There’s no doubt about it, having a cold sore can be a really annoying problem. There are so many treatments available but somehow the cold sores just don’t seem to disappear very quickly. That’s why many people turn to cold sore home remedies to try and get rid of them without the need to purchase expensive medication or treatments from the pharmacy.

Are Cold Sore Home Remedies Effective?

The majority of home remedies for cold sores are effective only for trying to get rid of them once they have appeared. There are no home remedies that will prevent them from appearing in the first place. But the methods of getting rid of them can be very effective.

A common method of removing cold sores is to dry them out. This might not appeal to many people as it involves puncturing the cold sore with a needle after numbing it with an ice cube. You then use some sort of astringent like alcohol or nail polish remover and rub it into the cold sore. What this does is dries the skin completely and should prevent the cold sore from spreading or remaining for a long period.

Another option which has been reported to work is completely opposite to the one we’ve just described. This option is actually keeping the cold sore as wet as possible. What this does is prevent oxygen getting to it and it should start to disappear on its own. You can use any type of substance to cover the cold sore such as Vaseline, chapstick or aloe vera. Just keep it constantly applied to the infected area and monitor whether the cold sore is actually getting smaller.

Home Remedies for Cold Sores

There are of course other home remedies that have been tried and tested by people and some have said they work just as well as over the counter treatments. These include rubbing the cold sore with items such as tea bags, garlic, milk, eucalyptus oil and even preparation H. Obviously it is up to the individual whether they try these but if the professional cold sore treatments aren’t working then there’s probably nothing to lose.

So as you can see, cold sore home remedies can be effective in shortening the lifespan of them but won’t magically make them disappear immediately. All they do is act to dry out or keep the cold sore moist until it naturally starts to disappear on its own.

The best thing about home remedies for cold sores is they can usually be found already in your home. So it won’t cost you any money to try them out for yourself. Of course if you have any unwanted side effects or the cold sore gets worse then cease applying whatever it is you are trying and if need be go and consult with your doctor. But in most cases you should be safe to try out any of the home remedies we’ve described for you on this page.