Is there a way to keep cold sores from coming back?

Ask the doctor

January 20, 2026

By Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

Reviewed by Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing

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Close-up of the lips of a woman with a large cold sore just below her lower lip.

I get cold sores several times a year. How can I stop them from returning?

Once you’re infected, HSV-1 stays with you and can cause periodic cold sores over the rest of your life. While some people only get one every year or so, others like you deal with more frequent episodes of tingling, pain, and blistering on their lips that can last for about a week. If you get cold sores frequently or have severe symptoms, ask your doctor about oral antiviral treatment. It can be taken to treat outbreaks or over the long term to lower the number, severity, and length of outbreaks. Over-the-counter treatments applied directly to cold sores can reduce symptoms, but they don’t stop the virus from replicating.

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About the Author

Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

Maureen Salamon is the executive editor of Harvard Women’s Health Watch. She also writes for the Harvard Health Letter, Harvard Heart Letter, and Harvard Men’s Health Watch, as well as for Harvard Health Publishing’s flagship website. … See Full Bio

View all posts by Maureen Salamon

About the Reviewer

Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing

Dr. Robert H. Shmerling is the former clinical chief of the division of rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), and is a current member of the corresponding faculty in medicine at Harvard Medical School. … See Full Bio

View all posts by Robert H. Shmerling, MD

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