Do Restylane Injections Cause Cold Sores? Doctor Answers, Tips
Restylane: Q&A
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Do Restylane Injections Cause Cold Sores?

Why do I need to tell my doctor that I tend to get cold sores if I want Restylane injections for lip augmentation?

10 Doctor Answers | Asked by anon
+4

Restylane and cold sores

Cold sores are associated with many different potential causes. Trauma to tissue, such as that asssociated with an injection of a filler material, can be associated with the development of cold sores. If you have a history of cold sores, be sure to tell your doctor before having any procedure performed so an anti-viral medication may be prescribed.
+3

Restylane may reactivate a cold sore virus

There is a small risk that a cold sore virus could be reactivated by treatments to the lips, including: Injectables (Restylane, Juvederm, etc.) Chemical peels Dermabrasion Your physician may elect to provide preventative medicine to reduce the risk of developing a cold sore or delay injection if a cold sore is present.
+3

Dermal fillers and laser treatments may cause cold sores

It is very important to tell your doctor if you have a prior history of getting cold sores, especially if you are interested in getting a filler (Restylane) injected into your lips. All dermal fillers in addition to lasers can cause cold sores to appear not only in patients with a history of cold sores but also in patients without a known history of them. Cold sores are more likely to appear if you are being lasered or injected in the lip area, however they can still appear with any dermal... more

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+2

Restylane Injections and Cold Sores

If you are prone to cold sores then you should let the injector know prior to treatment as dermal filler treatments to the lips can trigger a cold sore attack. If an injector knows that you are prone, then he write a script for an anti viral medication.
+2

Restylane or any filler injections around the lips may reactivate cold sores.

Restylane or any filler injections around the lips may reactivate cold sores. This is well established. Most doctors will do the procedure despite this history, but will give you a prescription for an antiviral medication that can prevent the flare of cold sores
+2

Yes- definitely!

It is always important for your doctor to know your entire history and this is an important part of that history.  Any type of trauma to the lip can activate the virus that causes cold sores.  It may be a good idea to take medication to prevent this, or at least be on the look-out for a reactivation.
+2

Any injections around the mouth can trigger cold sores

Cold sores are caused by activation of dormant viruses living in nerve cells. Stress, UV light, and any form of trauma or stimulation can activate them. Restylane injections, laser peels, any procedures around the mouth can trigger them. If you know you are prone to them, ask for a prescription for antiviral medication and you should be ok.
+2

Restylane and Cold Sores

It’s good to tell your physician your entire history. It’s not that Restylane causes cold sores, but anytime there is trauma/injury to the skin you could experience a cold sore. Your physician may prescribe a preventative so you can avoid the possibility.
+2

Cold Sores from Restylane

Anytime you have an injection procedure there will be some trauma to the area being injected. The reason your physician asked the question was because it's a possibility that after you have your lips injected, you may get a cold sore. There are ways to avoid the possibility of this happening (with a preventative prescription) and he/she may have been trying to determine whether or not to offer you a prescription as a way to prevent a possible cold sore after treatment.
+2

Facial fillers, laser, chemical peels, or surgery can initiate a herpetic attack

Almost 95% of the population carries the virus associated with Herpes simplex I. All of these patients are at risk for developing a cold sore after surgical or non-invasive manipulation of the skin using chemical peels, laser, or surgery. If you have a history of cold sores, speak to your physician prior to the procedure in order to avoid postprocedural outbreaks of cold sores.
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Comments (1)

Tgrlilly 3 Dec 2012
In the case of a person who has HSV1 but has no history of outbreaks then has an outbreak after a certain procedure, would this cause the person to go from being asymptomatic to having outbreaks in the future or would it most likely be the only outbreak they get (assuming they don't get more procedures done.) I guess what I'm asking is whether the trauma from these cosmetic procedures "wakes up" (so to speak) the virus and causes it to be more active in the future.

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