Toothpaste against herpes

Introduction

There are many home remedies and ideas that are recommended to fight the painful herpes blisters. But some of them should be used with caution. One of them is the use of toothpaste to treat herpes.

It is supposed to dry out the blisters and thus lead to a faster healing. Herpes is a viral disease of the skin. Critics say that the toothpaste can further damage the already diseased skin due to its ingredients. Furthermore, the healing effect of the toothpaste is due to the component zinc, which is not contained in all toothpastes.

Is it really helpful or a myth?

Toothpaste dries out the blisters. However, it also dries on the surface of the bubbles. As soon as one rubs the affected area to remove the toothpaste, one runs the risk of opening the protective cover of the wound and creating an entry port for bacteria.

In general, the disinfecting and drying effect of the zinc in the toothpaste can stop the spread of the herpes virus. Some patients strongly recommend the use of toothpaste to fight the herpes blisters. Others express strong criticism of it.

It is very important to know that only toothpastes containing zinc can have any effect at all. So the effect of toothpaste on herpes is caused by zinc. Toothpastes also contain irritating substances which can have an additional effect on the skin.

In order to achieve the same effect as with toothpaste, a pure zinc ointment is therefore better suited than the use of toothpaste containing zinc. This might also be of interest to you: Lip herpes – how to treat it properlyThere are no reliable data or studies on the healing effect of toothpaste for herpes. Every person affected reacts differently to the use of toothpaste for herpes infections.

However, there are already small studies with small numbers of cases about the positive effects of honey and lemon balm. In general, it is important to know the possible risks and side effects of this type of household remedy before using it. However, in most cases these are also based on reports of experiences of affected persons.