Popping a Cold Sore Blister?

Can you pop a cold sore (herpes blister)?


Well, yes. Yes you can. But should you?


The herpes blister contains a fluid with a high concentration of herpes viral cells. With an unpopped blister the herpes virus is still very contagious. However, with the blister popped a large amount of viral cells emerge at once and will continue to drain from the wound until the skin heals over.


With the fluid free to the environment people with broken skin, burns or skin conditions like eczema can be at a higher risk of contracting herpes.


Apart from that it can irritate the skin, increase the swelling and cause more pain then normal. On occasion it can also leave a visible scar.

What to do then?

The blister will naturally pop then scab over. This generally happens during the healing process which does happen by itself around 1 to 2 weeks after the initial flare up. 

It can be good to avoid acidic, salty and spicy foods as they could irritate the site even more.

For a guide to foods to eat and avoid follow this link to our free Ebook on food lysine levels.