Since she was a little girl Julie has suffered from severe cold sores.

Julie would often get several cold sores at the same time which cover her lips and also large parts of her chin.

Julie Davidson is a 21-year old beauty therapist from Queenferry in Scotland says;

[quote]Some people talk about cold sores and they mean one occasional sore on their lip a few times a year. When I talk about cold sores I mean massive eruptions of several sores that completely cover my lips and half of my chin, forming horrible red oozing open sores. [/quote] I have had these sorts of colds sores since I was a little girl. I was told maybe they would get better with age but as a teenager I’d get huge eruptions covering my lips and parts of my chin. I started getting these attacks as often as once a month, and it completely ruined my life.

I am a beauty therapist so one can only image how badly these attacks affected my work. Some days I just didn’t feel I face going into the beauty salon. Clients would stare at me in horror. The people I worked with or who were regulars would understand, but new clients would always have eth same shocked reaction. I began to dread going into work, or in fact even leaving my house when I had a really bad attack. I’d hate the looks of disgust or morbid curiosity people in the street would give me, it made me feel dreadful about myself.

I’ve lost count of the number of parties and social events I have missed because of a cold sore outbreak, unless I absolutely have to I wont leave the house when I get an outbreak, its just too upsetting. My close friends know about my cold sores and they come round to my house and we have a night in to sheer me up because they know I wont go out.

I dread the New Year because it’s a time when there are loads of parties and everyone is happy. I don’t know why but it’s when I get my worst outbreaks of cold sores. Being in Scotland doesn’t help, the winter’s are very cold and all it takes is for me to get chapped lips or a cold and I immediately get an outbreak. I have missed out on so many New Year’s parties due to my cold sores. I’d rather sit in on my own with a bottle of wine than face going out to a party with these ugly sores all over my mouth. They are also really painful so it’s hard to enjoy myself, I just find it easier to stay at home and hide.

Obviously the cold sores affect my relationships. Understandably no boyfriend wants to kiss me when I have got an outbreak, in fact my last boyfriend would barely come near me when I had cold sores. With time most people are very understanding, but in the initial stages of any new relationship I have had, the issues of my cold sores has always raised it’s ugly head. I am not my usual happy self when I get an outbreak either, they make me feel grumpy and depressed and anti-social, which never helps any relationship.

[quote] I have tried every type of cream you can be prescribed to try and get rid of my cold sores. I was put on a course of really strong anti-viral tablets for six months by my dermatologist which worked, but as soon as I came off them the cold sores came back with a vengeance. The tablets also made me feel a bit sick and the doctors told me I could only be on the tablets for a limited period of time, if I took them for longer then they become dangerous to my health.[/quote]

A side effect of my cold sores is my obsessional personal hygiene habits. I constantly wash my hands and I never clean or touch my face with my fingers for fear of spreading the cold sores to any other part of my body. I used cotton pads or buds to apply all creams and more of my make up too.

But last year I came across a treatment that was the first product I have ever used in my life that had significant and lasting effect on my cold sores. I read about Skin Shop’s Liquorice & Melissa Lip Gel in a magazine and as soon as I read it I ordered some . I always try anything once, just in case. They sold a Liquorice Lip Balm and a Rescue Gel which was stronger, so I ordered both. I put the gel on three patches of on skin on my lower lips that were tingling and itching, which is the first sign of an outbreak. I still got the cold sores, but they were about 70% less severe and only lasted about half the time they usually do (which is about 10 days on average) .

I was totally amazed. At the threat of next outbreak the following month I put the gel all over my lips and chin and each day since the previous outbreak I’d worn the lip balm on my lips. The second outbreak was ever less severe than the last and lasted just 4-5 days. I was over the moon. I still had a few sores on my lips but compared ot what I used to get, the improvement was incredible. With some carefully applied make up I was even able to go out and socialise during a cold sore outbreak, which for me was a huge step forward.

I honestly cannot believe how effective these two products have been, they have dramatically improved my life. I feel now I can manage to carry on life normally when I have a cold sore outbreak rather than having to hide myself away. I am much less depressed and my self-esteem is higher than it’s been in years.

I am actually really looking for ward to 2012 as I think for the first time in years I will be able to go out and enjoy myself like everyone else without fear that my face is going to erupt. I really could not live without my Liquorice products, they are truly miraculous.

Julie used Liquorice & Melissa Lip Gel which costs £7.95 for 15ml.