Hi,I Hugged A Girl And She Touched My Hair With

Posted on Thu, 4 Apr 2019

Question: Hi,I hugged a girl and she touched my hair with her face. She had something on her lip.
I don’t know if it was a cold sore or a pimple but it was from the ridge of the lip and onto the lip but mostly on the lip. It was red like it was picked and bled but also scabbing with yellow.

After that happened i was waking to my car and some hair got into my face. I went and took a shower and used lots of shampoo. Is it possible I could contract HSV?

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
You are unlikely to get a HSV infection through this way.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome to HCM.
Thanks for posting your query.
HSV infection is caused by two different types of virus,namely
HSV 1
HSV 2.
HSV 1 is mostly transmitted through nonvenereal route, whereas HSV 2 is transmitted through sexual contact and manifest in and around ano-genital area.
HSV 1 infection is not uncommon and nearly 30-40% of people in any community would have been affected by HSV 1 infection and it is not life threatening or harmful.
In your case, her face came in contact with your hair.. You mean scalp hair?
Anything contact with just hair alone could not produce over skin.
So nothing to worry.
Dr S.Murugan

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (3 hours later)

When she hugged me, her face/lips touched my hair strands that were grown out of the scalp. What is typically the period that I could show symptoms for hsv1 if I did contract it?

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Incubation period for HSV infection is 1-2 weeks

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
Touching your hair has no transmission risk for HSV infection.
If there is an infection, manifestations can occur within two weeks time.
Dr S Murugan

Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj