Replied By Jen (Portland , Oregon) on 11/18/2008
YEP!!! This seems to be a miracle solution for herpes, both oral and genital. I get both but if I take a cotton swab and dip it in acetone and hold it on the sores for several seconds (or as long as I can) they go away super fast. I keep putting the acetone on the sores throughout the day to dry them up and both oral and genital last only a few days at the most!! My friend's boyfriend tried the acetone on his genital herpes on his last breakout and they never became sores and disappeared in two days. Outbreaks don't seem to be as often either. I also take L-Lysine too but its the acetone that really does that trick.Replied By V (Thousand Oaks, CA) on 04/24/2009
Can you put the acetone/polish remover on the sore if you've already had it for about 5 days? Or do you have to do it when you get the first tingle? I have a sore on my lip for about 5 days that won't go away but it's already blistered. I've been putting ACV on it but it's not working. I also put another over the counter med on it, but it's not helping either. I am worried that with the stage it's at now, that putting the polish remover on it will damage my lip and make it bleed or scar... plus, we are going on a cruise in 2 days! Help!Replied By Suzy (Houston, Tx) on 03/17/2011
As far as the warning in reference to Acetone mentioned below, getting cancer is the least of my worries. It would seem that there are several things out there that cause cancer these days!!! As far as Acetone coming in contact with your skin, it does the same when you use it to remove nail polish! So what's the difference? We come in contact with cleaning solutions, dyes, pollution everyday. I personally do not worry about that, but rather have faith over the situation and I am thankful people have discovered and shared this remedy with others. I am more concerned with consuming artificial sweeteners than applying a dab of nail polish (remover) on my skin which is already doing something due to a *virus (Herpes)! * It would seem that treating the virus (cold sore) is the main thing as it has already formed or is about too. It's like treating a mole; the treatment would first interact or come into contact with the mole before it gets to the layer of your skin. That layer of skin is already going through something, and I have been through many trial periods using many different products and I have to say that CLEAR NAIL POLISH and ACETONE combined worked best for me! Sometimes you don't get the tingling feeling; you just start to see it coming. So as soon as I see or felt it, I washed the area with antibacterial soap, dabbed some *astringent* (which works wonderfully as well because it dries it out! ), the painted over the area with clear nail polish. I left it on overnight. The next morning I removed the clear nail polish with nail polish remover. It freaked me out at first because I thought maybe I burned my skin as I was removing the clear layer, but in reality it dried the blister out completely and prevented it from growing! So I didn't have to apply nail polish remover repeatedly like many others have suggested. I suppose if you are in a situation where you are not home, applying clear nail polish does dry up and is noticeable so perhaps continuously applying remover throughout the day until you are alone might be your solution. I also use the Lysine cream, but it doesn't always work for me. My friend says as soon as she feels the tingling she applies the Lysine cream and it goes away. That isn't 'always' the case for me, but I know it does work at times. The main thing is to DRY OUT the cold sore blister until it scabs or goes away! AVOID creams (except lysine for some), Peanuts, caffeine, cigarette (smoke! ), AND SUGAR!!! YES, it is correct that sugar (including chocolate) can cause a breakout. I was going through a period where I was craving and eating alot of sugar/sweets which I normally don't do, and I was getting blisters back to back. So I had to cut that out. Also I have noticed that tanning beds can trigger a breakout! If you must go like me, clean the pillow and bed with a disinfectant before lying down. Avoid putting lotion on your face and avoid higher level tanning beds with harsh face tanners. Better to just stick with the "level 1. " I also buy this realllly thick chapstick and cover my nose and once affected areas with it to avoid blisters. Then when I get out, I wipe my face with sanitizer. Hand sanitizer is another thing that helps dry out cold sores. Taking vitamins and supplements such as L-Lysine, Selenium, Milk Thistle, Grape Seed (Resveratrol), Echinacea, Honey (contains anti-viral properties), Coconut Oil, etc. Also helps prevent cold sores. Anything containing (bio)flavanoids or things which help your nervous system, (maintain) cell growth, or contain anti-viral agents (since cold sores are apparently caused by the Herpes "virus") I have learned are very beneficial. Exercise is important too, as a stress reliever, it helps calm your nerves and prevent cold sores. I eat a 1-2 spoons full of honey a day and it appears to be working for me, along with exercise, vitamins, and cut out sugar. They say to buy local honey, as it helps ur immune system build a tolerance against the things in your local area (pollen, etc. ). So you could check online for local honey in your area.
With this being said, everyone is different and it took some experimentation, trial periods, and research in order for me to find what works best with my body. I have read that some have gotten chemical burns (inside mouth). I do not recommend putting anything in your mouth except vitamins, garlic, honey, or coconut oil. I think perhaps even cayenne pepper may work for internal sores which I do not and have not ever had. Although cayenne pepper does treat strep throat I have learned, so it's worth a try! Also, if you have sensitive skin, then try not to apply too much of anything to prevent burn.
