Once you get a cold sore, you start to wonder what to do. If you’ve used chapstick on an open sore, you aren’t supposed to be able to reinfect yourself. That’s because cold sores are a form of Herpes. Once you have HSV 1, you’ll always have it. However, there are reports of people using chapstick days later only to have another cold sore pop up out of the blue. It could be a coincidence, but it might not be. So, how long does Herpes live on Chapstick?
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What Is Herpes?
Herpes, also known as Herpes Simplex, is a surprisingly common virus. Most people worldwide have a version of Herpes. There are two main types of Herpes: HSV1 and HSV2.
HSV1, which stands for Herpes Simplex Virus 1, is the virus that typically causes sores on the mouth. These are known as cold sores. According to the World Health Organization, billions of people have HSV1.
HSV2 is commonly called genital herpes. Although the virus can present itself on your genitals or mouth, it’s commonly found on the genitals and is frequently transmitted through sexual contact. While the two viruses are almost the same thing, HSV-2 has a stigma surrounding it because of its location and the common knowledge that it can be transmitted via intercourse. However, the HSV-1 virus can also be transmitted through intercourse.
The Cold Sore Virus
Most people acquire HSV-1, or the cold sore virus, when they are children. It does not go away, and you can have it for the rest of your life with zero symptoms. You may also have it for years with no symptoms and then suddenly have an outbreak that results in one or multiple cold sores. Some people experience mild symptoms before a cold sore appears that indicate the virus is active, such as:
- Burning
- Tingling
- Itching
- Dry lips
- Irritation
This is the prodromal stage that occurs before you get a cold sore. The virus is active during this stage, and can be passed from your mouth to your lip products, including Chapstick, lip balm, lipstick, etc. That’s why many people accidentally wind up with one cold sore after another from using the same lip products.
Is Your Chapstick Contaminated?
According to Dr. Beers, it doesn’t matter how long something lives outside the body. Once you use something, “you should consider it contaminated and throw it away after the sore is better.” (He has many valuable tips about dealing with cold sores in this article.) It’s best to stop using your must-have or luxurious lip products when you notice symptoms of the prodromal stage so you don’t have to replace them.
Can You Get Herpes From Sharing Chapstick?
Yes, you can. Although many websites state that HSV can only live for ten seconds outside the human body, that’s not entirely true. Sometimes, the virus only survives for eight seconds on inanimate objects. However, according to this study, there are instances where it survives for up to eight weeks. This is why it is so difficult to give an exact answer to the question of how long herpes lives on chapstick. Picking up some new chapstick is always a great idea!
Do You Have To Throw Out Lipstick After A Cold Sore?
Yes and no. It depends on the type of product that you have. Tubes and liquid lipsticks that were used should be tossed. You can try wiping down the applicator with rubbing alcohol to disinfect it. People seem to have mixed results with this method.
You do not have to throw away tube-style lipsticks and chapsticks. Instead, you can disinfect them or remove the top portion of the lipstick or chapstick. To do this, take a razor blade and gently cut off the top portion of the lipstick or chapstick that touched your lip.
How To Disinfect Lipstick After A Cold Sore
If cutting off the top portion doesn’t make you feel safe, consider disinfecting lipstick and chapstick after a cold sore. Get a spray bottle full of rubbing alcohol. Raise your lipstick or chapstick out of the tube and give it a couple of sprays. Rubbing alcohol can kill the herpes virus.
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