Red Light Therapy for Cold Sores — Too Good to Be True?

There’s nothing quite like waking up all fresh and ready for the day, just to feel some sort of suspicious tingling on your lip. A few hours pass, and you spot a blister in the mirror that honestly feels like someone’s set this tiny area of your face on fire.

I’m pretty certain many of you know what I’m talking about. Yes, cold sores. And if you’ve ever had them — or even experienced regular flare-ups, like me — you’ll know that the currently available treatment options are rather limited.

Recently, red light therapy (RLT) has gained attention as a potential non-invasive way to speed up healing or reduce the frequency of outbreaks. Could this finally be something new in oral herpes management? Let’s see what the research says.

What are cold sores, and what causes them?

Cold sores, also known as oral herpes, are small, painful blisters that usually appear on the lips or around the mouth, caused by the herpes simplex (HSV) virus — most commonly by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1).

Herpes virus is extremely contagious: according to the World Health Organization, around 3.8 billion people under age 50 have HSV-1. However, most do not have any symptoms, while some develop recurrent cold sores.

It’s easy to contract HSV in several ways, including having close contact with someone who has a cold sore or by using something that has been in contact with the virus, such as a used razor.

Most people with oral herpes get HSV in their early childhood. Once a person catches herpes, the infection will stay within their body for the rest of their life, with cold sores reappearing when triggered by various factors, such as stress, sun exposure, and even periods.

How are cold sores managed?

While cold sores usually go away within a week or two, they can cause significant discomfort. Treatment may help you get better sooner, with less pain.

Healthcare providers may prescribe antiviral medicines to treat cold sores, such as acyclovir. They can either be taken by mouth or applied as a cream on the affected site. Painkillers may be suggested to provide pain relief.

Taking certain steps, such as avoiding foods or beverages that could irritate the skin around the mouth even further or applying ice wrapped in a cloth on the affected site, may also help.

Since the options for cold sore management are rather limited, recently, an interest in using red light therapy for helping speed up the healing process has risen — and as someone who’s been struggling with cold sores since they were 8, I was super keen to see whether it could be an effective option for fighting the outbreaks.

What is red light therapy, exactly?

Red light therapy is a type of light-based treatment that uses low-level wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to penetrate into the skin, aiming to alter the processes in your cells and potentially deliver certain health benefits.

While the idea of colored light having health effects does raise an eyebrow, there’s some actual scientific evidence — though limited —- suggesting that RLT may be beneficial in certain cases, including helping manage the signs of skin aging, acne, hair loss, some types of musculoskeletal (muscle and joint pain). Emerging research also suggests it may even speed up the wound-healing process.

However, RLT is still a relatively new treatment, meaning there’s a lot scientists don’t know about it yet, including what its potential uses could be.

Could RLT help with cold sores?

A couple of small studies have explored the effects of RLT on oral herpes. A few have demonstrated slightly reduced healing time of cold sores, and one has shown a lower frequency of outbreaks and severity of the lesions following consistent RLT use.

However, a Cochrane review, which is the most reputable source of all named here, of other studies published in 2015 (before the release of some newer RLT studies) has concluded that red light therapy has shown no effect in helping manage cold sores or lessen the frequency of the outbreaks.

In conclusion, it remains unclear whether red light therapy could be a potentially effective option for helping manage cold sores. Currently available evidence is insufficient to say so. To add, RLT is not recommended for the management of herpes by any reputable health bodies.

Is red light therapy safe for cold sores?

If you’re still curious to see whether RLT could help with cold sores, there are a few things you should definitely keep in mind.

First things first — if you notice any kind of rash, speak to your healthcare provider first. There are several skin conditions that may resemble the blisters caused by HSV that might require timely medical attention. You may develop other skin diseases even if you’ve had a recurrent herpes simplex infection in the past.

If your doctor makes the diagnosis of oral herpes, ask them whether RLT could be a safe adjunct treatment to the traditional options in your individual case.

Who shouldn’t be trying RLT?

There are certain groups of people who aren’t advised to undergo red light therapy sessions, including:

You may wonder what photosensitivity is. Certain health conditions, such as rosacea or lupus, can make people more sensitive to light. Using certain medications — like acyclovir, used for the management of herpes, or ibuprofen, a commonly used painkiller — may also put you at a higher risk of adverse skin reactions caused by RLT.

Is red light therapy associated with any side effects?

According to currently available evidence, RLT is considered to be generally safe for most, with a minimal risk of side effects. However, currently available research on the effects of RLT is very limited — meaning there may be some potential health risks of RLT, but they might still be undiscovered.

Scientists are still uncertain whether it can be harmful to the eyes or not, therefore, when using a red light therapy device, make sure to avoid direct eye exposure and wear safety goggles.

It remains unknown whether it’s safe to undergo red light therapy sessions for a prolonged time. More research is needed.

How do I use an RLT device for cold sores?

There are no official guidelines that could tell us how often, for how long, and at what intensity or distance from the cold sore area RLT devices should be used for herpes management.

If you’re considering using RLT for cold sores, ask your healthcare provider for an individually tailored regimen. Make sure to read the instructions of your specific device carefully and use it exactly as instructed by the manufacturer.

Red light therapy for cold sores: the takeaway

As someone who's been dealing with cold sore outbreaks for most of my life, I know how frustrating and painful they can be. And believe me — if someone showed me a brand new method that’s proven to be effective for managing oral herpes, I’d be the first one in line.

However, while red light therapy does sound like an exciting new tool, the science just isn’t there yet. A few small studies show promise, but the evidence isn’t strong enough to support using RLT for helping lessen the frequency of flare-ups or shorten the duration of the outbreaks.

If you’re thinking about giving it a try anyway, make sure to talk to your doctor first.