While a chemical peel cannot cause a cold sore, a...

While a chemical peel cannot cause a cold sore, a chemical peel, like any trauma to the face, can cause the onset of cold sores in someone who has the herpes zoster virus already present. In patients who have deeper chemical peels such as TCA or phenol peels, physicians should be warned if patients have previous outbreaks of cold sores and preventative antiviral medications should be started.

Even if a patient has a cold sore outbreak after a chemical peel, often the results will not be compromised if the outbreak is caught and treated early. At times though, the outbreak may increase the risk of scarring after a chemical peel.