- With Mayo Clinic dermatologist
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Dr. Lawrence Gibson likens bad health information on the Internet to food poisoning.
Consumers, he said, need to be aware, and will find reliable information at MayoClinic.com.
Dr. Gibson, a Covington, Ky., native, has been with Mayo since 1986 and is board certified in dermatology, dermatopathology and immunodermatology. He is a professor of dermatology at Mayo Medical School and a consultant in the Department of Dermatology.
Dr. Gibson has been director of the Dermatopathology Laboratory since 1998 and chair of the Laboratory Division in the Department of Dermatology since 2000. He is especially interested in inflammatory disorders of the skin and lymphoma affecting the skin.
"Electronic information is becoming a staple in the diet of a health conscious society," he said. "It's important to avoid misinformation and provide a credible source for health information. Using this analogy, it's critical to avoid 'indigestion' or worse yet, 'food poisoning' by the ingestion of tainted information."
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Question
Cold sores: Can my lip balm reinfect me?
After cold sores go away, should I throw away any lip balms or lipsticks I've used recently? A friend told me the virus that causes cold sores can remain in these lip products and reinfect me if I use them again.
Answer
from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
No, it isn't necessary to throw away lip balms and lipsticks if you have cold sores.
Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus. Most people are exposed to the herpes simplex virus in childhood. Once you've had an episode of cold sores, the virus lies dormant in the nerve cells in your skin and may emerge again as an active infection at or near the original site. Illness, fever, menstruation, stress and sun exposure may trigger recurrence.
Using lip balms or lipsticks doesn't trigger or worsen cold sores. Because you already have the virus, you can't reinfect yourself with your own lipstick or lip balm. However, if you have cold sores, you should avoid sharing personal lip products with others to prevent spreading the virus to someone else.
