Do Restylane Injections Cause 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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.