This post is sponsored by Abreva.
I still remember a poignant moment of embarrassment that I felt about a cold sore from over 11 years ago. I had a very angry cold sore below my lip and it was impossible to cover up. I was in my early twenties, dating my now-husband Justin, and we were standing in a group of people outside of a restaurant. A woman we all knew walked up and said, “Kate, what happened to your face"!” and everyone looked at me. The woman immediately tried to backpedal when she saw how embarrassed I was, and when she heard me stumbling over my words to try to sheepishly explain that it was a cold sore, but it was too late.
My cheeks were bright pink and I remember feeling frustrated and annoyed about having to deal with cold sores. Anyone that suffers with these knows how painful and obnoxious they are to deal with, but for people who aren’t familiar, it’s hard to understand why they just seemingly randomly pop up on someones’ face.
I completely understand the feeling of wanting to cancel plans, or stay inside, if you are dealing with a cold sore. I used to feel that too! But after coming to terms with the fact that I’m going to fight with cold sores for my entire life, I decided to be kinder to myself when they pop up and keep on living my normal life.  Cold sores are more common than you may think and there?s no reason that they should put your life on hold.

Whenever I feel the first warning sign of a cold sore, ...