Lip fillers with herpes simplex virus?

If you have a history of bad cold sores, use valtrex before and after your lip filler injections and try to use cannulas over needle injection.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Hi @jerronba. You can pre-treat with Valtrex a few days before your lip augmentation. Best of luck, Dr. Nima!

You are correct in that having lip filler injections can cause cold sore flare-ups. Any trauma to the lips, including needle punctures, can cause a resurgence of the cold sore virus. However, there are ways to prevent this from happening, including taking an anti-viral medication before and after your treatment. I recommend telling your injector about your cold sores so that they can take the appropriate steps to ensure minimal risk of an outbreak following your treatment.

Yes it is true that lip fillers can trigger cold sores for those who are prone to them. Your practitioner can write you a prescription for anti viral medication such a Aciclovir which you can start taking before and after you have your fillers to prevent an outbreak.

Trauma to the area around the lips in someone with a history of herpes simplex breakouts can trigger a breakout. This includes treatments like injections, lasers, and chemical peels. I would recommend you would take valacyclovir (Valtrex) at least the morning before and the evening after the injection as a preventative. 

Filler injection in the lips could trigger your herpes outbreak. I would recommend to go to a consultation first and take a preventive couse of anti-viral medication before the injections. Also make sure that you do not have active sores the day of the injection.Hope this helps,Dr. Gus Diaz

If you have a tendency to have herpes outbreaks I would definitely consider taking Valtrex the day before the injections and for a few days after the injections to help suppress the virus.  Best, Dr. Green

Yes, you are correct. If you are prone to getting a cold sore on your lips this treatment could cause one to flare. The good news is that we have medications to help prevent this from happening. . Just talk to your doctor prior to having the treanent and you can start pre-treating with a medication such as Valtrex to hopefully prevent the outbreak. 

Heating up or causing “trauma” to the mouth
area can indeed cause a herpes flare-up. When it comes to cosmetic procedures,
getting to know a patient’s medical history can be very important in part
because of this. Treating the mouth area, whether with laser or injectables,
can stimulate the virus and cause cold sores to develop.

With that being said, you still shouldn’t let
that hold you back from lip injections. Herpes simplex is a very common virus,
and I have treated many HSV positive patients with no problem. When patients
are started on antiviral medication such as Valtrex, either before or the day
of their treatment, it is generally enough for them to avoid an outbreak.
Whether a resulting outbreak would be more severe than a person’s typical
outbreak, I cannot say for sure, but this shouldn’t be the case.

Be sure to consult with an experienced board
certified Dermatologist when you are ready for treatment, and disclose your
medical history so they may properly prepare you. With medication, you should
not develop any cold sores and may enjoy your results with no worries. Best of
luck!