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Dermatology (Expert Forum)
Zits or Cold Sore?
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center
Brookline - MA
Welcome to the DERMATOLOGY FORUM! Questions in this forum are answered by Dermatologists from St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, under the direction of Andrew Alexis, M.D., M.P.H.
Zits or Cold Sore?
by swatelite, Dec 30, 2004 12:00AM
I’ll get straight to the point: a few days ago, I noticed three zits/pimples on my bottom lipline. One was completely on one side of the lip, and two were on the other, about a half a centimeter away from each other. I’m not sure I would call that a “cluster” since one is on one side, and the other two are half a centimeter away from each other, on the other side. I’m a male in my early 20s and have had acne in and around that area before, and on my face. Other lip zits I pop and they seem to go away in a day or two. None have been in this area before. I have had these zits for about two and a half days, going on three.
I have used my shaving razor to pop the two that are close together. I have noticed they are not raised, and they do not seem like they are “sores” and are not painful in any way. Due to the razor I suspect that I have made things worse, and the skin in the area is now quite irritated. I have been using hydrocortisone and other medications to try and reduce the redness to no avail. My worry is that whatever this could be a cold sore, but the other zit on the other side of the mouth vanished, while I may have prolonged the life of the two zits together by using my razor to try and pop them. That said, of the two on the ride side seems to be getting better, but again, I really notice no pain, no blister (besides when I scrape or pop whatever it is, and that doesn’t’ scab or anything).
The appearance of all this redness probably makes others think I have a nasty cold sore, when I could very well not. I am also not sure how I could have been exposed to the virus, as no one I have kissed recently has had any visible sores. Could I have gotten it from a shared box of tissues from someone who could have had a cold sore? Some answers, and treatment advice, would be great. Right now I am using hydrocortisone, but anything else would be nice to treat this mess. Is this a cold sore or something else I have aggrivated?
I have used my shaving razor to pop the two that are close together. I have noticed they are not raised, and they do not seem like they are “sores” and are not painful in any way. Due to the razor I suspect that I have made things worse, and the skin in the area is now quite irritated. I have been using hydrocortisone and other medications to try and reduce the redness to no avail. My worry is that whatever this could be a cold sore, but the other zit on the other side of the mouth vanished, while I may have prolonged the life of the two zits together by using my razor to try and pop them. That said, of the two on the ride side seems to be getting better, but again, I really notice no pain, no blister (besides when I scrape or pop whatever it is, and that doesn’t’ scab or anything).
The appearance of all this redness probably makes others think I have a nasty cold sore, when I could very well not. I am also not sure how I could have been exposed to the virus, as no one I have kissed recently has had any visible sores. Could I have gotten it from a shared box of tissues from someone who could have had a cold sore? Some answers, and treatment advice, would be great. Right now I am using hydrocortisone, but anything else would be nice to treat this mess. Is this a cold sore or something else I have aggrivated?
Doctor's Answer
by Alan Rockoff, MD, Dec 31, 2004 12:00AM
, Dec 31, 2004 12:00AM
I think these are pimples that you aggravated. Of course, I can't say with certainty without seeing them. Please do yourself a favor and leave them alone except to apply bacitracin or neosporin twice daily and avoid shaving over them so they'll heal fast and your friends won't think you have a cold sore. If the pimples persist or recur, show a doctor while they're in their unpopped state.
Best.
Dr. Rockoff
Best.
Dr. Rockoff
