Home
/
NowPatient Blog
/
Is it a cold sore or a pimple?

Is it a cold sore or a pimple?

Stefano Mirabello NowPatientGreen tick
Created on 16 Jul 2024
Updated on 22 Jul 2024

Cold sores and pimples can look similar, especially if you have a pimple close to your lips. Neither is particularly desirable, and we’re sure you want to get rid of your blemish as soon as possible.

You do need to know exactly what you’re dealing with, as cold sores and pimples are treated differently. And whereas pimples aren’t contagious, cold sores can be, so you need to be more careful if you have them.

We’ll explain how you can tell the difference.

What does a cold sore look like when it starts?

Cold sores, sometimes also called fever blisters, are small blisters and sores that usually form around your lips, but you can also get them on your chin, cheeks, and inside your nose and mouth.

What causes a cold sore?

Cold sores are caused by an infection of a herpes virus, usually herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), but sometimes by herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2), which more often causes genital herpes. Once the herpes virus gets inside you, it’s there for life. Most of the time it lies dormant in your nerve cells and you have no symptoms, but every now and then it reactivates and spreads though your skin cells, causing an outbreak of cold sores.

What does a pimple look like when it starts?

A pimple is a small bump in your skin that can have a black tip, a white tip, or no tip at all. They can form anywhere on your face, and anywhere on your body.

What causes pimples?

You get pimples when your skin follicles (the small holes in your skin that hairs grow out of) become blocked, usually by dead skin cells or by the oil your skin produces (sebum). Bacteria can grow in the blocked pore too, leading to inflammation and swelling.

You get a blackhead when the follicle remains open and the blockage inside is exposed to the air, and you get a whitehead when the follicle closes. More severe pimples, like pustules and cysts, occur when you have a bacterial infection, especially when the infection spreads outside the follicle and deeper into your skin, causing more swelling and inflammation.

Differences between cold sores and pimples – is it a pimple or cold sore?

Although they’re caused by very different things, cold sores and pimples can sometimes look similar, especially in the early stages of their development, and particularly if you’ve never had cold sores before and you aren’t personally familiar with them. But the following differences can help you work out what that blemish on your face is:

Where is it? do you get cold sores only on your face?

Pimples can form anywhere on your face or body, whereas cold sores only form on your face, usually around your lips, but sometimes they can occur around your nose, on your cheeks, and inside your mouth and nose.

So if the blemish isn’t on your face, it’s not a cold sore. If it’s on your forehead or your chin, it’s probably a pimple too. If it is inside your mouth, it’s most likely a cold sore, as it’s rare to get pimples there. For those close to your lips, around or inside your nose, or on your cheeks, it could be either a cold sore or a pimple. If this is the case, and you’re still not sure which it is, then you can use how it feels to give you a clue.

How does it feel? how do i know it’s a cold sore?

Pimples usually feel tender to the touch, even painful, depending on how much swelling and inflammation has occurred. They don’t usually feel tender if you don’t touch them though.

Cold sores on the other hand tend to tingle, itch, or even burn, without you touching them, and you often start to feel the tingling before they emerge. If you can feel it without touching it, it’s likely a cold sore, if not, it’s probably a pimple. When you’re still not sure though, you can consider how it looks too.

How does it look? can cold sores look like pimples?

When pimples and cold sores are emerging they can look similar, like small bumps on your skin without any discoloration. However, as they develop, they usually start to look very different.

Even if you have more than one pimple, they tend to be single bumps and usually don’t merge together unless you have serious acne. Cold sores however often cluster together. If you have a patch of discolored skin with multiple bumps on it, then it’s more likely to be a cold sore than a pimple.

Both pimples and cold sores can develop heads too, but these tend to look different. Pimples can form blackheads or whiteheads, depending if the follicle remains open or if it closes, whereas a small amount of fluid often forms in cold sores. This fluid should look different from a whitehead, as it should be clearer and thinner in consistency, whereas a whitehead is usually white to yellow in color, with a thicker liquid inside.

What if i’m still not sure what i have?

It’s important to know if the blemish on your face is in fact a pimple or a cold sore, as not only are they treated differently, cold sores are contagious. They can be easily passed to others, and the virus which causes them can be transferred to other parts of your body on your fingers too, which can cause other conditions like genital herpes.

If you think you might have cold sores, you really need to find out for sure. The best way to do so is to ask an expert. Try to see a health professional who can give you a diagnosis. Cold sores can clear up in around eight to 10 days, so try to see someone in this time period, so they can see your blemish. They may even take a swab, which can then be tested to really make sure.

How to treat a pimple?

So, you’ve diagnosed your blemish as a pimple. If it’s a single pimple, then it’s best to leave it and let it heal by itself. It can be tempting, and fun, to pop pimples, but you shouldn’t, as it can spread infection further into your skin.

If you have more severe pimples and acne, then you can try and prevent them by having a daily cleansing routine to keep your skin as clear and oil-free as possible.

To treat acne, there are products which contain various acids, like salicylic and retinoic acids, which can help to unblock follicles and clear dead skin cells and sebum. Our recommended product for the treatment of acne is tretinoin (also sold under the brand Retin A).

How to treat a cold sore?

You can buy over the counter treatments for cold sores, but we recommend the prescription treatment valacyclovir, which is also sold under the brand name Valtrex. These are both anti-viral medications which help your body fight the herpes virus during an outbreak. They’re taken as a pill, and they can help ease the symptoms of cold sores and clear them up faster. They can also be taken as a daily suppressive treatment to reduce the likelihood of outbreaks occurring.

Cold sores and pimples can look similar, especially when they first emerge on your face, and even more so if you’ve never had cold sores before and you aren’t familiar with them.

You need to know for sure if your blemish is a pimple or a cold sore, as you treat them differently. Cold sores are contagious, so it’s important to know if you have them to stop yourself infecting other people, and other parts of your body.

Sources

Medical Disclaimer

NowPatient has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that all material is factually accurate, complete, and current. However, the knowledge and experience of a qualified healthcare professional should always be sought after instead of using the information on this page. Before taking any drug, you should always speak to your doctor or another qualified healthcare provider.

The information provided here about medications is subject to change and is not meant to include all uses, precautions, warnings, directions, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or negative effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a particular medication does not imply that the medication or medication combination is appropriate for all patients or for all possible purposes.

Now Patient Data Security

Data Security

Trusted and certified to keep your data safe.

Learn moreNow Patient Data SecurityNow Patient Data Security

WHY WE BUILT NOWPATIENT

We are committed to helping everyone, everywhere live healthier lives

The NowPatient virtual care platform provides you with access to trusted health information, affordable treatments, management of chronic health conditions and continuous monitoring for health risks. NowPatient can be accessed by downloading the App or using your web browser.

Download our app today

NowPatient dashboard

Your Questions Answered

For your peace of mind, we can answer your questions quickly

What does NowPatient do?

NowPatient is an online pharmacy & telehealth service that is available in the US and UK. Our service is FREE and packed with useful features that can help you save money on the cost of your medications, access virtual treatments, and provide tools that can help improve your overall health.

Get started today and benefit from medication remindersGet Treated PrivatelyNHS online pharmacyGP appointment bookingRx savings cardDrug CouponsUS drug savings programshealth conditions informationgenetic testinghome test kitsBMI RisksType 2 Diabetes Riskspollen meterair quality monitor, and lots more!

Our service is operated by experienced medical professionals in the United States and the United Kingdom. You can view the online services that we provide by clicking Features.

UK users can safely and securely buy medicines online that treat a wide range of medical conditions. UK customers can also order NHS prescriptions online with the benefit of free tracked delivery.

US customers, regardless of insurance coverage, can enjoy huge savings on prescription medications using our various drug savings programs including drug coupons, savings card and manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs.

Where is NowPatient located?

NowPatient has offices in the United Kingdom and United States.

In the UK, we are located at:

NowPatient
28 Chipstead Valley Road
Coulsdon
Surrey
CR52RA

In the US, we are located at:

NowPatient
8911 North Capital of Texas Highway
Suite 4200 #1263
78759
Austin, TX

How can I contact NowPatient?

To contact NowPatient, please use the contact form available on the Contact Us page.

Alternatively, if you need to speak to us, you can reach us on the following numbers:

UK telephone number – 020 388 51 500
US telephone number – 1-866-967-1977

Who owns NowPatient?

NowPatient is owned and operated by Infohealth Ltd, a licensed online pharmacy with services spanning the UK, US and Rest of the World. Infohealth Ltd is registered in England and Wales under company number 04004930 and our registered office is at Lynwood House, 373 – 375 Station Road, Harrow, England, HA1 2AW.

Our website is www.nowpatient.com. Our App is called “NowPatient” and can be downloaded from the App Store (for Apple devices) or Google Play (for Android devices).

Can you tell me more about your NHS online pharmacy?

NowPatient’s Pharmaceutical services in the UK are provided by Infohealth Limited trading as ‘Infohealth Pharmacy’.

Our dispensing pharmacy is regulated and authorized for internet sales by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), registration number 1036487. You can view our license credentials on the General Pharmaceutical Council website. Our superintendent pharmacist who is responsible for the safe and effective oversight of medicines supplies is Mr Amish Patel (Registration Number 2042705).

Medicines are not ordinary items of commerce. All medicines or healthcare product sales are made under the supervision of a registered pharmacist who is licensed by the GPhC. At all times, we endeavour to provide a professional and transparent service whose primary goal is to ensure that the best interests of the patient are served.

How do I make a complaint?

From time to time, we accept that our service levels may not be up to your expectations. NowPatient welcomes concerns, compliments and complaints as valuable feedback that will help us learn from your experiences and make improvements. Feedback can be provided via our clear and transparent Complaints Procedures.

Can you tell me more about NowPatient’s prescribing services for treatments offered?

Our prescribing services are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). We provide the following regulated activity:

• treatment of disease, disorder, or injury
• transport services, triage, and medical advice are provided remotely
• caring for adults over 65 years old
• caring for adults under 65 years old

NowPatient prescribing services are run by Infohealth Limited. The Clinical Safety Officer and nominated individual is Mr Navin Khosla.

Can you tell me more about NowPatient’s US services?

Our head of US services is Dr. Jamie Winn.

You can lower the cost of your prescription medications using our various savings programs which include drug coupons, savings card and manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs.

We do not provide any prescribing services or dispensing services in the United States.

Is NowPatient legit and can I trust information from NowPatient?

Yes. NowPatient provides trustworthy and accessible clinical, health education and prescription services. We are also trusted by the NHS to deliver clinical and NHS repeat prescription dispensing across the whole of England. In the United States, we work with over 65,000 pharmacies to deliver considerable costs savings for our users.

NowPatient is operated by experienced licensed medical professionals in the United Kingdom and United States. Our Medical Team can be found here.

Our service is trusted by thousands of patients worldwide. You can read their reviews on our Trustpilot:

NowPatient Trustpilot

What are NowPatient’s opening hours?

Our office hours are:

UK – Monday-Friday 9am-6pm GMT
US – Monday-Friday 8am-5pm EST

Please note that we are closed at weekends.

In the event of a medical life-threatening emergency please call:

UK – 999
US – 911

In the event of a medical emergency which is not life-threatening please call:

UK – 111

Find more answers