Suggest Treatment For Cold Sores

Posted on Sat, 30 Aug 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 30 Aug 2014 Answered on

Mon, 22 Sep 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I got a cold sore about two weeks ago. I got abreva , let it go through the hideous process of doing its "thing" of getting at its worst, changing colors and etc. It eventually scabbed over and the scab came off naturally. Now I have a discoloration that's much lighter than the rest of my lip , and I was just wanting to know how long will it take until the pigmentation comes completely back to its original color?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rovena (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
1-2 weeks up to few months.

Detailed Answer:
Hello!
I read carefully your query and understand your concern.

Cold sores, once scabbed over, begin healing from the inside out.New skin is forming under the crust.
After the crust is peeled off ,it will leave a red area for a while which usually fades over weeks or months.
The healing process continue until the skin is totally regenerated.
This may take 1-2 weeks or few months depending on your healing speed.This period is different in any patient.
There is nothing that you can do during this time.It will take its time.

Hope it was of help.
Let me know if you have other questions or doubt to clarify.I will be happy to assist you further.

Kind Regards!
Dr.Rovena

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