Miss Beauty Saver // A British Makeup and Beauty Blog: Treat Cold Sores With Elastoplast Cold Sore Patches

This post is not a particularly glamorous one but then again, cold sores never are! Today's post is all about treating cold sores with Elastoplast Cold Sore Patches.

I have suffered with cold sores for just about as long as I can remember and they really can be quite a hindrance! They can feel sore and also look quite unpleasant. They are also notoriously difficult to hide.

Cold Sores are a strain of the Herpes Virus (Herpes Simplex 1 (HSV-1)). Sadly, I don't think that this fact has helped to give cold sores the greatest reputation! The STD connection is often misconstrued. No sexual contact is required to spread the cold sore virus although it is often passed on through kissing. It is true however that cold sores can be spread to other areas of the body beyond the lips, including the nose, eyes, and yes, even the genitals.

In recent years, I have tried cold sore patches as a way of treating cold sores and I have found them to be a good alternative / addition to treating them with cold sore creams. The thing about cold sore creams is they can only usually be used during the initial stages of the cold sore's life cycle, i.e. prior to the blistering stage. My cold sores can be quite rapid in their development and I find it is quite easy to not recognise or simply miss those initial signs of a cold sore which are usually limited to a tingling or burning sensation, with no visible blister yet.

I have tried Compeed cold sore patches before, but found them difficult to apply (although perhaps this was due to my own lack of experience) and I did find them to be expensive at around £6 for a box of 15. More recently I have discovered Elastoplast Cold Sore Patches available from Savers for £1.99 for a pack of 12. I do find these patches to be a good alternative to Compeed and also to cold sore creams. You can use cold sore patches throughout all stages of the cold sore's development.

Probably one of my favourite things about not only these cold sore patches, but also cold sore patches in general is that they help to prevent the virus spreading further by providing a protective seal. I also like the fact that cold sore patches usually help to conceal the cold sore and also make it hygienic to wear lipstick with a cold sore.

I would recommend trying Elastoplast cold sore patches and also trying any other brand of cold sore patches as an addition / alternative to cold sore creams if you haven't done so already. I find that the Elastoplast Cold Sore patches stick really well to the lip area and stay on for hours. They help to reduce the pain and itching as well as conceal the cold sore blister. And they definitely help to stop the cold sore spreading.

Keep your eyes pealed in places like £1 / 99p shops as they sometimes sell packs of 6 branded cold sore patches for as little as £1 / £0.99p as well. If you are not concerned about sticking to a budget, then by all means go for the Compeed cold sore patches. However, personally, I find the cheaper alternative cold sore patches to be just as good.