Question for Grace

[Still_Worried_]

In some of your past posts, you suggested using zinc for topical treatment?   How would one apply it?   Powdered form mixed w/ warm water?  Any brands you suggest?

Is this safe for women to use because it can dry out our mucous membranes?  I've heard gluconate is safer than oxide?  Is this true?

Thanks, Grace!

[Still_Worried_]

I found this thread (amongst many others) in which members were mixing powdered zinc gluconate (from pills) with water & claimed it sped healing & prevented outbreaks from forming.  (Obviously, I don't believe it's a "cure" per the thread title but a potential treatment).

Any thoughts on this?  

http://www.herpes-coldsores.com/messageforum/showthread.php?t=22725

[gracefromHHP]

I'm guessing it was more like someone asked about it and I provided information on it.

it has to be aqueous zinc and that's not something you can find on store shelves that I'm aware of. you can search pubmed for the study if you are interested.  If  I recall it was 4% but I'm not sure at this point. pretty sure it was only 1 study.  

zinc oxide isn't effective at speeding healing of herpes lesions. it's perfectly safe to use on the genital area and won't harm you one bit to use zinc oxide on the genital area. it's a good barrier cream, but it wasn't found to help speed healing. make sense?

grace