"I fight my cold sore through every stage."

When you meet a cold sore face to face, you’ll notice that every day is a new adventure. But you’ll be ready.

Believe it or not, one cold sore typically goes through 5 stages during its 8-10 day course, — and sometimes it can hang around up to 2 weeks. When you start using Abreva® at the first tingle, you can help shorten the duration of your cold sore cycle. It’s the only over-the-counter medication approved by the FDA that is proven to shorten healing time. And, remember to avoid your triggers during every stage of your cold sore.

The First Tingle | Day 1-2

Known as The Early Stage, this is when you’ll feel those first few symptoms — the first tingle and maybe an itching and/or burning sensation. You might feel like this is more the “Tingle Stage” and it might last a few hours up to a full day. Your skin could feel like it’s tightening where your cold sore is forming. The area becomes red and swollen because of the inflammatory reaction to the infection.

Fighting the Cold Sore | Days 2-4

This is The Blister Stage — when you first can see the blister. It probably looks like a group of small, painful lumps that may multiply and/or grow. As your body tries to fight your cold sore, white blood cells travel to the blister to help fight the infection. When this is happening, your cold sore blister fills with fluid which contains millions of virus particles.

Goodbye, Blister | Day 4

This may be the most painful stage of your outbreak but it’ll only last around one day. During The Ulcer Stage, the blisters burst and a shallow ulcer (open sore) develops. You may also see a red ring of inflammation around the affected area.

Almost Gone | Days 5-8

During The Scabbing Stage, your cold sore dries out and a golden-brown crust appears, forming a scab. As your scab shrinks, you may experience painful cracks that can bleed. You may also feel severe itching and burning during this stage, too.

Knocked Out | Day 8-10

Finally, it’s time for your cold sore to heal during The Healing Stage. As your scab starts to come off, you may notice some dry flaking and residual swelling. Your skin may also remain slightly pink or red.

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