Cold Sores (Herpes labialis)

It starts with a tingle. A faint burning on the lip that you recognise immediately — because it's not the first time. Then the spot swells, small blisters form, filled with fluid, and for days you carry something on your face that you'd rather hide. Right there, where you speak. Right there, where you kiss. Right there, where you show yourself to the world.

Medically, a cold sore is a reactivation of the herpes simplex virus, which remains in the body for life after the initial infection and flares up when the immune system is weakened. Stress, exhaustion, hormonal changes — the triggers are well known. But the psychosomatic question goes deeper: Why does it break out right now? Why on the lips — the site of speech, expression, touch?

Cold sores are not coincidence. They are a valve that opens when the pressure beneath the surface has grown too great.