Cold Sore scarring

[PropsMC90]

Okay I know this topic isn't acne, but I couldn't find any other place to go too, and I'm wondering if I'm going to get a permanent scarring from my Cold Sore. I've had Cold Sore for a very young age, and before it wouldn't scar even when I first got it I was doing everything wrong. (rubbing it, itching it till it bleed, peeling it off when it was like exploding) and even through that it didn't scar it just went away without a mark. I recently got a cold sore, its been like 3 weeks and half now and I still have my cold sore mark, its not exploding or anything its flat, its pretty much healed and the wound is closed, I just want that mark to go away... yeah I did peel off some skin when I was washing my cold sore cause it was getting loose, then I put Campho Phenique, but even through that it shouldn't cause a permanent scarring. It just doesn't seem right...
Should I continue with what I'm doing wash my cold sore area with warm water with soap, then put Campho Phenique and it will slowly go away please tell me .....

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
The lesion that you have described sounds like a scar with post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. The treatment for post inflammatory hyperpigmentation includes various skin creams like hydroquinone, azelaic acid, corticosteroids, tretinoin cream and laser treatment. Apply hydroquinone cream on this scar and it should go away in a few days to months. If it still persists then you can go in for laser treatment, Chemical peeling or microdermabrasion. Avoid picking, harsh scrubbing, and abrasive treatments unless prescribed by a dermatologist during this period.

I hope it helps. Take care and regards.

[PropsMC90]

Uh, its not really red its kind of brown the color of the skin is different then my skin tone... Everything is healed, no lesions are erupting or any of that, no loose skin its completely flat none of that its normal, I just don't like seeing it different then my skin tone. I don't know it doesn't look like its inflamed : / But what do I know? I'm not a MD so I'll do what you want me to do, uh, I hope I don't have to use laser treatment my family doesn't have a lot of money... I heard that uh, Vitamin E oil is good for healing up scars... I also heard that Vitamin E can screw/damage something up on your skin, so you have to fast it off asap when you do use it? I don't know. Is there any cream that I can buy like at Walgreens or Albertsons that make it fade quicker or should I just buy Vitamin E?

2nd question: I don't think its going to be permanent right, I mean this isn't damaging enough to make a permanent scar : / Doesn't sound right...

Anyways thanks : )

T