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Drying up a cold sore

Once you have a cold sore they can linger for many days. Just sitting there on your lip, glowing! It is probably too late to try the tips on this page so what you want to try and do is get the sore to dry out and heal as fast as possible.

I have had the following tip sent to me that will actually dry up the sore. Making it heal in 2 to 3 days. It is advised that you be a little strong, as there can be a rather intense stinging.

Grind some table salt with the back of a teaspoon.  Moisten your index finger & dip it in the powdered salt.  Press the powder into the cold sore & hold it there for 30 seconds. Don't rinse.  It will be quite uncomfortable but if done twice a day for 2 - 3 days, the sore will dry up.

Visitors comments

This works great! Comments By: John I have been using this method to dry those nasty suckers out for a few years now, works good!. :D   I agree! Comments By: anon Drys them up much faster than any other method I have tried! And although there is some discomfort it feels good to know the pain is making the thing go away!   Wow Comments By: Katie This worked amazing! Better than any product I have tried. I have recently tried this after my cold sore had become essentially full blown. I believe this says 2-3 times a day for a few minutes, but I kept it on as much as possible and it completly dried up in about 6 hours. There was no weeping at all and I was basically left with a small scab.   its helping Comments By: Anon i hav had a cold sore for a couple of days and ive just read this method and i'm trying it now. it appears 2 b drying the coldsore out, it stings quite abit but i think if you keep applying the salt it will completely dry out.. im hoping this will help!   oh the pain Comments By: Anon oh the pain..... it burns it burns......this better work (i can see this being a practical joke or something). it does seem to be working though.   hmmn Comments By: agatha okay i'm typing with one hand as i'm doing this, it doesn't hurt SO bad....maybe i'm not doing it right. right now i have like 8 cold sores on top of one another, and i look pretty hot. lol. i hope this works.   Works great Comments By: kay i had about 4 cold sores yesterday and it was the first day. i put the salt on them pretty much all day and today they are only little scabs. this works great, it really helps them heal fast.   Amazing! Comments By: Jos Had 2 cold sores erupted on my bottom lip on Tuesday this week, they are now drying up and it's only Saturday 1st Jan 05 - 4 days later! Used the bleach tip for the first day (somewhat uncomfortable) and have been using the ground up salt (organic) for the remainder of the days - yes, there was a sting - it is an open sore after all but as long as you are determined to get rid of those blighters then you can put up with the discomfort for 30 seconds. My cold sores have never dried up so quickly - the last ones I had took over 3 weeks to go and have left me with scarring. I am now using the crushed up salt once a day - in the evening about an hour before bedtime. One word of advice though, make sure you wash your hands well before and after touching your cold sores and don't use yours or anyone else's towels anywhere near your mouth - you don't want anyone else in the family to get them and you certainly don't want to get a secondary infection (which will mean scarring) or re-infect yourself with more cold sores. Instead, if your mouth gets wet (after brushing your teeth for example), gently dab the cold sore with a piece of clean toilet paper or kitchen roll and dispose of safely.   This is working! Comments By: Amy I put the salt on my lip last night and left it on overnight. This morning there is a very dark scab. Usually it takes days for my cold sores to scab over. I have had this cold sore for only a day and now it is healing. I am continuing the salt treatment and also taking advil to reduce the swelling.   cold sore Comments By: skk Im about to try this...it better work...i got this cold sore this morning and i need it gone in 4 days before second semester starts!   We'll see Comments By: Anon I just applied the salt on my cold sore and at first it didn't sting but now it is. That's ok though because I know that the stinging means that it's working on drying the cold sore out. YAY   If this don't work I'm comin for you Comments By: Q I'm about to try this and I pray it works becuase today is Monday and I take my Senior Pictures on Saturday and this damn cold sore is huge.   ow Comments By: jacqui i've had this HUGE cold sore since thursday night, it's saturday today. it has been swelling up so bad. i can't even talk properly. the swelling hasnt gone down, i tried ice but it only worked for about 20 minutes then it started swelling again. i'm trying the salt thing right now. it stings but i don't care because i want this stupid cold sore to go away! ugh. any tips on keeping the swelling down?   I'll try anything Comments By: Roxanne I have a cold sore that has taken on a life of its own. It is fully swollen and a beautiful hue is brown! GROSS! I hate these things and I have a birthday party for my son tomorrow, I'm afraid I will scare away all the kids! I will try this right now! Hope it works.   Scar? Comments By: Rachel Is this going to leave a scar...I've read a lot of other techiniques and it said some of them left scars.   Mother this works!!!! Comments By: Michelle I have this huge cold sore on the corner of my mouth, really big blisters and using abreva was not working so i saw this and decided to try it and... this realy works and stings like the firey pits of hell (lol) but i hung in there and now i have a beautiful scab which i can live with. so who ever came up with this thank you, thank you thank you!! cheers   yes it stings !!!!! Comments By: DE I am only 10 years old and had to try this to see if it works.Dont Know yet if its going to work but just to let you all know it does STING!!!   Working as we speak! Comments By: Krystal I woke up yesterday and it was tingly. So i looked online and found 2 driffrent tips. One was for ice and te other was a boiled tea bag. The tea bag dried it out a LITTLE bit. But Im using the salt as I type and I can feel it working. Doesn't sting that bad. Dried up in a couple hours. Thanks alot!!   This better work! Comments By: Shannon Ugh..ofcourse I have a really really good date today and I get this cold sore the other day! This is day 3 and it looks like I got hit with a baseball bat on my lip! UGH!!! So I put this salt on my lip and at first itwas just fine..not burning..but now I have tears in my eyes I feel like my lip is going to burn off! But no pain no gain! UGH...it hurts!!!   Owwwwwwwie Comments By: Anonoymous I started to feel the cold sore coming Wednesday morning, and started noticing the bump. It was bothering me a little, but, like an idiot, thought nothing of it. Than Thursday morning came around, and it swelled up pretty big. I was really embarrassed about it in front of my boyfriend, because he's never had one in his life...Lucky him eh? (And I've had numerous throughout my lifetime). Anywho, of course my boyfriend notices, and I was scared to talk to him about it...he figured out what it was, and was all weirded out by it. (I haven't had one in the 3 years we've been going out). He's all scared about getting one, but it's Sunday now, and he hasn't gotten one, so I don't think he will. We stopped kissing of course, but we were sharing a pop the 2nd day I got it. But, as I've said before, he didn't get one. I'm so embarrassed about it, I won't go out anywhere, but I've got 2 interviews coming up, one tomorrow and one Tuesday... The swelling was SOO enormous, the first few days, but it's finally going down now. Than I wake up this morning, and see 3 little ones underneath my lip, but they're a WHOLE lot smaller. I could deal with the bigger one, since the swelling has gone down, but now, I've got 3 other ones to deal with. So I found this site, and I jumped up and crushed up the salt. Yes, it did sting a bit, but I'm really praying it's gonna work. Anything else I can do?   This really works!!!! Comments By: Anon This is a great way to stop a fever blister in it's tracks!! My outbreaks usually last 2-3 weeks but this time it was gone in 2 days. The salt dries up the sore and begins the healing process. It did sting a little but not as bad as I expected. I even put salt on a band-aid and slept with it on the fever blister over night. It does leave a dark brown covering but with gentle scrubbing that is removed and an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin helps speed the healing. Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this remedy. Next time I feel the spot tingling or burning I am using clorox or nail polish remover the instant I feel it coming on.   This better work! Comments By: Gillian ouch this stings like hell! but hey if it works its worth it! Be prepared it WILL hurt.   omg they are so imbarrasin Comments By: emzie opmg i hate these things i put slat on mine n it stung a lil but i think it works same wid me bf lol i couldnt look at him anywys thanx for tip hehe love u   good idea Comments By: Anon this works really good. i just applied it to my sore. i also read tooth paste and vinegar works. so i then tryed mixing all 3 together and it dryed up in about 3 and a half hours. ( but just try not to lick your lips)   my girl f need me Comments By: kasey hanlon it has to work   OMG Somethign sooo SIMPLE! WORKS! Comments By: Kitty Von English I got a bloody cold sore under my bottom lip, which made it really not noticable. Kinda gave me a Angelina POUT though. ;) Haha. But I know that if I just left it, it would scab the day of me actually GOING OUT TO PARTY WITH MY GIRLS! (I have a one year old son, so this is exciting for me.) So I put the salt on the sore and it burned and tingled but I swear you can feel the sore drying up! I tried Nailpolish REMOVER but it really didn't do anything. So I'm gonna see if it clears up nicely for Saturday Night... my husband is bring me home ABREVA so hopefully that'll help too. Thank god for salt. Garlic helps too, it's an antibiotic, but usuing POLYSPORIN would probably work too without the stink. Thank god... I am so glad it'll be gone! Thanks!   Trying it now Comments By: Cat I am currently stuck in bed nursing horrible flu-like symptoms with the mother of all cold sores. It stretches from my top lip to my nose like a 'Hitler' style moustache. Nothing is working on it and as it is already massive there's no point in trying any preventative tips. I've got the salt conconction on it as we speak. Yes it hurts and yes it burns - but I hope it's going to be worth it. I have already called in sick for tomorrow as well so I will continue to try it and let you know what happens!   i am gonna tri dis bi putting some on a warm wet tissue with soap on to relieve the pain. i am only Comments By: akash i am gonna try this by putting salt on a warm wet sponge and applying i am 11 and had 3 sores   Valtrex is the answer Comments By: sue Best thing for me was a Valtrex prescription. If you take it just when you notice the tingle, you won't get a cold sore, but even if taken within the first 48 hours helps to block the virus and minimize its duration. Since I began this treatment outbreaks have been few and far between. I keep my prescription in my purse at all times just in case, so I can take it as soon as I notice an itch or tingle.   not good Comments By: Steve I tried this technique over night and by the morning my face had swelled up and the cold sore had started to form a scab after bleeding. It looked much worse for 2/3 days. The best cure for me is to be healthy, try not to get it wet and don't smile (that goes without saying).   Hoping this works!!!! Comments By: Yaya I have been dealing with these sores for a couple years now, they come and go. It's so imbarrasing! but the only thing to do is apply salt as i read. I've tryied a lot of creams but don't really work. I have applied salt now and it burn like hell......so hopefully is worth the pain. (crossing fingers)   but im not even sickk.... Comments By: Big Jeffery okay.. i've got semi formal in like 3 dayz.. n this stupid ugly thing came on my face near my lips... well.. doctor gave my sister this skin infection medicine... coz she got a cut.. n im eatin that too.. [todayz the first tym i've ever got this in my life]... so first it was very itchy n very tiny.. almost nothing there. n today its very big... well i din really try anything.. buh after readin this.. this is wat i did.. I PUT A LOT OF SALT AND PUT A BAND AID ON IT... its been stinging for like... the past hour lol... buh i can take it... anyway i hope it goes away in 3 dayz... dun want it on my face for semi formal.. inshallah it'll go away   I HOPE THIS WORKS! Comments By: Anon okay well i woke up this morning and had a TINY little cold sore at the corner of my lip, no big deal i thought so i get ready for school and when i get to school everyone tells me what happened?! so i look in the mirror and that thing is HUGE IN A MATTER OF 2 HOURS!!! so i get home and i read the salt thing so i have it on right now, it stings but not extrmely too much, i hope this works by tomorrow morning because it is EXTREMELY embarassing for me to have this and i dont want my boyfriend to see it! (crossfingers!!)   ouccchh Comments By: aly trying this right now.. it stings a lot after u hold the salt on there for 30 seconds do u just let the salt sit on ur coldsore? when do u wash it off? TipKing says: The tip says 'do not rinse' so I would say that it is saying leave the salt residue on there as long as possible.   To scar, or not to scar? Comments By: Vampire Knight Does this technique leave any specifc scarring?   omg i hope it works Comments By: mallory well ive had the ugly cold sore for about a week and it still hasnt healed after putting alot of cream on it. so im doing the salt thing right now and it burns but i also feel a throbbing feeling too, is that normal? god i hope it works. =/