all costs! I use denivar cream that is perscribed to me, and I keep the sore as dry as possible, and they are gone in about a week. The less irritated a cold sore is, the less red and swollen it will be, and the less noticable it will be! Wear them with pride, no need to be ashamed of them.   omg so annoying Comments By: Lucy xxx on 2010-05-26 i have 2 and its so annoying friends say to use cream i tryed it and it still did not work but im gunna try the things u guys told me thanks so much xxxxxxxx   Toplipoutbreak>.< Comments By: Anon on 2010-05-28 When I get cold sores, I get them baaadd. Each year the outbreak gets worse and spreads more and more. I want to try this, but I have no aspirin. Would Tylenol work?   toothpaste Comments By: sm on 2010-05-31 everyone always says to me that toothpaste is one of the best thins for cold sores!:/ well is it?...xx   Nice!! Comments By: nikki on 2010-06-01 works thanks!!   looks better already Comments By: chante on 2010-06-02 is the "paste" suppose to sting or have any feeling at all cause mine is just normal i still feel the sting a little bit from the fingernail polish but thats about it and my cold sore never turned white i think if yours does your using to much peroxide   Whoah! Comments By: Anon. on 2010-06-04 I didn't have nail polish remover but I had rubbing alcohol so have been using that all day alternating with ice, which made the swelling go down a little, but didn't make it look any better. I also did not pop the blister. Then came time to go to bed I thought, well I have nothing to lose by trying the asprin/salt/peroxide mix...what the hell? WOWWW it stings, but I've had it on for about 5 minutes and can see it working already. My lip has come down slightly (no dramatic improvement on the swelling) and I can see it starting to form a scab. Will let you know how it is in the morning!   Im trusting this(= Comments By: Addison!(: on 2010-06-11 Im 14 years old and i have been dealing with cold sores since i was a baby! I always get them on the first day of school, and im starting High school this year and im worried about one coming up! I have a big one now and i tried this and although it burns like crazy, it seems to be working! Thanx<3xoxo   Ice and tooth paste and salt Comments By: Anon on 2010-06-11 Ice and tooth paste and salt it realllly workkks!!!!! I swearr I been having bad I mean reallly bad cold sore where it would cover my whole my mouth but I iced it right away once I felt the tingle.. Then before I went to sleep I rub it with alcohol the I mix toothpaste and salt together and rubb it on the area.. This was my first timee doing it and it workkkss.. The blister didn't even come out :)   TAKING THE NAIL POLISH & TRYING MY OWN THING Comments By: Shea on 2010-06-12 okay so i just went to the bathroom and tried the nail polish remedy only i started with reg alcohol to clean the surface, then i popped my blister with a sterile needle(which I have left my blister alone & it kept growing so I popped it) And held a tissue on there for a good long time. Then I used peroxide and alcohol mixed, then I iced it again, then I used nail polish remover, iced it, then nail polish remover, then iced it. Then I crushed an aspirin in alcohol and put it on my lip, along with abreva, and neosporine, i hope this helps me! I have to go to work in the morning, I am a server at a restaurant on Sundays & my boss said she will send me home if it is bad, (which I agree w/ b/c no one wants someone with a cold sore touching their food!!Anyways my tingling has stopped and itching already, I don't want to over do it so I'm not going to use anymore alcohol or anything except repeat one more time before bed then I'll be done, but I'll put the aspirin, abreva and neosporine on once more, and ice it a few more times! (The alcohol didn't burn too bad either!) I'll then let everyone know if it works good or not!!   Why now? Comments By: Depressed on 2010-06-14 O.k the stupid cs could foreva remain on my face don't care but what will stop the itch with no pain?   isopropyl alcohol method Comments By: not so anonymous X on 2010-06-15 I remember i used to use all of those over the counter creams and all of that garbage which would take like a week and a half to get rid of the cold sores until one day my freshmen summer my dad showed me how he used to get rid of cold sores. You take toilet paper/paper towel drench it with rubbing alcohol, and squeeze your cold sore with the alcohol soaked toilet paper/paper towel. (when you squeeze, it should hurt a little, but you should feel it starting to shrink after the irritations over)   oh woteva !!! Comments By: anon on 2010-06-15 oh wotevaa no 1. popping blisters will just make them septic and probably cause infection trust me i know this from experiance ive had cold sores since i was 5 and popping blisters then adding removal is a BIG MISTAKE all the removal is gonna do is dry up the sores but could also cause more blisters on your face ... sometimes you can get lucky and it would come through but the next time you have one it could be worse or could cause loads of puss forming and more blisters appearing .... IF I WAS YOU ID GO FOR ANTIVIRAL CREAM ivee been using it all the time and it heals as fast as 5 days to a week and reduces irritation to the skin .... SOOO THERE!!!   ITS WORKING!! I FILL IT Comments By: Shanna on 2010-06-16 i am 16 years old and have suffered whith these blisters since i was 2. i got this one a day before church camp and i was so scarred that everyone was going to be looking at me wired. i tried this technic and i can fill it going down!! i wll most defenitly use this next go around:))) thank you!!!!   helping out Comments By: allie on 2010-06-23 i am 16 and i have been getting cold sores since i was in grade 3. i pop the blister and add toothpast to it untill you see the bad stuff come out, wipe it off with worm water keep doing this untill the bad stuff isnt coming out anymore then let it dry out it will be scabed over by the next day. and by doing this you wont have to put chemicals on you lip   U KNOW WHAT Comments By: THE SHIZNIT on 2010-06-22 That things as gone as it could b after an hour of nail polish.... I have 2 say that IT WORKED way better than i thought. just realize that everyone's body is different...what might be right for one...might not be right for some...what u talkin bout willis....I'm sayin dont fill everyone with fear because it didn't work for u. and even if it didn't work...its just a cold sore...U DIDN'T LOSE YOUR LEGS IN NAM!!!!!So really people grow UP!!!!   it works fine Comments By: anony on 2010-06-23 for those of you who are bugging out over this not working, maybe you didnt stop to think that you might have an incurable case of herpes...that sucks   OMG Comments By: David Myers on 2010-06-24 well graduation was a day away, i awoke with a hudge coldsore went to this website did what it said and on graduation it was a little scab and red, but with a little make up and blisteks it was all good nobody noticed I highly recomnd this to the fullest just becareful it does burn like a *b..* goodluck to all btw you could go on youtube and see me going through the process and a before and after picture <coldsorebegone> go check it out   quick Comments By: angie on 2010-06-26 i got a cold soer on a thirsday and my dance concet was on a sunday.1 day later i was drinking soop and my cold sore drop into my soop and it was bleading.the next day i was going to be go on stage and i ran to the mirrow and it was gone i was suprise.............   quick Comments By: angie on 2010-06-26 i got a cold soer on a thirsday and my dance concet was on a sunday.1 day later i was drinking soop and my cold sore drop into my soop and it was bleading.the next day i was going to be go on stage and i ran to the mirrow and it was gone i was suprise.............   try this. Comments By: kelcie on 2010-06-29 i hate cold sores. i'm fourteen & get them a couple times a year. but i've learned to wait till they get white, & a little yellow to where you can pull the little dots off & the juice comes out. don't pull them off with your hands though, do it with a napkin so you can catch the juice. after that, it hurts, but put hand sanatizer on, & lots of toothpaste. then, get a good night sleep, & it becomes a scab. from there, it goes away fast & easy.   crazy... Comments By: Anon on 2010-07-01 this idea is crazy. Mainly because a cold sore is viral, the salt and stuff just kills the bacteria on top but doesn't make the viral part of the cold sore go away, salt actually hurt like hell and made it worse. I do swear by by holding witch hazel on it for as long as you possibly can and also lemon juice helps too. It doesn't make it go away overnight or naything but it does help it to go away faster, especially the witch hazel. also the sooner you catch it and put the witch hazel on the better off. I felt one just starting (no blisters yet) and then fell asleep with a cotton pad of witch hazel on it for like 2 hours and when i woke up it was less red and the blisters never formed.   fingers crossed. Comments By: bsra on 2010-07-01 this morning i've got one big and one small coldore on my upperlip. was swollen and i was having diffuculties whean trying to speak. im actually trying thistip right at this moment, one thing; the nail polish remover does sting alot but im glad i could take pain. i think its working.cold sores areso stressfull and ugly..   im living proof ,i read this n tryd it lasnite.THK GOD 4 ur help Comments By: BLESSED on 2010-07-05 ppl this really wrk for me.i noticed a cs on my top lip lasnite.i ran 2 THE INTERNET,das win i found this site.it really..... wrked THANK U SO..................... MUCH i really needed this n i will pass it on to others,GOD BLESS   well. Comments By: jasalyn on 2010-07-06 i'm an amteur to all this remedy stuff 'cause i have never gotten a cold sore in my life. until now, i have a big fat one on my upper lip which caused it to swell. i'm trying to nailpolish right now, but i'm not really saying it'll work cause it hasnt done anything yet. the good thing is, after using the nailpolish remover on a qtip, it burned then slowly went numb and popped itself. now, it sorta burns. but it's not working yet. we'll see what happens. (:   too scarred Comments By: Maricela on 2010-07-08 is't there a better way than going through all that pain. i just got on one my upper lip and i'm to embarressed to go out this weekend. i'm now just using toothpaste ,but i'm too scarred to try this.   DONT TOUCH IT!!!! Comments By: Melissa Shook on 2010-07-09 This is very dangerous. I don't understand why doctors haven't come out with something better but we just have to deal. What works best for me is taking aciclovir once a day to keep them away, but if one shows up, I take it three times a day and apply blistex to the sore. It heals within two days if treated immediately. Just don't touch it!!!!!   DONT EVER EVER POP A COLD SORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Comments By: anon on 2010-07-10 Popping a cold sore will absolutely do nothing except cause it to spread. Keep it dry and clean. Do not touch it at all!   Putting Poison on your face....enough said? Comments By: James on 2010-07-14 I have been a sufferer of Coldsores for quite a while, 4 a year at least. The best way to approach them is dont touch them; as soon as you feel the tingling apply coldsore cream (Zovirax, Blistex, Betadine). This will be most effective if you use it immediately as it will stop the sore getting bigger and swelling. Apply multiple times a day and always wash hands after applying. Sure it won't look great, but everyone knows what a coldsore is. Try not to be so self conscious. It will go away naturally. Putting harsh chemicals or poisons on your face is not the answer. You may be looking for a quick fix...there isn't one. Deal with it.   It works!! Comments By: Anon on 2010-07-16 Some people are just dumb and dont know that when you gently pop the sore with a needle youre supposed to be very careful not to spread the liquid that comes out of the sore. And be GENTLE with your sore!!! After holding a q-tip with nail polish remover make sure to put Carmex over it to keep the sore from getting reinfected!Its very important that you keep your hands and everything around you very clean!   excitedd :) Comments By: LNS on 2010-07-16 im 16 years old and I get cold sores like crazy. I always have. I've tried everything. My birthday is in 3 days and i woke up with a cold sore. I found this site. At first I was like nothing else has worked why will this? but im desperate. So i thought hey Ill try it. So i cleaned the spot with antibacterial soap and a hot cloth. I also put a hot tea bag on it. Well I popped the blisters with a needle and put fingernail polish remover on it. (big difference already) i already mixed the "potion" I tookk some meds and Im off for a nap Im going to put the potion on it and see if it helps. It this works I am going to be the happiest person alive. It already is drying up. I mean yeah it burns a little but nothing like vinagear on a fever blister. Ill take the pain over the embrassment anyday. ill let you guys know. Thanks alot :)   omg!! Comments By: stephanie on 2010-07-18 wow i'm seriously lovin this i have been puttin nail polish remover on my cold sore and the size has went down a great deal (: i have a date tmr so this is def helpin thanks1! (:   Why would you do this to yourself??? Comments By: Cat on 2010-07-21 Acyclovir 5% antiviral cream applied as directed and cover with a Compeed invisible cold sore patch. Then leave well alone. Your antibodies will the handle the rest. Dont be a Muppet!   I'm scared Comments By: Sarah on 2010-07-24 I've been getting cold sores since birth and it's a real b*tch! i hate this nasty thing im teased about it all the time.."oh hows the d*ck sucking" like its ridiculouss so i realllyy hope this works i hate getting these things i'm going to true it because IM IN NEED TO GET RID OF THIS its sat and i need it gone by monday! but i got my cold sore wed so i thought no problem yeah well 3 started up again JOYY!! so i really hope this workss!!!   antibiotics Comments By: Evie on 2010-07-24 i have had coldsores since i can remember, my grandmar kissed me on lips as a baby and i guess i caught it from then on :( i have had some mega nasty ones some where i cant even drink from a glass properly, i also get moody etc so i went to the doctors and told him i had tried everything luckily my moms friend is a pharmasist and told my mom to ask for ACICLOVIR TABLETS you have to take 5 a day, with like 3 hour gap! as soon as i stared taken them my coldsores disspaeared apart from the ones i had already popped and treated they were at the scabbing stage :( so the tablet could only work on the ones still as blisters!! if you go on these DONT POP THE COLDSORES, it wont work hope this helps and i feel sorrry to anyone dealing with these nasty things :(   it helps Comments By: Chloe on 2010-07-26 It helps if you pop it using a sterilized needle then cox all the blister out. Then, just put a little bit up cheap perfume on it to dry it out works like a treat. x   Cold Sore Comments By: Dee on 2010-08-01 Get your Doctor to write a rx for Zovirax and Valtrex.. When you feel it coming on pop a couple valtrex which is for genital Herpes, but also works on the lips since cold sores are considered herpes and then use the zovirax cream. I don't suggest what that person is suggesting..   I have a question.. Comments By: Georgiana on 2010-08-10 What if you don't have asprin.??? Can u use anything else.? I start school tomorrow and well yah..   THANK GOD I READ THIS! Comments By: kiss on 2010-08-10 I was TERRIFIED to do this. I had two HUGE blisters when i woke up yesterday and put Abreva on hoping it would help out. Although it numbed it and took away some pain it didnt seem as though it was making a difference in the size or condition of the sore. So i went on here, Skeptical like a majority of the rest of you. Like most of you, i got desperate and the blisters were becoming so unbearable that i was ready to do ANYTHING. i just got done popping the blister with a sterile needle and applying the nail polish remover (yes it stings a bit, but nothing like i had thought). it looks sooo much better already. ive grinded up the Tylenol and mixed it with the salt, ready for the distribution of the peroxide. I normally dont take my time to right on this types of boards and stuff, but i am so pleasantly surprised and felt like i should encourage all the other desperate ppl out there. do it! you really have nothing else to lose. i mean im sure results vary, but mine are looking a lot more pleasant than huge blisteres on my lip! THANK YOU SO MUCH COWBOY!!! <3   Ughh Comments By: Anon on 2010-08-17 Well I have a date with my boyfriend in 5 days and I became so desperate that I tried this, all the comments say it hurt, but I felt no pain, and my cold sore dindn't dry up... I hope this works.   help me plzz Comments By: anon on 2010-08-18 i have a cold sore and my gf is coming over this weekend and i would really love to kiss her so can anyone help me my email is Kongy45@aim.com plzzzz help   An easier way to go Comments By: Mel on 2010-08-19 I felt a cold sore coming on and freaked out. I went to walmart on my lunch break to find something to put on it. They had this stuff in a tiny bottle called Releev, it was 18 dollars but i put it on and after 2 hrs the sore never even appeared! The key is to put that stuff on when you start to feel your lip tingle. Works great!! Use it everytime !   dont useee Comments By: Monica on 2010-08-21 Seriously dont do this, just go to your doctor and ask them for medicine for it, they will give you Acyclovir, seriously its a small blue oval pill, it will get rid of it in just 3 days!   Amazing Results Comments By: Eddy on 2010-08-21 Yall may think its bs, BUT..if done correctly, u WILL get the result of a LIFETIME. 1. cotton ball, 2. nail polish..damp ball in polish. rub on sore. it should pop.IMPORTANT!!! keep it on sore, do not rub on unaffected area (you'll get more sores if u do that). then apply the "potion". peroxide, salt, and crushed aspirin. leave solution on and dont wash off. I'd say give it 2hrs and u will see the results. itll look like how your sore is suppose to look at day 5 or 6 (assuming u let it self heal). this shud help. :-D   Ist stage nail polish remover Comments By: Donna on 2010-08-21 Seems to have dried it up very nicely. It stings a little, but not any worse than Campho-Phenique. I have been applying Campho all day, and it hasnt seemed to do what the nail polish remover did in 5 mins. I have the 2nd step sitting and will apply this before bed. A litter prayer and a good night sleep should do the trick, I hope.   thank you Comments By: charissa on 2010-08-21 thank you after the finger nail polish remover and doing the asprin salt peroxide mix the pain and swelling went away in about two hours ill add more on before bed hopefully it works but so far so good thank you this is my first cold sore ever and i dont want one ever again thanks for the advice much appreciated   AMAZING! Comments By: BR on 2010-08-22 I have been suffering with these cold sores for over 15 years. I have tried everything! black coffee, lemon juice, ice, heat, etc. I only used the acetone and it worked miraculously!!! Thank you Cowboy. I effing love you! Wish I had found this sooner!   Zovirax Comments By: Sujax on 2010-08-26 I used to get cold sores about every 2 weeks. Once would heal and another come on. Various ointments worked occasionally but not consistantly. I can never wear lipstick, lip gloss, etc which will immediately trigger one. I had my lips tatooed for that reason. My Dr gave me Zovirax cream years ago which cut down break outs to about 1 per 1 1/2 yrs. He gave me the tablets before getting my lips permanently make-up-ed and that helped. Now, I pick up a bottle of the stuff when I visit Mexico. You can order online for slightly higher price. Use the cream or take a pill just as you feel the tingling coming on. It helps the one coming on and will prevent them in the future. Went from every 2 wks to once in 1 1/2 yrs. I swear by it.   try this... Comments By: izzy on 2010-08-26 the reason that we hav to deal with these cold sores is because doctors havnt come up with a treatment tht heals it or somthing... but umm... anyway im 12. ive been dealing with them since i waz 3 and wat really helped me waz oxy, lemon lip balm, abreva did NOT work for me.. im going to try this treatment tonite so i reallii hope thiz works. :DDD   COLD SORE GONE GONE Comments By: Sam on 2010-08-27 As soon as you feel your lip burn or tingle take a full bottle of Lysine tablets until finished and then every year around the same time take another full bottle. I have also tried everything until I tried this and it really works. You just need to take the full bottle and every year. No more cold sores ALL GONE!!!   hmmmmm???we shal soon see. Comments By: Anon on 2010-08-30 So I've had a daddy cold sore in the corner of my mouth. started off smaal thought it was abump or pimple so I picked it. WASN'T A PIMPLE. So now it spread. It's dried out & I guess healing on it's own, BUT NOW I have 2 more that have just begain to form. So I'm trying to see what works. Polish remover for starters & a lil toothpast. the in the morning we'll try the rest.I thought the remover would burn but it didn't it was just a litttle tingle, but I made it. It didn't kill me. I'll post an update in the morning & another by wednesday. Thx 4 the tip!   WOW. Comments By: Tasha! XD on 2010-08-30 well.. i was quite worried about doing this to be compleatly honest.. i tried it about, 5 mins ago.. i applied the nail polish remover. i just hope to god it works.. :S if it makes it worse, i don't know what i'll do.. i'm in my last year of school, and start the new term in a week, just HOPE its gone by then! i have applied it and I FELT THE BURN! geez it hurt. ahha... but i looked at it 5 mins after, and the coldsore HAS gone down, looks very red and looks rather sorry for it'self.. it may of been defeated!! whoot! thanks cowboy! :)   is it w0rkinq?? Comments By: m0nika on 2010-08-30 0K i tried the nail p0lish rem0ver and the bump went d0wn! :) && i did the aspirin-per0xide-salt mix && the mix turned purple?? D0 i apply it like that??? I really want t0 qet rid 0f this nasty thanq =/   this sucks Comments By: Dustin on 2010-09-02 i did this and it didnt do any thing....it scabbed over at night, but then took a week to get rid of.   Wow Comments By: Impressive on 2010-09-02 Over the years I've tried many remedies for coldsores including; coconut oil (made it bigger) red marine algae (helps somewhat but not totally and is expensive) abreva (does not work AT ALL and is a complete waste of money) and lysine. (mildly effective maybe) I recently tried nail polish remover with acetone and it ACTUALLY WORKED. It stopped the cold sores dead in their tracks with the only side effects being a burning sensation and the slightest of scabs. Nothing like those huge black scabs you get after a cold sore. These scabs were barely even noticable. The best part is there was no big, fat, ugly, fluid-filled blister it stopped it before it could really start forming. The only catch is you have to CATCH the cold sore right when it's forming then apply more every hours or so. I'm so happy I found this site but watch guys they're clearly paid infiltrators on this here trying to direct people to fake-ass, prescription websites who want to steal your money. Example the poster "Fat Lip" who claims the advice is idiotic and then conveniently says how he ordered some prescription pills with no prescription from some scam website which he proceeds to post. Watch out there are a lot of heartless, scum bags trying to make a quick buck of off other people's suffering keep your guards up! Good Luck everybody, Peace!   Trying right now Comments By: Tambra on 2010-09-09 Today is Thursday and I woke up Tuesday with the biggest cold sore I have ever had and it has probably been 7 years since I have had one. This blister is covering almost the whole right top of my lip. I just popped it and applied the polish remover. Just popping felt so much better and polish remover really didn't burn all that bad. I'll keep you posted how it works.   saved my life Comments By: Anon on 2010-09-06 At first when I read this I thought it was the stupidest idea ever but I was completely desperate. I don't usually get cold sores, and when I do I use some abreva and they vanish fairly quickly. But this particular cold sore had been on my lip for a month and I tried every cream and nothing worked.So I took Cowboys advice, first I sterilized a sewing needle and popped and squeezed the sore until all the blood came out, then I used q-tips dipped into nail polish remover to dry it out, which did burn but not to badly. The next day it was inflamed so i put neosporin and abreva on it about 6 times that day and then popped it again, after that it turned into a small scab and I applied neosporin about 3 times a day and it is practically gone now, just a flattened pinkish spot that I can hardly notice. I thought I'd never be pretty again, but this saved me!   Cried During The Whole Thing Comments By: Bre'Lynn Loves You on 2010-09-08 Still In Procces Of The Whole Thing My Lip Is Burning Like Hell Right Now Cried For A Min. Lol But Bouta To Go Get Back To This Little Treatment. Bye Bye   DONT DOUT IT ..IT WORKS ! ..READ THIS Comments By: BEST remedy EVER on 2010-09-08 ok so i woke up with a cold sore yesterday n was so upset because i start college 2day .. then i started to browse through the web on whats the quickest way a cold sore will heal because is WAS pretty embarrassing having it on my lip ..i get it like every 2 years ..... anyway i tried ur remedy n as the day went by it got worse it was huge n i was thinking great why in the world would i believe it i was way 2 desperate .. this morning i awake n it was like magic .. i have NOTHING on my lip .. thankssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =D   Update Comments By: Tambra on 2010-09-15 Well I tried a portion of this treatment. ON 9-9 I drained the blister, it was so big I had to do it twice. Just the draining alone felt good. The polish remover only burned a little and I applied it through out the day. Within 24 hours there was a significant difference and continued with the polish remover for another day. It did seem to dry it out really well, although I was still very swollen. I never did the paste at night. My cold sore was huge though it took up the whole upper right lip...biggest I've ever had. On day 3 when the scab fell off it was unbelievable pain, because it was so raw underneath and there was no way in hell I was going to put polish remover on it. I imagine it would have dropped me to my knees. I started using Blistex and that did wonders, it was actually unbelievable how well it worked. All swelling was gone by the next day. I'm on day 6 of the cold sore and have a small scab left.   neproxin Comments By: kk on 2010-09-11 can you use neproxin instead of asprin   cold sores suck big time Comments By: jaz-y-min on 2010-09-15 man oh man , i got a cold sore yesterday, and it was noticable but not entirely, so today its freakin huge, like embarassing big red bump above my lip, and worst part is i have to go to school tommorow with this creature on my face. my mom bought me some abreva, $14 ugh that i have to pay her back, so it better work!.. reading all these comments, idk if i want to use nail polish remover or peroxide or any of that. i'll just stick to my ice,witch hazel, and abreva and hopefully this ugly thing will dissapear soon, i can't be at a new college 20 years old with a ugly red bump on my face ;(   i'm gonna do it Comments By: charli on 2010-09-22 about to try it, it this doesn't work or makes it worse i'm gonna be !!!!!!!!! it really burned but i think it might work i iced it for about 20 mins b4 i tried anything and it wasn't big enought to pop it so we'll see how this goes.   What works for me! Comments By: anon on 2010-09-16 I have been under great stress recently and have been getting cold sores every two weeks. The last episode was horrible. I started to read up a bit and this is what I found. Get some L-Lysine capsules and Lysine+ cold sore treatment(tube with ointment). I took two L-Lysine capsules as soon as I felt the tingle and then put on the Lysine+ ointment. The next day there was only a small red area on my lip, it was tender but NO cold sore. I am continuing to use 2 capsules and ointment. So far so good. I hope this helps someone else with these horrible cold sores. Mine used to last for 12 days and I was so embarrassed. I am going to take Lysine capsules every day and avoid foods with arginine.   LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!! Comments By: Full of thanks to you.... on 2010-09-16 I was scared at first to even give this a try. reading what people said about it getting worse. I gave it a day and thought it over and decided to go ahead and try it. It worked wonders. Yes it stings but it truely does work. I used nail polish remover twice yesterday and only for about 10 minutes both times. then mixed up the "potion" and put it on over night. My cold sore is now almost gone. I am putting the "potion" on again tonight and thinking it will be completely gone tomorrow. The only thing there right now is a red spot where the cold sore was yesterday. Thank you so much for the tip...   blah Comments By: kai on 2010-09-24 well yesterday i found out i had a very bad case of strep throat. and with this fever i am running, led me to get a nice big cold sore, then today i woke up with 2 more im really scared to try this cause i don't really wanna go back to the ER for doing something stupid, But i have been getting cold sore every since i was born. I wish i knew just one way to get rid of them as fast as possible. instead of them taking over my life every few days.   NAIL POLISH WORKS! Comments By: jono jennings on 2010-09-25 ok! so i am going to homecoming with my date, and i had this cold sore in between my lips at the right side of my mouth and everytime i talk you can see it and its pretty disgusting, not oozing or anything it is just their. it formed about 2 nites ago. SO! i used the local store brand and that sucked.. so i got nail polish remover and just teld it their for 3 minutes! and it went down so the size of a pencil point! i then coated it wil neosporin not to much! BUT i got it covered.. i will apply another nail polish layer and then another neosporin applicant later ( 3 hours ) DONT OVER DO IT! your body has a tolerance, and if you keep on using something long enough, it wont work... so dont hold the nail polish to your face for longer than like.. 10 minutes. it wont burn anymore.. ALSO!! DONT geT IT WET! IT WILL GROW! IT WILL. if you dont believe, go take a shower RIGHT NOW and whe you get our, wait like 2 hours.. and BAM!   I'd say look into giving l-lysine a try Comments By: Karen on 2010-09-28 At the first sign of a cold sore, especially ones brought on my an increase in arginine, the lysine pills help to keep the irritation to a minimum, and they last half as long. No need to pop them or even to put stuff that obviously burns on them. Nail polish remover is for just that. Removing nail polish. Dont put that stuff on your face. And if you do, for goddness sake, use acetone-free remover. I also find taking regular doses of ibuprofen keeps that awful lip swelling to a minimum too. =)   the first tip plus carmax Comments By: Timothy carter on 2010-09-28 first do everything the first tip says but also to prevent the spread of it, put carmax around the cold sore then after doing all of that put carmax over it really works   Don't use Bleach, use vinegar Comments By: Mrs Lumby on 2010-09-29 Vinegar, thats all I have to say, works for me, Malt vinegar is best, the white vinegar, you can try red wine vinegar if you want , but I'd rather buy a bottle of red wine to have while applying the vinegar to my lip. Works for me, from the tingle to the full blister if I have no vinegar at the time. It's an acid, so kills the virus. Vinegar can also soften your towels in the wash, 1 cup white vinegar in with the towels.   do not do it Comments By: Anon on 2010-09-30 i did what that idiot said and now my cole sore has spread all over my lips. i cannot talk propely and i had to go for an injection. now iv bin of school for a long time because my lip looks stupid and im scared to go back and get bullied. do not try it. best advice is go to the doctors and get stuff from it!   Alternate Ice and Nail Polish Remover Comments By: Pom Girl on 2010-10-07 This works amazingly well. I have been doing it for years. Just keep alternating ice and nail polish remover. I am generally very against putting chemicals on my body, but in this case I just don't care. It works so well and quickly that I'll put up with a little risk!   hate these things Comments By: Dus on 2010-10-07 Honestly i pop the blister everytime and use toliet paper to absorb the puss until its dry then i use a blow dryer to dry it up. Then I use abreva over night when i sleep and dont touch it at all during the day. That seems to work best for me. I got one about2 weeks ago that was completely gone and healed in 10 days, however my lips got all chapped a week later and i used chap stick, 2 days later i got another one.... chapstick always causes them for me, and i always buy a brand new chapstick. :/ i hate chapstick but when ur lips are so dry that theres a red ring around your mouth what are you supposted to do... FML   cod sore cure Comments By: gary on 2010-10-04 First to prevent the cold sore you need to put sunscreen on your lips or lip balm whenever the sun is out.To get rid of a cold sore you need to put on tooth paste as soon as you feel the tingle it will dry it up but to stop it spreading you then need to put on aloe so buy yourself a plant this really works.If the cold sore has scabbed because you did not catch it in time apply the aloe 10 to 15 times a day if possible this will get rid within 3 days.   in the process Comments By: Margot Roberto on 2010-10-05 I am in the process of trying this treatment.. I am counting on it so much, hoping that it will work! i leave in 3 days to see my boyfriend, and i haven't seen him in a month. I woke up with a cold sore this morning and have been freaking out about it. HOPEFULLY this will cure my problem!!   Don't do it :\ Comments By: Anon on 2010-10-06 I used it the other day and thought it worked, but it has left a big red mark on my lip. ALSO it gave me ANOTHER cold sore. I am so not happy!   i really need this to work Comments By: nicole on 2010-10-14 ok so i dont normally get coldsores that often and when i do they are normallu not that bad. but it is thursday night and come sunday im supposed to be meeting up with a boy i really like and he likes me and i dont want this thing. the nail polish remover burns like hell but it does help. idk if i should put carmex on it during the day but do you think this will go away by sunday? its like on the bottom part of my lip on the left side and probally the size of like a babys pinky nail.? but veryyyy red.   Well see... Comments By: CEEJ123 on 2010-10-10 Iv never popped my sores. But when I get them I immediately take like 2000mg Lysine! And every 10 min I put on this caopstick called Herpacin-L. Which seems to be working great so far. It never gets more then a little soar , an is gone within like 5 days. Iv always been hesitant to try and pop them and put salt on them ( sounds brutal ) anyone else so this ?   This Really works but if you have Cold Sores pretty much everyday you wake up you might want to try Comments By: Ashley on 2010-10-14 Hey this method really does work and i would deff recommend if you just had Cold Sores every once in awhile but if you have Cold Sores or Fever Blisters often like i do and don't mind putting a cream on your lip or wherever your Cold/Fever Blisters occur you might want to get your doctor to prescribe you Zovirax(Acyclovir) Ointment 5% 15G my Cold Sores always pop up at night when im asleep so i had my docotor prescribe this to me and now i never get them i just put it on my lip every night before i go to bed and i never have to worry about getting one! but if you do get one i would highly suggest doing this method because the other night i forgot to put my Zovirax on and sure enough i woke up with a Cold Sore and when i googled this i didn't it and it deffently works!!   Didnt think it would work Comments By: Jackie on 2010-10-16 I get a cold sore about once a year, either in the middle of summer or in the beginning of the school year due to stress.. I always just put abreva on the second i felt one coming on and it usually would take about a week to heal. so since im living at school i only had abreva and not the peroxide or asprin, i just used the nail polish remover. when i first did it, i couldnt tell that anything had happend and was kind of mad i tried it, but as the day went on it started to get smaller and smaller. i didnt pop the sore either, thats just a bad idea because it will spread, i have done that before. but it went down significantly in size and i did it again this morning when i woke up for about 10 minutes, i just wait for the burning sensation to stop. im sure if i used the other mixture it would be completely gone, but the nail polish remover dried it out and its been working. i cant believe one of these tips actually worked. im shocked! they are usually scams! thanks for this tip! i would recommend it to everyone that has ever gotten a cold sore!   capho phenic Comments By: amanda on 2010-10-18 capho phenic is good stuff i get a sore once a year i actually have one now i di the Ice thing and use the capho phenic it helps the burning go aaway and the itching keep putting it on and use Carmex to keep your lips moist...   New to cold sores Comments By: Don Bowers on 2010-10-19 My top lip on the right side started itching and began to swell terribly 2-1/2 years ago. I thought I had been bitten by a spider or something. I let it run its course and it eventually went away after 4 or 5 days. Now it's back! Obviously wasn't a spider bite. Why in the world does my lip swell up like I've been punched in the mouth. I'm 36 and have never had any issues with cold sores in my life. Does this method really work?   a little gross but heres something that works! Comments By: Anon on 2010-10-19 I didnt try this because first of all popping a blister WILL make more come so DONT DO IT! haha, i did how ever find something that DOES work FAST! Its pretty gross but no one has to know you tried it. If you pee on a Q-tip and rub it on your coldsore and let it dry, do it multiple times a day and by the time you wake up tomorrow it will be gone! Sounds gross i know! but urine is sterile and it has something in it that helps fight off infections its very popular in Europe. I dont know all the facts but feel free to google it lol, the best part is its 100% painless! & it really does work better then anything iv ever tried! :)   SO FAR SO GOOD!! Comments By: GOD ALMIGHTY on 2010-10-19 just added the potion to my lips it seems to be going away   AHHH IT WORKED! Comments By: JORDEN on 2010-10-25 i didnt think it would weork and still dont im twelve years old and dread school tomorrow i hpe it works thanx!   im tryin now Comments By: kimkam on 2010-10-31 I got the nailpolish remover on now pleassee wish me luch   Thanks no more hiding my lips Comments By: kk on 2010-11-01 thank you so much for this advice i have to work in a couple hours and i nhave two big ones and at least the costomers will be looking at the menu and not at my lip   try this first Comments By: anon on 2010-11-01 okay well i use tooth paste and lots of it and a super hot rag!! heat the rag and put it on there then dry it and put tooth paste on it when it gets hard or drys take it off and do it again put a lot on it before bed   never heard of it Comments By: anna on 2010-11-03 sounds crazy ass hell..i juz got mine cuz i peel da skin off my lips n then i walk in da cold without blistex stuff on my lips so i woke up n had a cold sore..i alwayz do it i juz dnt learn but the cold deff. n then da heat at nite from sleepin didnt help etheir..i juz use my blistex stuff n wait it out sadly lol sumtimes i put a warm washcloth on it but i heard its good to keep it dry..   im too scared! Comments By: beth on 2010-11-04 I'm to scared to try it! someone told me too mix tooth paste and salt together and put a big bit on my lip, I've done and it burn like hell, see if it works if not i might buck up the courage and try this one!   dont. Comments By: D. on 2010-11-07 i personally would say to not try this. i got a huge cold sore on my lip and i tried sooo many things and nothing worked. what i figured out that really helped the swelling go down though was drinking lots and lots of cold water in a cup, not a water bottle, that will only irritate it and hurt it even more. i noticed it started going down a lot! next thing, go out and buy Blistex medicated lip balm, it works wonders! it didnt go down overnight, but the swelling went down after less than 2 days! hope this works for you! God Bless :)   Ill try anything once! Comments By: Crystal26 on 2010-11-07 My cold sore went from nothing to mount everest in less than 8 hrs,and thats with me doing what I was "suppose to do" which was not touch it and keeping it clean.So now Im getting ready to try this because the top left side of my mouth is so swollen I cant event talk right!Lets see how this goes...   Just a bit of pain. Comments By: Sammie on 2010-11-08 Oh my gosh i have it on my lip right now; the potion that is, and oh my lordy does it burn. I can barley stand it but if this cold sore is gone then its totally worth it.   Its Sounds GREAT..Effects NOT so great Comments By: Madison on 2010-11-08 From the comments this sounds like a great method, but i do have to have my say.This works BUT DO NOT POP UR BLISTERS<I REPEAT DO NO POP UR BLISTERS. It will only spread. Also be carefull, if you try to many remedies in one day ur lip is SURE to get swollen. So some of you thats your own fault for doing too much in one day. Another thing is watch for your skin. Everyone's skin can't haandle the same thing. For example, extremely sensitive skin may be harmed by rubbing acohol. So catch what your skin can handle and what you're allergic to.   Im trying to see if it works Comments By: Fred on 2010-11-08 Hopefully it will!!   owwwwwwww!! Comments By: Abby on 2010-11-09 aaaaggghh!! it stings!! the results are sooooooo worth it tho. you gotta cold sore? do this! the stinging just means its workin!!!   PLEASE WORK Comments By: Brittany on 2010-11-12 MY COLD SORE R HORRBLE MY LIP SWEELS AND I CAN BARLY TALK! I WILL TRY THIS I HOPE IT WILL WORK!!!!!!!!!!!   its started.. Comments By: kathrynwood on 2010-11-12 okaay so i was looking through all the comments and some people were saying it doesn't work (have you actually tried it?!) and some of you are saying it does. i popped it, and RIGHT NOW im holding a qtip soaked in nail polish remover over the little monster. okay just finished, cold sore has NOT gone down... i'll see what i can do..   Hot water Comments By: Bonnie on 2010-11-13 I just went online and found a tip that says you wash the cold sore with a wash cloth with hot water nand anti bacterial soap on it and then out neosporin on it... If my cold sore isnt gone by morning im trying this. It probably burns though!   Blistex Comments By: 1984 on 2010-11-14 Everyone needs to find out what triggers the cold sore: for me I got them when my lips were dry so since the past 5 years Ive used Blistex on my lips religiously, before bed, before going in the shower, after, put in next to my bed so if I wake up at night I will put it on right away. I have not had a cold sore now for 5 years until just today unfortunately. And I used to get them every 4-6 months which is not bad. So today I am trying the nail polish remover. Kinda works a bit but so far its still there....   i was sooo scared that it might hurt :S Comments By: Jessie- Leigh on 2010-11-15 I was dreading putting nail polish remover on my cold sore... But i tried it, and found out i was worrying for nothing. it didnt hurt one single bit, it actually stopped the stinging ad itchy-ness. i feel heaps better now, now i just have to keep putting it on and see what result i get in the morning... (:   well..here it is Comments By: Emilia on 2010-11-16 so i got this cold sore on my bottom lip right smack in the middle..and im in high chool so its really emmbarassing. my ex told me about this so i tried it, even tho im scared of needles..well not really scared but i just dont like them..anywayy ive tried this once i put on the aceton it started to burn but mostly around my cold sore not really on it...so this was kinda dissapointing....and when i say burning it didnt really it just kind of stung a little kinda like a vibration with a tingle, it felt kinda nice actually anyway ive been sitting here for a few minutes and it hasent really done anytthing...when i poped it you cold see it went down but just a little...not as much as ive hoped to i advise you to try this method and see if it works for you..ill toon in later to tell you my results   Hmm...????....Let's See Comments By: Roselia on 2010-11-16 So Ive been getting cold sores for about 15 years if not more...ugh!...tried everything...desperatly looking for anything that will work instantly im trying this home remedy...i already used the nail poilsh REMOVER & didnt burn as much as everyone says...i did the POTION and idk if i put to much poroxide lol it seems a bit watery...buuuut i feel ok for now lets hope it works!!! ill post again soon with results   It all depends Comments By: Becca on 2010-11-24 This is going to be something that works for some people and doesn't for others. You just have to know your skin type. If you have very sensitive skin and it gets irritated very easily than I'm pretty sure you should know to look for something a little less harsh. but, if your skin can handle a little more than go ahead try it! I'm 14 and I know this.. C'mon most of you should to!   This is what i use!! Comments By: Michael jackson on 2010-11-21 I have started actuly to put bonjella on my lis! On the smal coldsores it takes 2 to 3 days to clear but on the big 1s it takes longer i normaly put the bonjella on as soon as i feel it coming and then i like 10 to 20 mins it would start to peel! Take it off! Then put more on. It works for me hopefuly it wil work for you! Good luck!   Worked, with a couple mods Comments By: April on 2010-11-21 I've had cold sores my whole life, and when I get one I am VERY aggressive with getting rid of them. I don't care how bad it stings, hurts, etc so if you're one of those type people, skip this review. I did exactly what this person said to do, but I didn't leave on the paste overnight. I did the polish remover after popping, then the paste. Let that dry for 15 min, then did the remover again, paste again, etc. for about three or four times. THEN, I used a freeze off wart remover kit and froze the cold sore (it wasn't a huge sore yet). This obviously isn't recommended, but like I said, I'm aggressive. MY COLD SORE WAS GONE IN A FEW HOURS!!!!! I'm not kidding. There's a small bump left, but it no longer hurts like it's 'growing', it's smaller, no more blister, and I can tell it's going away. I think a large part of this is because of the wart freezer thing, but I'm sure the other part helped, too. I'm sure people will freak out that I did this, but you just have to know what you're doing. I usually use the liquid wart remover stuff to kill my popped sores (stings a LOT worse than salt and aspirin), and that works pretty fast but this was a lot faster.   Oh Yeah! Comments By: Jess on 2010-11-23 I didn't try the "potion" but the nail polish remover really does work. And the sting sucks but it's bearable. Definitely worth getting rid of this freakin thing on my mouth. Good Suggestion!   THE BOMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Comments By: Anon on 2010-11-24 Its two days before Thanksgiving and I get this nasty cold sore.I tried the nail polish today also I pop it and I woke up on wednesday It was dried up also you will get even a better with the nail polish remover by using some campho phenique with it Im so mad at myself for not knowing about this sooner this really works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Are you out of your mind? Comments By: I'm the only smart one on 2010-11-24 What moron does this? I totally understand the frustration of having them, as I literally have 7 on my lips right now. But what idiot came up with all of these "remedies"? I've been a physician for 10 years and popping them only makes them spread, gives you scars, is painful, and is just stupid.   Crackling dry, red, burning, itching. Comments By: ruined thanksgiving holiday on 2010-11-26 I have been applying cold sore treatment, cleaning with alcohol, and using campho phenique since wednesday. My fever blisters have popped, and are drained, now I don't know what to do with my terrible lips. I keep reading that I should not moisten my lips, so I have not. Now i'm desperate because my lips are cracking. I have purchased vaseline and carmex but I am afraid to use them because I don't want the blisters to form again. Any suggestions?   iive tried this Comments By: amanda on 2010-11-29 i did this last year and still have a scar from doing it! altho it did speed up the process it left a scar and makes people think i just have a constant cold sore maybe ill try just the nail polish remover cause i have another one and a christmas party to attend to very soon   HELPING I THINK! Comments By: Anon on 2010-11-30 I've been getting cold sores since I can remember... But luckily I've just learned that 90% of the population has Herpes Simplex- I (coldsores, feverblisters) but only 15% of the 90% actually get the coldsores and blisters (lucky us). I recently got one before Thanksgiving and did the nail polish remover after popping with a sterile needle and was glad that it was gone after two or three days. BUT ALAS, another one yesterday and today it spread across my mouth. So I will be trying this again and adding Abreva in between. Best thing is to not get too frustrated and it will eventually go away. I'm going to ask my doctor to prescribe Valtrex because these things are unbearable.   dont be daft ya pop a cold soar it will spread Comments By: paul gould on 2010-11-30 look i got this cream int he chemist called zovicrem labial it cleaned my lip p in 2 day;s i would highly reccomend it, its about 12 quid to buy bit pricey i know but trust me it des the trick , and trust me never burst a blister ive had a realy bad ecperience were i had 1 on my lip and bursted it and it spread all over my lip's so thats an definate no   interesting Comments By: sheeza on 2010-12-01 i just dabbed acetone on tissue and pinpointed the sore. It stings but the sore is decreasing in size...the key seems to be to be super careful and only use nailpolish remover on sore, avoiding the red area around it. this prevents more swelling.   If youre old enough, have a couple drinks before you do this Comments By: Eve on 2010-12-01 I opened up my gross cold sore last night with a sterile needle than put the nail polish remover on for about 10 minutes and then applied abreva...ALREADY MUCH SMALLER! Worked Great   Oh god Comments By: Anon on 2010-12-01 I have been getting coldsores for around 6 years and have never kbown whats best to get rid of them quickly, prescribed medication has helped but has still took atleast 2 weeks for the coldsore to go, i am now desperate as i have huge blisters on top of my lip ... and i am that desperate i am going to try the nail polish remover any pain is worth this thing disappearing, scared!!   ooorahh Comments By: Urrrr on 2010-12-03 As a us marine cold sores suck. I have tried everything. Except this nail polish remover. It actually work. The pain is like a 1 so for you girls it doesn't hurt much.. just follow the steps and your cold sore begins to shrink. ER yeah if you use NAIL POLISH THEN YEAH SAY HELLO TO MEDICAL. Make sure to get nail polish REMOVER   Help me! Comments By: Alissa on 2010-12-04 Ugh I have been getting these cold sores since I was 5( thirteen now).I need a good way to get rid of these things asap.Its embarrassing going to school like this. I dont know if I should do this or not. I cant get most of the stuff needed considering i am thirteen. I woke up today with this huge cold sore under my nose. HELP ME!!!!   cold sore gone ASAP Comments By: Vivian Rivera on 2010-12-04 Everyone on these blogs always talk about the miracles they have experienced and how theyve gotten rid of their cold sores overnight....sorry to break it to you, but thats impossible. i wish there was something you could do or put on it to make it go away, but there isnt. BUT....using these tips, you can cut down your cold sore to a bare 3 DAYS! DAY 1: I started feeling a cold sore coming on Thursday afternoon. By thursday evening, it was a liquid filled little pimple looking thing on my bottom lip. The second i saw it, i started icing it and put abreva on it. I quickly took about 3000-4000 mg of Lysine which i took consistently the whole day. Day 2: By the friday the next morning, the liquid filled pimple had significantly grown and my bottom lip was a bit swollen. however, i continued to ice it and put abreva on it. through out the whole day, i kept icing it which brought the swelling down a bit but it was still pretty bad. So i stayed in the whole day in bed and took a little nap (which is recommended). I put a tea bag on it which reduced the swelling incredibly and never allowed the sore to erupt into a cold sore. I popped it and put rubbing alcohol on it to dry it out. and eventually it turned into a scab. it didnt erput into a full blown core sore. once again, i was taking a BUNCH of lysine pills which REALLY HELPED. DAY3: I woke up saturday morning with my lip still swollen and a gross scab coming on so i continued the abreva/carmex on it. i cleaned it with rubbing alcohol to remove the bacteria. kept up with the lysine pills. no more ice but the whole day just kept washing my hands, washing the sore and adding abreva on it. by the end of the night, the scab is almost healed and by tomorrow morning, it should pretty much be gone. ICE, ABREVA, LYSINE PILLS, TEA BAGS.RUBBING ALCOHOL, VASELINE, CARMEX. USE THIS CONTINUOUSLY AND YOUR COLD SORE WILL LAST ABOUR 3-4 DAYS AS OPPOSED TO A WEEK OR LONGER.   R U PEOPLE NUTS???!!!!! Comments By: KRISTEN on 2010-12-06 WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD U PUT NAIL POLISH REMOVER ON UR SKIN!! AND Y WOULD U POP A COLD SORE?? THAT WILL ONLY MAKE IT SPREAD! IF U WANT IT TO DRY UP THEN HOLD A WARM COMPRESS ON IT WITH EPSOM SALTS AND DAB RED WINE AROUND THE SORE EVERY 4 HOURS. PLEASE DONT LISTEN TO THIS MORON! HE'S OBVIOUSLY AN IDIOT!! RED WINE HAS SOMETHING IN IT THAT STOPS THE VIRUS FROM PROGRESSING AND THE ALCOHOL ALSO HELPS DRY IT OUT. and the only reason this idiot got a rating of 1, is becuz i couldnt add my comment otherwise. he should have gotten a minus 100!   DO NOT DO THIS Comments By: 'Anon' on 2010-12-06 I USED THE NAIL POILSH REMOVER WHICH BURNT AND THE SKIN MY LIPS PEELED OFF AND MY LIP SWELLED UP SO MUCH, IT'S NOW MUCH WORSE . THIS IS USELESS ADVICE DO NOT USE IT !!!!!! I WAS STUPID O EVEN TRY IT !!!!!!!!!! JUST DON'T DO IT!!!   Hope this works Comments By: Anon on 2010-12-07 I have a bad cold sore and i got want me boyfrined to see it i have had it for a aweek now and th nail poilsh remover hurts really bad bt i hope it works!! I hope its gone over nigth because i have to see my boy friend in 2 days!! Hope thos works   garlic? Comments By: donna on 2010-12-08 right now I have a big FAT ugly cold sore on my upper lip above the lip line. So while reading this site I decided to try the garlic, right now I have a slice of garlic underneath a bandaid taped to my lip. Next I am going to 'freeze" it with ice cubes. Then after that I don't know, maybe I will sterilize a needle and pop the blisters and put peroxide on it and see how it goes. I will write back and let everyone know.   What! Comments By: Lori on 2010-12-08 This is to one of the comments. No chocolate, caffeine, or alcohol???? Why the hell don't you shoot me now!!! I thought having a cold sore was bad enough, but then you take away my breakfast, lunch, and dinner... you have got to be kiddin. I'm still holding off to say whether or not this works. I have a nasty one and did not catch it as early as I should have. Will reply if it works   You Have to Try This Comments By: Madelyn on 2010-12-08 I get 2-3 cold sores a year, and they typically last at least a week, usually more. As a girl in high school this is extremely embarassing and I have tried several different home remedies, as well as creams, to get rid of the problem. I felt a cold sore coming on yesterday morning while in school, so I came home and once again hit the internet in the search for a solution. I came across this, but blew it off because it seemed too extreme. Yesterday afternoon at work I continually applied Campho-Phenique and Carmex, yet the sore continued to get worse. I got home around 11, ended up back on this site and decided to give it a try. I didn't want to try lancing the sore, so I just applied nail polish remover as I finished up my homework. Before bed I applied a little of the paste and went to sleep. The sore was barely noticeable today, and I kept Abreva on it regularly. As many of you know, by Day 2 cold sores can look pretty nasty. All afternoon I have been intermittently applying nail polish remover. I swear I'm not lying when I tell you that you will feel the sore shrinking under the Q-Tip if you try this. The acetone both dissolves the scab and drastically reduces swelling. I'm about to apply the paste again, but at this rate I anticipate the sore to be fully gone by tomorrow night at the latest. I am so thankful I stumbled across this website, and I urge any of you reading this to try the nail polish remover. There is a slight burning sensation, but it's certainly nothing unbearable. I hope this helped some of you out there desperately searching for a solution!   It worked Comments By: Lori on 2010-12-11 Wow, it did work! Not overnight, but it worked. I had a honker too, my lip was covered. It hurt like a _____ though. I didn't follow everything exactly, but I did follow most of it and I was amazed. Oh... by the way. I still ate chocolate, drank wine, and had my coffee. It was still gone in 3 days. I call that a win win situation! :-)   try it! Comments By: ashlee on 2010-12-09 i tried this and it didnt work in 24 hours but it worked! i did it 2 nites in a row before bed and it worked the first nite the swelling went down and a scab formed. i left it dry and tried real hard not to lick it or bite it and the second nite it did the same thing a woke up with a TINY scab thats barely noticable! it worked 10 times faster than a 20 dollar tube of abreva! wish i would have known this before my wedding!! i used abreva for about 6 days before my wedding and i still walked down the isle with a nasty lip!! oh yea it does burn pretty bad but its worth the burn trust me!!   thankss (: Comments By: juiccyy on 2010-12-10 i needed something to take this hideous thing away, thanks to you an hour later my fever blister turned into a scabb (:, i have a party to throw tomorrow &nd tht would ruined my whole day !   I am WAY to scared to try this. Comments By: Shay on 2010-12-12 I am WAY to scared to try this. I usuallly put ice & frozen tea bags on my mouth. Also be VERY careful not to touch your eyes or any other part of your face after you pick at or pop the blister.You can get them on your eyes and face and it could make you grow blind ):   amazing Comments By: dohfancey on 2010-12-12 I have been fighting cold sores since I can remember ! I've tried everything & nothing works like this has . I was a little iffy about the nail polish remover but it works wonders ! thank you <3 !   idk about this Comments By: 2manycoldsoresfor2long on 2010-12-13 I just turned 17 yesterday and had dinner with my family and my boyfriend last night. Happy birthday to me right well not rlly that night I started to feel a cold sore coming on and I took extra lysine and went to bed...today it was aweful I woke up with 2 giant cold sores taking over my face so I had my mom call me in sick for school today. I've been siting here reading all these comments and some of them are crazy I wouldn't advise anyone to try them but I understand we are all desperate we've all been suffering and no one wants to be seen by there boyfriend or girlfriend like this just stay home and rest keep you hands clean and don't touch it sucks I know try not to stress out and get lots of rest.   I like it. Comments By: kc on 2010-12-13 It works, it burns (but not as horrible as some of these over exaggerators). I did this last night, and now my yearly gift is gone for the year. Until next year!   wow this works!!! Comments By: shelby on 2010-12-14 im 14 and this is my first one :/ but it went away!!! im so happy cuz i was going to see my boyfriend the next day and i didnt want him to see it. THANKS sooo MCUHH!!!!! i love uuu!!!   For SURE Comments By: Anon on 2010-12-14 Ok So i just started two new jobs and i have a huge one in between my lips on my right side and it sucks1 i hate it ..cause by stress for sure!! i will say this for sure do not use face wash and think its working because its not it only makes it worse! just because it works for acne doesnt mean it works for cold sores! and ladies leave make up off of the cs! This seriously does work!!nail polish remover will get rid of it! whenit starts to scab up and dry over ... DO NOT PICK AT IT!! leave it alone! it will be gone so fast! GOOD luck Guys!   OMG I'm not alone! Comments By: John on 2010-12-15 Just knowing others have the same thoughts as me really help. I'm going to try the nail polish remover. What I use to do is put toothpaste on it, let it dry, squeeze out the pus. And repeat like 3 times a night. Then go to sleep with the toothpaste. It definetly shrinks the sores, but never got completely rid of it. I hope the nail polish works.   Works great within 3 days! Comments By: Molly on 2010-12-19 This works if you do it properly! Obviously if your not careful it will spread that's a given thas why you need to take precautions! I popped it an made sure it was fully drained then I put used peroxide to clean it then used a cotton swab with nail polish remover. Yea it burns but its not that serious its tolerable. I repeated it a few time before I went to bed. And then put his paste with peroxide salt and crushed aspirin and it went down dramatically. I repeated it the following day, now its dried up with the scab and I have been constantly putting abreva and neosoprin on it. Don't forget everyone mite have a different reaction cause everyones different! So anyone that sayn itdont work stop discouraging people!!! It does but you have to be very careful when you do it! THIS IS A LIFE SAVER in 3 days   Great minds think alike O.~ Comments By: Eevie Stanczyk on 2010-12-19 I get them alot and what i do is i pop them and whiping the junk off with a towl that is really really flat, one that doesnt have a lot of texture and i make sure that i dont reuse a spot. once its done and drained i repetitivly use a dab of clearasil face wash and campho-phenique cold sore treatment. it reduces swelling and as long as you dont SPREAD the liquid inside them and contain it, it doesnt make it worse. thank you so much everyone told me i was stupid and honestly id rather have a little dry custy spot than a huge nasty swollen city of bumps. just sayin, its gone in less than a week and im happy :]   I Need Helpp! Comments By: H... on 2010-12-20 Christmas is 5 days away and I have 4 cold sores on my upperlip..I am gonna look horrible in the pictures. Im 11 years old and I need helpp!! I need to look good for family picturess!   Not so sure Comments By: Sophiee on 2010-12-26 I'm 14 and I too feel a coldsore coming, mine aren't usually nasty like some but I don't want to take my chances on this. It worked for some and the others got a nasty result like scars and/or blisters. So I think I'll just stick to using my coldsore cream and wait a couple of days. But thanks for the help anyway.   Amazing Comments By: Anon on 2010-12-23 I started doing this before iread this and it does work very well. It doesn't even burn! People who don't think it works, you're crazy it does my cold sores don't last more than a day! I do find peroxide works better than nail polish remover, and it smells better!   Cold sore can't go away in 24 Comments By: Sewer guy on 2010-12-26 I have cold sore now just when I wanna kiss my new gf. I don't wanna gross her out knowing I got this nasty sore all over the corner of my lips. I have used carmex and it didn't work. I got tired of looking at it that I just popped it using a clean towel. I used every part of the towel and not to reused the same part. Now it looks red and dry and I feel better now that it's not looking nasty watery anymore. Then after that I put more carmex on it.   Cold sore can't go away in 24 Comments By: Sewer guy on 2010-12-26 My point is it's still contagious   nervous Comments By: Anon on 2010-12-28 at first when i was reading it, i was like wouldnt it hurt if you pop it. and i asked my dad about it. and he said that its a great idea just dont use nail polish remover, so instead i used salt. right now i have like salt all over my cold sore (this isnt my first time) and later im goin to go get some aspirin to make the "potion". bu yeah this is working so far. and i know that people said that the liquid is contagious when you pop it. so i advise that you take a q-tip and put it under the cold sore when you are about to pop it. that way the liquid wont spread to other areas which would create more cold sores. (im 13 years old. dont want my friends/boyfriend seeing this so i hope the cold sore goes away before christmas break)   What am i to do? Comments By: Unknown on 2010-12-29 So im confused about this whole thang i always get cold sores. but this time its horrible and my lip is super swollen. i read bout putting toothpaste on it? i read out putting a warm rag on it? (isnt that jus putting heat in it?) i start school next week n i have to c my boyfriend friday what do i do? HELP! I want it to juss go away..! and if anything is safe because i am pregnant.!   WoW Comments By: Anon on 2010-12-30 I am doing this right now i didnt really pop it. just put a lil bit of a pop tho. Putting the nail-ppolish removerr on noww and it stings so it must be working.   Didnt work! Comments By: ashley on 2010-12-30 I used this tip, and followed it right down to the word. It is morning now, and my lip is swollen out, looks worse, and hurts like hell. Don't use this tip!   pretty goood remedy -- worked for me Comments By: dominique on 2011-01-02 i was a little nervous to put nailpolish remover on my lip, but i woule really do just about anything to get rid of a cold sore. i usually just dry mine out with peroxide after popping the little blisters very carefully. the peroxide usually works well, but i tried the nail polish remover about an hour ago and i definitely see results of it going away, it has gotten so much smaller !. THANKS !!!!   valtrex Comments By: rachel on 2011-01-03 seriously, when you get a cold sore, go to the doctor, get valtrex, its eight pills within 24 hours (four pills, then four 12 hours later), and honestly, NO BULL, the cold sore is gone in a day. easiest way, and it really works, and none of this aspirin salt peroxide mixing stuff which might work but seems so harsh. it works best when the cold sore is new. i promise, this method is amazing, i'll always use it from now on.   UM! Comments By: KEZIA on 2011-01-04 OK WELL IM 15 AND UUGGHHH I GET COLD SORES ATOL!! YA IT SUCKS BUT I WOULD NOT DO IT BECAUSE THE NAIL POLISH REMOVER WILL BURN UR LIPS AND HAT CAUSES DAMAGE! JUST DO WHAT I DO AND DONT!!! POP OR MESS WITH IT THEN PUT CARMEX ON IT. IF IT STILL DOSE NOT GO AWAY PUT CARMEX AND BLISTEX ON IT BUT MIX BOTH. DONT MESSS WITH IT AND TOUCH THE REST OF UR MOUTH BECAUSE IT WILL SPREAD AND EEWWW THATS NASTY TRUST ME IT WORKS TO DO MY IDEA BETTER BECAUSE I GET COLD SORES ALOT AND I PUT IT ON OVER NIGHT AND IT IS NOT THERE IN THE MORNING.&#4326; AND EVEN IF U DONT HAVE ONE KEEP PUTTING CARMEX ON IT CUZ IT WORKS TO PREVENT THEM:} U CAN GET CARMEX N E WHERE.LIKE WALGREENS TARET LIQUOR STORES N E WHERE:D SO HOPE I HELPED:}   Don't use! salt makes it worse Comments By: Anon on 2011-01-05 Salt only aggravates the problems and makes the cold sore grow!I have been getting cold sores since i was 7,and the doctor has always told me to avoid foods high is salt as this provides nutrients for the virus. That said the worse thing you can do is apply salt directly to the cold sore.do this and you might as well name your cold sore and prepare for it to be around for a long time. The peroxide helps and the aspirin will reduce fever and inflammation also try aloe vera to smooth scab and cover the cold sore with vasaline to protect from outside infection :)   TRYING THIS NOW..... Comments By: Dani on 2011-01-11 I hate cold sores!!! I get them around twice a year and have never tried this........... here goes nothing! Just bought nail polish remover, qtips, peroxide, and aspirin!!!!! HOPE IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Nail Polish Remover WORKS! Comments By: Spike on 2011-01-06 I first discovered nail polish remover, for cold sores, on a forum about 4 years ago. Now, I am never without it. It works. My recipe goes like this. 1000 units of Lysine 3 times a day (once with breakfast lunch and dinner). Use the finger nail polish as often as you can, for as long as you can stand. After the polish, I often alternate between Zovirax and Tea Tree Oil. And sometimes sit for a while with ice on the sore. You will not be disappointed.   Nail Polish Vs. Rubbing Alcohol Comments By: Friendly Helper on 2011-01-07 I have the same problem once and a while. Not too sure about nail polish as the acetone is for paint removal as well. However, the other option would be rubbing alcohol. Popping the blister can seem like it goes away faster, I do not suggest popping the blister as it does spread, if you are going to do that USE Hydrogen Peroxide. This part kills most of the bacteria. One can use a new Q-tip every time applying the rubbing alcohol to dry out the blister; this will sting less if you don’t pop it. You can use both peroxide and the alcohol though out the day/night letting it dry after applying. Once the blister is small enough there is a product called Lysine. The directions say apply as liberally as needed. When they liberally they mean it. You can use as much as you want it, usually the amount the size of a pea is good, but apply many times. This works when you start getting that little tingle, and after the blister has emerged. Stops the blister in the tracks! But do not use nail polish. Popping blisters (not suggested but a better way of doing so) Hold small piece of bathroom paper dipped in peroxide and place under the blister to conceal it from the rest of the lip. Then take a sterile needle and insert at the base of the blister. This leaves less of a chance for a scar. Also after popping squeeze the rest out with the piece of paper that has not been touched by the bacteria.   Results May Vary Comments By: Dawn x.x.x on 2011-01-13 It works for some people and doesnt work fro others, it all depends on YOU. im trying it right now, i am ALWAYS getting colesores and I;ve saw this tip many time before and thought it was a piece of crap, then i got desperate.... I didnt pop my colesore (just Incase) but i put the nail polish on, Lets Hope It Works!!! Dawn x.x.x   It works it really does. Comments By: Anon on 2011-01-14 I used the nail polish and then the peroxide salt asprin mix yesterday and it definitely looks better than yesterday! Now it is a scab and I go back to NAU on Sunday and I wont have a huge open blister there just a healing scab! YAY!   What works Comments By: Paigey on 2011-01-24 I was skeptical of this and I'm glad I was. Instead of using nail polish remover (which has harsh chemicals such as acetone) use hydrogen peroxide. It doesn't burn and it kills the bacteria. Gently cleanse your lip with it trying not to consume any as this would harm you. Let it dry for about a minute. Then mix salt and toothpaste. Leave it on for an hour. I got a cold sore yesterday and I was devastated because i am 15 and I really like this boy in school. I just tried the salt/toothpaste solution because I was desperate. When I took it off the sore was almost completely gone! No joke. Just be sure that you do not pop or break the blister. This I found makes it harder to heal. When u clean off the toothpaste use a clean washcloth with the hydrogen peroxide. wash your hands!!! I'm happy my cold sore is basically gone and now I can face him in school tomorrow :) <33   Don't do this! Comments By: Joe Miles on 2011-01-15 If you drain the blisters, you spread the virus to the neighboring healthy cells. you'll find when you break out in the future, it'll be worse and cover a larger area. Acyclovir tablets prescribed from a doctor. Or those expensive creams from the pharmacy.   finger nail polish Comments By: alex on 2011-01-17 it works, but ihate cold sores , im 15, and ihave school tomorrow, so hopefully that asprin potion works! it just better because if not ithink imight cry!ill let you know if it does! if not ithink ill sue;)   DO NOT DO THIS! Comments By: Karen on 2011-01-19 How can anything that strigent be good for your skin? If this was a safe remedy it would be doctor recommended and of course it is not. Lip swelling, burning, stinging. You are more likely to end up in A and E with chemical burns. Plus the virus will return so whats the point?   Herpes and cold sore should never be pop Comments By: karren on 2011-01-21 pop a cold sore!!! never... everyone have something that might work for them. but please as a Rn. i will let you know to apply abreva. never peel it or pop it, warm or cold water or compress. and that is it. should not cover it, i got cold sore/herpes 1 and got it away   do something dumb and carzy Comments By: yes i am on 2011-01-22 well im 17 and my b-day is comiing up. I woke up today and have a cold sore,so i started to bite it. and it came off but it hurt like a b**ch. then i put sum rubbing alcohol on it and it was good.   amazing!!! Comments By: secrettttt on 2011-01-25 im 14, and i get a coldsore once in about every 2-3 months... well this one was HUGE! and then another big one came up next to it! eek! and at school to!!! i have today off as its australia day, and ive been putting toothpaste on it every hour and that was slowly working... but theres school photos tomorrow and i needed them gone faster! so i used this, but made a few adjustments of my own... i got salt, hydrogen peroxide, toothpaste and crushed up Lysine and i made it into a fairy sloppy paste... i put that on, an yes it hurt like a female dog, but not to ad, you get used to the pain, and trust me, its worth it :) after about 20 minutes i got a cotton bud and dabbed it off with some warm salty water, looked in the mirror, and it was basically gone! it just looked like i bit my lip, and this is from one of the biggest ugliest worst coldsores i had ever gotten... so PLEASE if you need to get rid of one fast, use this! it REALLY works!!!   Try something else Comments By: anon on 2011-01-26 If your too scared to try this, ask your DR. to prescribe you Zovirax. Its like Abreva times 10. It works great. But only if you have good insurance cause its $70.00 for a tube about the size of Abreva.   I hope it works! Comments By: Jeff on 2011-01-28 I'm going to try this method i have something on my lip and I'm going to the movies tomorrow with my girl friend. I hope this works!   LOVE. Comments By: Karissa on 2011-01-30 I am way past used to getting these since I was 3mos old. I look online for a remedy every time. THIS WORKS LIKE A CHARM! I used the nail polish remover & the swelling went down soooo fast. I can already feel it going down with the paste on right now. It's simply amazing. There will probably be a little scab or so in the morning but a little neosporin will clear it up quick.   We'll find out Comments By: Jonny Zit Popper on 2011-01-30 I woke up tue other day with a huge one. Absolutely no warning. So I was like what the hell. I haven't had one of these in a very long time. Being me I popped the sucker. It was sweet....puss all over the mirror. First time that has happened, hahahah. Anyway I found this and just put the paste on. It did burn, but it wasn't really that bad. Hope it works :)   cortisone 10 Comments By: ks on 2011-02-02 I have always gotten cold sores and I have found that cortisone 10 dries it out. You do have to use it often though.   Works I think! Comments By: Chels on 2011-02-05 This is the first cold sore I have ever gotten and I was desperate to get rid of it. I'm like on day two of it and it wasn't popped yet, just huge and swollen...gross. I was super scared to try this, and I'm sure it's different for every case, but I'm telling you, it's working for me! It drained right away and is already way smaller and drying up. It's also not as red. I just dipped a q-tip in nail polish remover and just brushed it on my lip. It stung a little, really not that bad, and it's drying right up! I'm doing that and peroxide so it doesn't spread like I'm reading it might do. Both are doing something! I tried abreva all yesterday and it didn't do anything! Expensive junk...anyway might as well try it...hate this!   Boyfriend+Cold Sore= Suicide Comments By: Jordannnnnn on 2011-02-06 Okay, so I havent gotten a cold sore in a very long time. They are a yearly gift for me. Anyways, It's been snowing a lot. Which means, I havent been to school (I'm 16) in about a week. SATURDAY: I wake up to find a red bump on my top lip. Damn. It. I put ice on it and kept it dry. Over night I left toothpaste on it. SUNDAY: I woke up and put toothpaste on it again. WARNING: TAKE AS LITTLE SHOWERS AS YOU CAN! THE WATER MOISTERIZES YOUR LIP, AKA YOUR COLDSORE!!! so if you wanna take a shower, avoid getting your face wet and wash your face seperately in a sink. anyways, I AM NOT STUPID ENOUGH TO TRY THIS POISON REMEDY, So. I got hydrogen peroxide and soaked my coldsores (i now have two) on my lip for about 30 minutes. i blotted it dry wth a towel (clean). Then I mixed toothpaste and salt and put that on the cold sore. then after about and hour, i rinse of the toothpaste with warm water (or hydrogen peroxide) and soak it for 30 minutes with yet again, more hydrogen peroxide. repeat the cycle over and over and over again. NEVER PUT ALL THESE HARSH CHEMICALS ON IT AT ONCE IT WILL JUST IRRITATE IT!!!!!!!! and NEVER pop it!!!   To dry the sore quicklg Comments By: Coldsore kid on 2011-02-06 Dab tea tree oil found at your local pharmacy on the blister. While it smells, the cold sore begins to go away almost immediately.   nail polish remover for cold sores Comments By: was scared but grew some.... on 2011-02-07 at first i was kinda scared and i thought grow a pair and just try it. well i did the acitone earlyer today a cupple of times and it didnt hurt as much as i thought it would it only stung alittle. sofar it looks like its working its drying out i dont have the paifull pustule and just feels like a scab but with out the paifull nasty puss pocket so people try the acitone it way cheaper than abreva idont have the aspirin concoction but im. just putting salic acid on it see what happens to it in the morning. thanks for the tip i will share it with my family or who ever i see that is troubled with these nasty things.   nail polish remover for cold sores Comments By: was scared but grew some.... on 2011-02-07 at first i was kinda scared and i thought grow a pair and just try it. well i did the acitone earlyer today a cupple of times and it didnt hurt as much as i thought it would it only stung alittle. sofar it looks like its working its drying out i dont have the paifull pustule and just feels like a scab but with out the paifull nasty puss pocket so people try the acitone it way cheaper than abreva idont have the aspirin concoction but im. just putting salic acid on it see what happens to it in the morning. thanks for the tip i will share it with my family or who ever i see that is troubled with these nasty things.   tooth paste is the way to go.. Comments By: chris on 2011-02-08 place a ice cube on the sore as soon as you you can feel it developing to kill the virus so it dnt get HUGE!. then place tooth paste on it leaving a glump of paste on it all day. come night put some benzol peroxide on it before bed leaving it on. next morning it wil be scabeed ready for the neopsorin, 36 hrs the enoying cnt should be GONE!   everyones different Comments By: Anon on 2011-02-09 so try everything until you find a solution that works for your cold sores and your skin. I tried everything, from creams to tablets, from popping to putting loads of crap on my lips and slowly i found what helps me get rid of mine quicker than just usually using a cold sore cream.   You Guys Are Crazy Comments By: Kisha on 2011-02-09 Just rub raw lime and let it be...let nature take care of the rest.   Wow Comments By: Stever on 2011-02-13 It's actually working, it's gotten smaller and I can actually open my mouth fully now. Saying that, have only tried the nail polish remover so far, might try the paste...   Happy to be free Comments By: Anon on 2011-02-13 I have been a cold sore suffer for years and finally I found something that has helped. I don't like the idea of putting nail polish remover near my mouth so I used straight rubbing alcohol. It really seemed to dry them out and combined with Abriva they went away faster. When it scabed I did use Neosporine but it went away in 4 days from the time I got it and i think that was a record breaker. :)   peroxide Comments By: Melissa on 2011-02-16 I do NOT recommend mixing acetone and hydrogen peroxide. It makes acetone peroxide which is very unstable and can be dangerous. You should definitely only use one or the other unless you have chemistry experience (not talking HS chem here). People who have used it here have probably used very small amounts applied separately to the lips, but definitely DO NOT mix large amounts of this together and leave it sitting around. As far as this remedy, this is my first te trying it (I'm use ethyl acetate based nail polish) and it seems to be working. At least it feels like it's drying out the area, which I think is what makes the sore go away faster. I'm 23 and I've had cold sores since I was 5 years old so I hope this works!   works for cold sores is Herpecin L Comments By: Liz on 2011-02-19 Best thing that works for cold sores is Herpecin L, I've used it all the time and it never disappointed me. Just apply it several times a day as needed especially before you go to bed and in no time at all your cold sore will disappear.   COLD SORES SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Comments By: john on 2011-02-20 1.pop blister carefully 2. ice for as long as u possibly can and as much as you can 3. eat superlysine supplements 4. use lots of carmex been working for me.... avoid rubbing or scratching or anything like that to irritate   ugh Comments By: jada on 2011-02-22 I have tired everything nail polish remover toothpaste I don't think its healing, is there any more advice?   Don't do it Comments By: *&%$*(# on 2011-02-22 Use nail polish remover, but do not break the cold sore with a pin. That only makes the scab linger. Do not hold the nail polish remover on for over 10 minutes. I tried, step for step, everything suggested here, and it made the problem worse. The scab lingered for much longer than previous outbreaks.   Are there carcinogens in nail polish remover!?!? Comments By: Shan on 2011-02-23 I found other remedies. None have worked, except to decrease the life of the sore. I believe there are horrible cancer causing ingredients in the remover. BUT THE ASPIRIN ALONE WORKS!!! ASPRIN IS SALICYLIC ACID IT'S USED AND PROVEN TO WORK FOR ROSACEA AND ACNE. I just tried the aspirin (uncoated and dissolved into a paste) on a new forming blister tonight and I've reapplied it each time it's dried out. I SWEAR TO YOU, it HAS DRIED OUT AND LOOKS LIKE A TINY ZIT, NO REDNESS OR SWELLING!!!! ITS LIKE A MIRACLE.... go look it up .... Topical aspirin!!! I am 42 and suffered since childhood. If it's back in the morning I WILL tell you... But it seems gone. PLEASE DO NOT USE THE REMOVER THAT PERSON POSTED IT'S VERY UNHEALTHY. I found many links about the aspirin. Why hasn't any doctor told us this before?!?   dont touch it! Comments By: sweet cherie on 2011-02-25 my cold sore is not really big but im used to applyin lipbalm to my lips i ahet dry lips quite irritatin! but im not goin to touch it or scratch itss soo embarassing when i go out i get paranoid but i know its silly we are all human and we cant help it so people stop worryin because stress makes it worse and ten times longer to go!   trying it!! Comments By: Anon on 2011-02-25 Ive been putting the nail polish remover on it all morning until like 3 and put salt on it which burned!! then i put nail polish on it again..and it started to scab over s0o i put neosporin on it. and then put some proxicde when the neosproin dried. it been working s0o far...but is not full gone stil some redness..:( hopefully morning it be gone   owwwwww Comments By: KAT on 2011-02-26 im using the nail polish and it BURNS   IDK!! Comments By: Emma on 2011-02-27 I dont really know if this really works because I'm doing it right now... and no stinging but I'm not very sure if this really works... I'll tell ya if this REALLY works! Whish me luck!   Uncomfortable but effective for me Comments By: Katelyn on 2011-02-27 I HATE cold sores!!! They are horrible. I used this advice and it worked well. I kept an ice cude close and ALWAYS handy. The burning is horribly uncomfortable but if you switch off ice then Nail polish REMOVER then it isnt that bad. It worked well and the swelling. However I DID NOT POP my blister. NEVER EVER do that. You can spread it all over the place if you pop it. I let the Nail polish remover do the popping for me the soaked it up with a napkin (that i also kept handy) It dryed it out enough to pop itself (thank god i hate needles!!) AS SOON AS IT POPS GO WASH YOUR HANDS DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING!!!! Use your elbow to turn the sink on! lol. I came back from washing my hands and kept with the remover for a few more times then i went straight to carmex. Keep your lips covered at all times with carmex. If you dont have carmex then use blistex or an antibiotic chap stick. I havent even gone to bed yet and my cold sore is almost gone! Great advice RESULTS MAY VARY FOR DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS   It works Comments By: Boogie on 2011-02-28 It does work, but you have to maintain control of the site at all times. I popped the blisters then pressed the nail polish remover for 5min or so. Nail polish remover is way more potent than regular rubbing alcohol. I made my concoction w/both aspirin and L-Lysine. Paste is a must, no slush. And only use your cotton balls or pads once, then flush. Good stuff. 5 blisters this morn, started this at 1p, all scabbed at 6p. Check it again tomorrow.   Less Acid, More Alkaline 2 balance ur body's ph. Comments By: NoStudpidUselessHomeRemedies on 2011-03-03 My cold sore went away in 3 days. now, i don't have any specific tricks, i just kept it dry, & used campho on it at night & in the morning. I also lowered my body's acid intake during that time. when the acid is high in your body and your ph is not balanced, you will get cold sores. try to change your water to one high in alkaline to help balance your body's ph. also change up your diet a bit by following these steps: Aim to consume at least one serving of fruits with every meal that you eat to increase the alkalinity of your diet. Choose a varied blend of fruits, including apples, oranges, citrus fruits, berries and the like to provide your body with a wide assortment of vitamins and minerals in addition to warding off acidity through an infusion of alkalinity. While all fruits are somewhat alkaline in nature, the best fruits to include are raisins and bananas, as they rank fairly high toward alkalinity, according to the PRAL (potential renal acid load) scale, which measures foods according to their acidity or alkalinity. Aim to consume at least one type of vegetable per meal to further increase the alkalinity of your diet. Along with fruits, vegetables are another "can't miss" category of food when it comes to increasing alkalinity. According to the PRAL scale, spinach is one of the most alkaline veggies you can eat, along with celery and carrots. The least alkaline veggies are cucumber and asparagus, so use those only as a last resort if you are lacking for other vegetables. Decrease your consumption of acidic foods to increase the alkalinity of your diet by default. This means cutting back on your consumption of meat, dairy and grains, as these are food types that are moderately to highly acidic. In general, substituting out one serving of any of these food types while substituting in a serving of both fruits and vegetables can go a long way toward adding additional alkalinity to your diet.   definitely worked! Comments By: dsmart on 2011-03-11 I woke up with a cold sore, white and pussy and had to be at work (as a server) in 4 hours! Oh NO! good thing I saw this thread. Seriously. I doused my lip in nail polish as much as I could for those 4 hours and my cold sore went from being a white puss ball to just a minor bump. seriously. I told everyone, I was so happy. Thank you!   I hate fever blisters! Comments By: edger on 2011-03-13 I usually have a nice complection but this was horrible! What I did was put Abreva on for a few hours after popping it. I wasn't sure on whether I should have popped it, but this somewhat released the liguid and opened it to let the Abreva kill the virus. After this I gently pressed a cold, wet wash cloth against it for a half hour. I then left it completly alone. After two days it was completly gone. Don't put makeup over it or it will only get worse. Make sure to keep it clean and let it take it's corse!   It worked for me!! Comments By: MckN on 2011-03-14 I noticed a tingle friday morning b4 work so i started. started putting Herpecin L (helps reduce by days). Then i tryed finger nail remover (WORKS MIRACLES!!!) by Monday i was going to work waiting on scars to heal. Wish i would of been knew bout this   GO TO A DOCTOR!!!! Comments By: anon on 2011-03-21 Is trying all these "remedies" really worth it if there are doctors willing to help. I have been getting these my entire life. At first I tried all the home remedies because I was too embarrassed to go out in public. What a mistake, go to a damn doctor ASAP. Acyclivor ointment or pills is the fastest and safest way to get rid of them. If they havent blistered yet, they will be gone within a few days of taking the medicine which is cheap! $22 even without a copay. By the time a online script gets here it will have spread, FAST If the sore has blistered, the tap layer of skin and tissue is dead and you need to pop it or hold a hot rag to until it drains. Then apply the acyclivor ointment. I hate to say it, but it take two weeks for them to go away completely from the point they were drained. If its a chronic problem, acyclivor pills should be take daily. Also, 1000 mg of lysine a day should be added. Stay away from from anything with peanuts in it and chocolate, drink a lot of milk and water, even during the breakout. Sun triggers them, along with stress. trust me, I have been through it all, theyre awful!!! keep the area clean and dont piss them off, only apply the ointment and take the pills. When it begins to heal, you can start to apply a lip balm but keep applying the ointment and taking the pills. Have a extra prescription handy at all times, take it on vacation, put one in your car or office.   I tried toothpaste instead! Comments By: Anon on 2011-03-14 Im trying the toothpaste right now and it burns a little but since I'm 12 and a girl, you can handle it. First put ice on the cold sore for about a minute or two then put a glob o toothpaste on it then at night right before bed put some peroxide on it then I guess in the morning it should be scabed and then put neosporin on it and in 36 hrs it SHOULD BE gone. Please wish me luck!!! : P   I tried toothpaste instead! Comments By: Anon on 2011-03-14 Im trying the toothpaste right now and it burns a little but since I'm 12 and a girl, you can handle it. First put ice on the cold sore for about a minute or two then put a glob o toothpaste on it then at night right before bed put some peroxide on it then I guess in the morning it should be scabed and then put neosporin on it and in 36 hrs it SHOULD BE gone. Please wish me luck!!! : P   im too scared Comments By: johana on 2011-03-15 i just woke up with a cold sore and just added some anti itch cream im too scared to put the nail polish remover but im so desperate to take it off!   little boy Comments By: little jason on 2011-03-16 my son is 11 we are getting ready to try hand sanitizer we will let u no if it works foaming hand sanitizer we are going to bust the blisters than apply   wooooooo Comments By: spyke on 2011-03-18 Ok, Im trying it because even if it removes just one day from the healing time ill be happy. I know it wont heal in 24 hours but oh well. Is it just me or did it make anyone else a little high from the fumes lmao!   Haaa iv found the best!! Solution Comments By: Ralphy on 2011-03-19 I got this cold sore as im writting this.. Iv had this cold sore for about a day now, and iv been looking for an easy and fast remedy to get ride of it. Last night I put colgate toothpaste on it and had it dry, the sore came out even more, whitch I noticed was improvement to the sore. So today... I just did the same thing, its burning pretty well whitch means its working im going to continue useing this method.. Should be gone in a few hours.   be for real Comments By: keisha cole on 2011-03-23 It just do not seems realistic / I was pretty desperate when I felt the cold sore on my lip/ but not desperate enough to put nail polish remover on my lip / I think tis method is ridiculous   Woop Comments By: Anon on 2011-03-23 I always use salt wrapped in a napkin/papertowel, and then put a few drops of water in and then hold the napkin to the blister and it starts to go down but burns horribly.   HOME REMEDIES...REALLY DOES WORK Comments By: Bhashara on 2011-03-24 I got a coldsore 2 days ago, popped it yesterday and applied a warm teabag to it by the next morning my sore had dried and is now healing. There are many cold sore home remedies that I have tested at home. These include:Drinking lots of fluids. Drinking lots of water and juices (not citrus ones) helps in speeding up the recession of cold sores. Cold compress. Applying ice can slow down the metabolism of the virus (especially in the initial stages) to prevent severe outbreak, and can also numb the area to lessen pain and itching. Teabag application. Applying teabags are quite effective in speeding up the healing process. Tannic acid in tea has strong antiviral properties. Also use herbs such as aloe Vera, tea tree oil, witch hazel and sage have been discovered to speed up the healing process of cold sores. These herbs only work best when used appropriately and with caution. Avoid salty and acidic food and protect the area with Vaseline (Petroleum Jelly) and always wash your hands and the coldsore gently with an Antibacterial soap and warm water, you may use cotton wool if you want. Hope my tips help. =)   Amazing Comments By: Beth on 2011-04-06 I was extremely skeptical at first, I mean, nail polish remover on your lip?? However, I've been desperate to get rid of this embarrassing sore so I thought it was worth a shot. The night after I got the sore, I just applied nail polish remover with a qtip and now its the morning after and its scabbed over. NPR is a great trick. I have no doubt the rest would work aswell. Thanks!   something works better!!! Comments By: grace on 2011-03-27 so this is all wrong! and will just make it worse if you havent already popped it then put a tea bag into the microwave for 2 minutes then take tea bag and put into clean wash cloth and take all the water out and hold hot tea bag to cold sore when done pop it and then pop it and then after popped clean with peroxide and then put ice on it and repeat the ice every 2 hours.! (: hope this helps   im trying it! :s Comments By: anon xx on 2011-03-28 i read the last comment with the ice cold thing or whatever and the teabag and the perfume, so i got a frozen wedgie! ('yano, the chip?!) and put it on my lip for abit, and then straight after i got a cold teabag (still abit wet) and wiped my lips with that and after that i wiped it of (if you leave it your lip will turn a tea colour! lol) and yeah and then i sprayed a spray of perfume onto my hand and wiped my finger in it and then over my coldsores (they were just appearing) and yes it did sting abit but i thought i might try my own little remedy! so i used them after each other and then i put vaseline on (or any other chapstick/lipbalm) and then i will leave it over night...hoping it will work...if it does i will let you know! yeah your lip does go red but im hoping in the morning it will be gone...or a few days...but will let you know...thanks for all the tips! =D xx   just gave it a try Comments By: Nor montreal on 2011-03-29 and it does work, seem to be working and is going down   it works brilliantly Comments By: Grateful in Italy on 2011-03-31 I'm in Tuscany on holiday. Blisters appeared one morning and i just did the acetone bit after popping them. They dried pretty quickly within 48 hours of regular application. Saved!   do i or dont i Comments By: stacey on 2011-03-31 do i pop it or not, lol basically its thursday and 3 coldsores have appeared on my upper lip typical... im going out saturday night, this is only something i do one a month and i really not in the mood to put my dancing shoes on now do i try and make it worse i do i try and it works mmmmmmm help!!!   THIS REALLY REALLY WORKS Comments By: JIMMY D on 2011-04-08 I was skeptical as others at first...Then I finally said what the heck. I took a need and poked a hole in it to get the nail polish remover into it..noticed a little shrinkage nothing great....So then I went for it scared to death and popped the thing...not from the outside but put my thumb behind it maneuvered my lip to apply pressure and the solid core popped out...while it was oozing I put the soaked q-tip on it burned like nothing you would ever feel...waited...let it dry...put the baking soda and salt in it...didnt have asprin...it was down considerably...put the arm and hammer baking soda toothpaste on it overnight and it is literally GONE GONE GONE!! I want my 18 dollars back for Abreva, and 23 dollars back for Releeve and anbesol core sore relief was useless...getting a valacyclovir RX filled to suppress them while I'm stressed so that I dont have to do surgery again...IT REALLY WORKED PEOPLE!!   This does actually work Comments By: HELPER on 2011-04-08 I have had cold sores since i was little and this is the remedy that really works, i take a sterile needle pop it put nail polish remover on it for a while then ice then nail polish remover then ice back and forth for 20-30 mins. (the ice helps kill the bacteria and makes the burning more bearable) after i do a mix of toothpaste, vicks, or coldsore cream from the store. let it sit wait an hour or so and do the process all over again. MORE blisters may appear but keep doing the process intill you feel like you've done it enough. Before you go to bed definitely ice it after all the processes and use herpcinl or carmax or something made for cold sores and it should be almost gone by the next day. if not you do it again the process and after words keep applying the cold sore cream/chapstick what ever. MEMBER cold sores grow in dry lips keep your lips moisturized AND DO NOT STRESSS it will make it worse. this obviously doesnt work for everyone. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT!   help Comments By: bryan on 2011-04-08 are u supposed to drink the potion   do i Comments By: Anin on 2011-04-09 does the ice actually work or just bug it even more i am so confused through all the comments!!!!   Way To Much Chemicals Comments By: Chiinksz on 2011-04-09 I think its way to much chemicals and can have a bad after reaction and thats way to harsh all that mixed together is way to strong   fast relief cold sore treatment. Comments By: california on 2011-04-09 Its a walgreens brand. It has 2 single dose vials in it, if you catch the cold sore early enough it seems to work 10x better then abreva. It just say's fast relief cold sore treatment on the box.   VALTREX Comments By: Steph on 2011-04-09 I take valtrex when I start to feel the cold sore coming. I have been doing this for a year now and not once has a cold sore come to the surface!   Oh Good Lord Comments By: J on 2011-04-13 Okay, well I am 16 and I have had cold sores appear on my face since 3rd grade. They SUCK. I get ones mainly in the corners of my mouth or ones connected to my lips that spread out onto the skin beside my lips. I tried the nail polish remover withOUT popping the blisters and they seemed to dry up, not all of them I think but a lot. They got really red, but my skin is very sensitive. Now, there is still a bump due to swelling, but the blisters are gone and it burned yes, but nothing I wasn't able to handle. So I'm going to try the toothpaste thing and see how it works. I hope it goes away quick. I basically infuriated my mom because I told her I wasn't going to school today. I didnt go (hehe sucka mom) but she got rrreeeealllly mad. So I most definitely have to go tomorrow. I just hope its gone by then. If this works THANK YOU SO MUCH. If it doesnt, well at least it got rid of the blisters pretty fast.   Hard but it is also hard by me i sleep 3-4 std max a day, fb... no food... Comments By: Idiot bit its true no job ... on 2011-04-15 And the money thing is in most games really mean, but i don't know if the developers perhaps have the fault.... No joke i havent slept 5 nights now ok... 2 hours or so   Hard but it is also hard by me i sleep 3-4 std max a day, fb... no food... Comments By: Idiot bit its true no job ... on 2011-04-15 And the money thing is in most games really mean, but i don't know if the developers perhaps have the fault.... No joke i havent slept 5 nights now ok... 2 hours or so Theres an background with socialphobia, d*** and hard depression so plesase, i know i make dumb things   Prevention and early detection is your best defense! Comments By: Lipnicki on 2011-04-18 I am 40 years old and have been getting cold sores since early high school. I am suffering from one right now actually..IN MY NOSE! First time for one there. I had a cold last week and apparently the constant wiping of my nose was enough to trigger an attack. It never dawned on me about my nose. Grrr. Anyway, over my 20+ years of dealing with them, I have learned a few key elements to avoid getting a cold sore, or if I do to at least minimise the length of time I have to deal with it. Avoid direct heat/sun - I have a lip balm of 45spf that I apply religiously. It DOES make a difference. Don't let your lips get dry - I ALWAYS have a Chap Stick or lip gloss or something in my pocket. If your lips get dry, they get irritated. That will trigger an outbreak. Watch the spicy foods - I LOVE spicy food, but I really have to be careful. I do however find that if I make sure my lips are well coated with a lip balm before I eat, AND I drink lots of liquid (water is your best best) that will keep things at bay. CHILL OUT! - if you are running in 100 directions, eventually this will catch up to you. A cold sore outbreak is your body's way of saying 'slow down'. Take time for you (even 1 hour out of the day) and read a book, knit, take the dog for a walk, sleep...whatever. Recalibrate. Avoid citrus juices/fruits - I love fruit, but guaranteed if I eat an orange I will have a blister form the next day. Want the vitamins? Take a supplement (they're flavoured too!) Keep your hands to yourself - I have a habit of putting my hand on my mouth or running my fingers over my mouth. Just a habit like twirling your hair or tapping your foot. STOP IT! That is trauma to your lips and if done enough, will trigger an outbreak. I have to be careful when I wipe my mouth with a napkin..I am that sensitive. If you DO break out, sorry kid, but if you don't do a thing you are stuck with it for about 2 weeks. If you do however start EARLY, you can lessen the suffering to about 3 days, possibly less if you are really stringent. Abreva is probably the best invention since the wheel. I've seen alot of people gripe about how expensive it is (here in Canada, it's about $20) but it's over-the-counter and lasts a long time. I think it's worth it. If applied at the very first inkling of a blister, and applied on a regular basis (I usually do it about ever 1/2 hour for the first 6 hours, then every hour after that)you can dramatically lessen the swelling and itch. I don't usually pop the blisters at this stage as the liquid in them is VERY contagious and you could spread it to other parts of your face or person. I will wait till the next day, when the itch has stopped and the blisters have taken on a yellowish/golden appearance. I take a sterile needle, pop, and drain being very careful to dab the blisters and not rub. This could spread the liquid. I do not use peroxide as this swells the tissue and makes everything look bigger. That's what I am trying to avoid! If you chose to use it, go ahead, but dilute it (peroxide should NEVER be used full strength. My retired nurse mother-in-law stressed that to me!) At this time, you have two choices. You can continue to apply the Abreva, every hour OR you can apply an antibiotic ointment (mine contains Polymyxin B Sulfate, Bacitracin Zinc and Gramicidin ointment). If there is ANY itch or tingle left in the blister, I recommend to keep applying the Abreva, as it inhibits the spread of the virus. The anitbiotic ointment helps with the healing. Don't pick the sore, keep it dry (dab it) and don't try to cover it up with makeup or lipstick...that only aggrevates it more. People get cold sores! They are nasty, embarassing and make you want to put a bag over your head, but sadly its something that we have to deal with. There is NO CURE and don't believe any ads or comments that say otherwise. It is a virus that you keep for life. You can however control it. Good luck. :)   It really does work! Comments By: heat8er on 2011-04-18 I've had cold sores a few times a year for the last 8-10 years. When I read this thread I thought it was a crazy idea but I tried it a few weeks ago. When I first felt the tingle I was at work and by the time I got home a small blister had formed. I washed my hands and mouth is soap to disinfect, then broke open the blister with tweezers. I then immediately held a cotton ball soaked with nail polish remover on the cold sore for about 60 seconds. I did this about 3 times in a row before bed. When I woke up in the morning the blister hadn't spread anyplace else and a small scab had formed. Any other time the blister would have spread to form other small blisters. Within a week the scab was completely gone. I dried out the sore with polish remover 1 to 2 times a day for 3 days. I've recommended to all my friends.   36hrs into my second cold sore ever Comments By: NastyLips4Now on 2011-04-19 This is my second cold sore ever and I started treating the cluster of 5 little blisters on the bottom corner of the skin just below my lips about 30 hours ago. This was all brought on by a laser face treatment and I am disgusted. I started by popping all of 5 blisters and draining the liquid with a qtip (careful to not cross contaminate), I then applied nail polish remover "acetone" with a qtip several times until very dry (dermatologists use acetone on the face before treatments to clear the natural oils - so I'm pretty sure this is a safe practice) Once Dry I applied Abreva with a new qtip liberally and applied Lysine secondly mixing them on top of the sore. After a couple of hours I apply an icecube until it is fully melted - Then reapply the nail polish remover, and then Abreva + Lysine This is only my second cold sore and compared to my first my sores are completly scabed and rapidly diminishing... something comparatively that happened on day 7 with my first one... I am going to try the aspirin paste as well :) Wish this wasn't so embarrasing... My mom says I got the Virus around 3 from a neighbor who watched me and by the age of 70 - 90% of the population has it but I still feel nasty!!   Its gone! Comments By: anon on 2011-05-01 Its gone! Yay! Be extra careful when popping as it could spread. It also stings like a bitch but soo worth it. Thanks a bunch   AMAZING! Comments By: Hannah H on 2011-05-06 i had a hot date tonight n couldnt show up wih this gross thing on my lip i tried it n my cold sore started going down instantly! thank GOD for smart people   omggee Comments By: taylor on 2011-05-09 ugh i just got this cold sore today and i need it away if this works i love you! thanks!! hopefully it works to save my hand lol i taped a little q-tip to my face i look halarious lol my mom came in and thought i went crazzy. buh anyways thanks for helping me(:   Another Suggestion Comments By: Jenna on 2011-05-12 I have tried this a few times, it does speed up the process. But I find the when I squeeze out the fluid, I always end up with more cold sores. I would wake up every morning with ANOTHER ONE! I wouldn't suggest popping them, my trick is to take L-Lysine tablets (2000mg twice a day-any natural grocery store) and Acyclovir (800mg twice a day-prescription only)and put Lysine balm on the sore itself. My cold sores usually last 2-3 weeks, a lot longer than most other people. My entire bottom lip was covered in sores 4 days ago and now their almost gone.   It actually is working. Comments By: Anonymous on 2011-05-12 Well i steriled a pin and popped my blisters of my cold sore. I got a massive cold sore out of the blue on my nose when i had woken up yesterday morning. I tried everything, putting zovarax or whatever you spell it, and red lucas papaw ointment, from the remedies i've read online and even ice. So i came across to this and i've popped my blisters. I was scared to put on the nail polish, but i tried it anyways. I thought it was too poisonous. I dabbed it on a cotton and it stung but bearable. It's only 4 seconds worth of pain, and now i see the blister starting to heal, i've put on lucas papaw ointment to see if it'll heal. I'm seeing my boyfriend tomorrow and i don't want that disgusting cold sore to still be there. Let's see if it'll work!   hope sooo Comments By: so stressed84 on 2011-05-19 yesterday evening i woke up from my nap and had a blister on my bottom lip right in the middle i didnt know what to do i freaked out, im trying the nail polish remover, the sweelling went down instintly now im doing the sea salt paste so far so good wish me luck everyone and luck to yall too   Cold sore machine Comments By: Sarahboom on 2011-05-22 New treatment for cold sores - but it in boots (maybe other pharmacies?) small handheld device which you place over your cold sore for 3 minutes. It blasts infa red beam ( invisible to naked eye) onto affected area. Repeat as necessary. I've found this a godsend - reduced out breaks, quicker healing and if caught earlier enough NO outbreak!!!! Goodluck.   Scary azz Comments By: Tiffany on 2011-06-04 Im very scared of puttin remover on my faces what if?   i do think its working. Comments By: kitana on 2011-06-10 i do think its working. it hurts EXTREMELY bad, a huge burning sensation but i feel it working. at leats i really really hope it does. my birthday is next week and i want this sucker gone NOW. so, im desparate to try anything lets hope you can be my lifesaver dear.   SEE YOUR DOCTOR!!! TRUST ME Comments By: Taylor on 2011-06-12 the best thing you can possibly do is see your doctor ASAP! i tried this and it just gave my cold sore a yellowish color and made it swell up 2x worse. My doctor prescribed me ACYCLOVIR 200MG CAPSULES. I took one and within the first hour the cold sore and the swelling were muchh better. PLEASE DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY ON CRAP THAT DOESN'T EVEN WORK. i tried everything but this seems to be the only thing that worked.   listen up Comments By: somehelpmaybe on 2011-06-13 okay i´ve been skeptical about every remedy there is on the internet but since i´m blessed with a cold sore at least once in ever 2 months then i thought i might as well try. the nail polish remover thing is an old trick. but i´ve learned not to keep it on over 5 minutes or so because its general effect should be to kill bacteria meaning the virus and clean the area. if you keep it on longer, it makes your lip all swollen and red. also, try to keep it on the lip skin ONLY because if your sore is near to the edge of the lip(which they often are, little bastards) and you keep the nail polish remover on your normal skin, it peels off in a couple of days in a bad way. not cool. i´ve tried the patches. they dont speed up anything in my opinion, they just keep it clean, yes but to pay that much money? they´re not worth it. same goes for every other goo or gel that they sell at the shops. never worked for me. the tea-bag also does nothing. you might as well keep a wet tissue on it, same effect, it just gets moisturized which is good but if you plan to go that way then i suggest you use vaseline. so yesterday i felt a cold sore coming up. it was quite small when i discovered it but having a history for some nasty spreading sores, i took action straight away. naturally, not having any money and running low on the nail polish remover, i googled and found this. the 24 hour thing ofc is bollocks. but i must say it did speed up the process. here´s what i did. i took a clean needle(i think) and broke the little sore i had as badly as possible so it wouldnt have a chance to grow into something bigger. ofc i had some nail polish remover left to dab on the area around it so the virus wouldnt spread. i dont mean cutting off half your lip, just the sore part. then i kept the nail polish remover on for about 6 minutes time and mixed sth like the mixture on this website. i dont have any idea what peroxide is so i skipped that(might be the fact that i live in estonia and what google said, its some kind of bleach?wouldnt put that on any part of my skin thank you.). i took regular salt(about 2 teaspoons), crushed an aspirin pill and mixed it together with some strong toothpaste(doesnt matter which toothpaste actually) i applied it to my lip and it didnt even sting(too much). then i had to go out and having this 32C weather outside, ofc my lip got swollen and worse(keep away from the sun as well, UV light has been known to actually cause cold sores if too much. dno if its true. but the heat thing defenitely is. dont take warm baths.) but when i came home i put on the mixture for the night and by the morning,believe it or not, the sore had a scab. never in my life has a sore gotten a scab within 24 hours. so the page is right in a way, the SORE was gone, now i have a healing scab. putting on vaseline in every 2 hours helps to heal the scab faster. once your lip has a scab, dont let it get dry or pull it off, it´ll heal quicker like this. also, dont be sad or stressed about your sores, they´ll go away eventually, my longest one stayed on for 14 days and just when all cleared up, a new one formed. no need to say i was moody and bitchy with everyone. but the stress makes it worse.   desprate!!!! :/ Comments By: Daniella on 2011-06-14 ha my boyfriend and i havent seen eachother in 2 weeks. i am 14 and i got 2 cold sores the day b4 im able to see him. i told him i wasnt able to kiss him. so that really bugged me. now seeing him im bummbed i cant kiss him. needed a potion to make it go away FAST!!! so i am hoping this works. from seeing all of the comments. :) yeah im pretty sure it will.   PATIENTCE Comments By: jamie on 2011-07-06 although this may work for some people, i like to keep it old fashioned . i just apply hydrogen peroxide SEVERAL times a day in LARGE quanities. i drink lots of water and hold ice cubes on it . i repeat this day after day and after lots of patience and about 4 days it will be less noticeable , but keep in mind it takes 10 days , at least , for a cold sore to run its FULL corse . i prefer blistex chapstick CONSTANTLY also , even when i dont have a cold sore , it helps protect . best of luck , Jamie   Gone in less than 24 hours! Comments By: Cameron Coldsore on 2011-07-07 This is the first cold sore I have gotten in over a year. Normally I can feel one coming on ( headache, dry facial skin and lips ) and I take Valtrex early on, and I never even get the cold sore. This time, however, the cold sore came on instantly, and had 4 pussy bumps in a matter of hours. Here's what I did to get it away in less than 24 hours: 1. Take 2 valtrex immediately and 2 more that night before I went to bed. 2. Wash my face every 4 hours with mild soap, no scrubbing. Use a fresh towel to pat dry each time. 3. Apply some old spice aftershave (contains alcohol) to the cold sores, pressing lightly with a Q-tip. you do NOT want to pop the blisters. (If you pop them, you will get scarring and redness. If you don't pop them, these sores can literally disappear... no redness) 3. Wait 15 minutes. Apply anbesol (cold sore medication containing numbing ingredients, so you dont feel any itch) to the cold sores. 4. LIBERALLY apply Carmex to the rest of your lips. I repeated this every 4 hours, and in less than 24 hours my cold sores have disappeared, and the redness is even gone. By keeping them moist, AND taking Valtrex, you are able to quickly restore your lips to their original state, without having to endure any uncomfortable scabbing stage.   This worked in the middle of my outbreak Comments By: Brooke on 2011-07-08 I was sitting on my couch feeling sorry for myself trying to look up new ways to cure my cold sore when I came upon this home remedy. I only get a cold sore when I have been out in the sun for a long time and this was my first on in 2 years. I took a Valtrex at the first sign and starting using Abbreva but the sore came out anyway. I had probably 2 or 3 sores on my bottom lip that where open and weeping and when I applied the fingernail polish remover they dried up in 3 hours!!! I then applied the paste of salt, aspirin and peroxide and went to bed and sure enough this morning my lip was starting to heal. The blisters where gone and I started applying Neosporin today and I suspect by tomorrow the blister will be almost gone! Next time I start to feel one coming on I am reaching straight for my fingernail polish remover   i hope this stuff works Comments By: j on 2011-07-12 im 16 and im tried of waiting for this to go away   Best Remedy Ever Comments By: Anon on 2011-07-14 I started this remedy last night around 10pm. Its now 4:30pm the following day and my cold sore looks like a small bump similar to a pimple.   THE REAL WAY, NO PAIN REQUIRED. Comments By: Samoné on 2011-07-28 Um, obviously. Nothing will make it go away faster, it may work for some people but I wouldn't risk it!!! The best thing to do is go to the doctor, or just don't open your mouth, get it wet, or too hot! If you get hungry, make a smoothie and drink through a straw so you don't have to open your mouth too wide.   Nail Polish or Nail Polish REMOVER? Comments By: LorriAnne on 2011-07-29 I see people on here saying they used nail POLISH, not nail polish REMOVER. People, get it right! You're supposed to use the REMOVER. Dang. Don't complain about it not working when you used the WRONG STUFF!!! Of course you ended up with worse problems, because, like a five year old, you did NOT follow directions. You got what you deserved.   Bio Propolis! Really really does work! Comments By: charly on 2011-08-03 Hi , i've been suffering with coldsores my whole life and have always used zovirax, it does work but take s up to 2 weeks for the coldsore to start scabbing over etc. I came across a new product called Bio-Propolis, its natural and much more concentrated and cuts my coldsore lifespan in half! I also take 1000mg of vitamin c everyday whilst i have a coldsore, with the two combined i can reduced my coldsore to approx 5-6 days.   I've had this thing for weeks Comments By: Sarah on 2011-08-26 I got my coldsore on Aug 8th, and it's now the Aug26th, I have tried everything, zovirax, abreva, aloe vera, toothpaste, I just put that potion stuff on it and it burns like a bitch!!! I am praying to god this works.....   the potion is purple Comments By: Sarah on 2011-08-27 the potion is purple & it burns   I tried it and... Comments By: Sarah on 2011-08-28 So I tried the nail polish remover thing, I didn't do the full 20-30minutes, instead I dabbed it on for about 2-3minutes and it irritated the hell out of it, making it red. I think some people's skin is more sensitive than others. So instead of nail polish remover use rubbing alcohol or witch hazel. I used witch hazel. I did the "potion". I had to do it for two nights in a row and on the 2nd night when I woke up, it scabbed up and peeled off. But 1. the potion burns, it burns!!! if you can withstand the burn do it, 2. it scars so use neosporin or scarzone immediately!   Taking the remedy up a notch. Comments By: Rick on 2011-08-30 If you permanently want to get rid of cold sores, you can and it depends on how much pain you can handle. First, put Vaseline AROUND the fluid filled cold sore and NOT ON it. Second, with water, lightly damp the cold sore. Third, put a piece of DRY ICE on the cold sore so that it sticks to the skin. Keep it there until the pain becomes unbearable. Take off the dry ice with some warm water and tweezers. Two things should happened either the blister will completely fall off or have disintegrated. Dry off where the blister was and remove the Vaseline with several paper napkins. Put liquid (not gel) superglue around and then on the blister's location. Leave the glue on until it comes off naturally. This is a very painful way of getting rid of a cold sore no doubt. However, I had a HUGE cold sore on my lower lip when I was 17. Once I did this, it never came back and I'm now 41. Good luck!   Cure Comments By: John on 2011-09-17 I want this cold sore of mine to go. Cock block so they spread to genital herpes if you touch it too much and have a little scratch.   Ohh flip no Comments By: Selena on 2011-10-20 What the flip no no no scab with a scar on it ohh NO! just no dont try this.   ok then Comments By: sam on 2011-10-21 if u pop the cold sore wouldnt it spread even more you could make it worse i dont know if i would like to try it but i have a cold sore at the moment and i will try anything to get rid of it i think i will give it ago what type of nail polish remover do i use ? Â