Chapped lips or Herpes

Hi,
I kissed this girl about 4 days ago in Oregon Portland. Being from Los Angeles, Im have not been to a cold whether like oregon in a long time. After talking to my friends about diseases such as herpes I got really really nervous about getting it and kept looking at my lips every 30 mins or so. After a day my lips felt kinda dry so i bought this chapstick that i have never used before. I also kept licking my lips a lot. 2 days later i felt a small sore area on the lower right of my lip. I put ice on it and lemon to try to prevent it. I only feel it there only when i pay attention to it and when i dont it feels completely fine. I also washed my lips with soap when i showered twice since. In the forth day, after I stopped constantly licking my lips, they got really chapped. the really small bump that i had did not get any bigger and it has a yellow hard thing inside rather than a clear watery liquid. My lips dont burn when I eat or dont really tingle anymore, only when i pay really really close attention. Nothing has gotten worse on my lips after 4 days except the dryness  (I do once in a while get yellow pimples around my lips even before i ever kissed anyone. i get pimples on my face too which are normal) Now my questions:
1. Could this be becuase of the cold whether in Portland, Oregon that Im not really used to in addition to constantly licking my lips?
2. Could it be a reaction to the chapstick that i have never used before?
3. Could it be natural nervous reaction and me paying very close attention and constantly thinking about it after being scared to death?
4. could the chapped lips be from me washing my lips with soap?
or 5. is it really a cold sore?

[petal130]

Oral herpes is incredibly common; over half the adult population has it and most of us won't make it to the old folks home without it. Every 1 to 2/3 people you've ever kissed (including Granny, Auntie, Mum or Dad) has oral herpes.

That being said, sure it could be chapped lips. Herpes is distinct; it's a blister (usually cluster) that forms, scabs and heals. If you want to know if it's herpes, obviously you'd have to be seen for a swab/culture of an active symptom, or you could get an IgG type specific blood test. We'd only be guessing here on a web forum.

You can read more about this mere pesky skin condition here:

http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_learn_oralherpes.cfm

[K360]

Thank you for the reply.
If it is herpes, is it supposed to get worse after 4 days? If it hasnt gotten worse at all could it be not herpes? The reason im asking is becuase i read this other thing on the internet about this girl saying how she gets really burning chapped lips and in Oregon, so its a possibility that it was just me being there. Anyway, so if the condition has not changed at all (and who ever i ask says that they dont see anything on my lips) could it be just chapped lips? I read the symptoms for herpes, but those are the same symptoms for having chapped lips; burning, small bump(s), dry lips, etc. I only have the smallest pimple looking pump under my lip, but my lips are chapped. Thank you in advance for your response.

[gracefromHHP]

lemon is an acid. it can trigger cold sores actually as well as dry out your lips.

at this point just put plain ole vaseline on your lips to keep them moist.

see your provider if you think this is more than chapped lips for a proper work up.

grace

[K360]

Thank you for the reply. I did put a good amount of lemon on my lips and that might have been why they are dried up. But if it hasnt triggered anything, does that mean that its not a cold sore? cause nothing on my lips have gotten worse. it was just only one really small bump and has not gotten bigger in the 4th day.

[gracefromHHP]

cold sores appear differently on different people.

if you've never been tested for herpes before, why not get a type specific test this week so you know your baseline status.

grace

[K360]

Thank you,
I will get tested this week or next week. I'm pretty sure its not herpes as that little bump is going away. It never got worse. It is probably chapped lips from me being in Portland, Oregon. I most likely over looked it and got overly scared when it was just a chapped lip. Cause it was one bump that is going away, my lips are not sore, itchy, tingly, or anything and its the end of the 4th day. If it was herpes, it should have gotten worse and not better.

[LotsofDrsAptsStillConfused]

Keep in mind that if you were recently exposed to herpes a blood test may be inconclusive. I believe it takes up to 12 weeks for a definitive test but these are things your dr can help you understand better.

[petal130]

That's why grace referred to testing now as a "baseline" status - it would based on his status prior to the kiss with this girl.

[gracefromHHP]

you read my mind petal...lol.

yes a baseline blood test would show your status previously. If you were already infected with hsv1, then a combination of things could've caused an obvious cold sore to appear.  If it's negative, it can be repeated in several months for better answers from this current issue.

grace

[K360]

Okay. It is the 5th day and nothing has happened. except my lips are chapped and the skin is pealing. The same exact thing is happening to my friend who went to Oregon with me. So im almost sure that its just chapped lips. And the testing, if i get tested and its positive, could it not be from kissing this girl 5-6 days ago? cause my mom has had cold sores and im sure i have kissed her before when she has had a break out. Would the test show results  if i have had herpes a long time but never had any symptoms? Also in addition to the my case, so the fact that my lips are fine except being chapped in the 5th day, does that mean that its only chapped lips? (based on the appearance and what i have told you)

[gracefromHHP]

the igg blood test will not be + in less than 2 weeks.

if you are still concerned that this is more than chapped lips, see your provider.

grace

[K360]

Thank you so much grace.
I will definitely go and test myself even though im kinda scared even though there are no symptoms on my lips anymore. It is most likely chapped. One thing to share from this experience is that people get suspicious about even the nature of lips. I saw very super small bumps on the inside of my lips and i thought that omg those are the symptoms even though it was not burning or itching at all. I looked at my dad and my brothers lips and they both had the same thing. We have to keep in mind that our lips are not perfect and they already have small bumps and unbalanced lips. Testing is the best way to make sure to stop worrying. Thanks a lot again