Please take time to look over the various cold sore stages defined here. You will need to know these stages to fill out the feedback form on the next page. AlgalAid’s effectiveness may depend on the stage your outbreak is in when first applied – the earlier, the better! We do not share your personal information with anyone.
The times given here are approximate and will vary depending on how long the cold sore lasts. The usual duration of the condition is 8 to 10 days, but it may persist as long as two weeks. We will evaluate AlgalAid by noting the time you started using it according to these stages and how long the cold sore took to heal. Thank you for helping us measure the effectiveness of our product.
Stage 1 (Days 1-2): The prodromal stage:
The patient’s first sign is the prodromal stage, experienced by 46% to 60% of patients. This stage consists of tingling, itching, inflammation, hypersensitivity, and/or soreness in the exact location where the lesion will erupt. Occasionally, the skin in and around the nose or on the cheeks is the target. Patients may also experience fever and/or malaise during the prodromal period. The prodrome usually lasts for one to two days and ends when blisters appear, signaling the onset of the blister stage.
Stage 2 (Days 2-4): The blister stage:
The blisters are filled with clear, yellow fluid. Several separate blisters may appear to coalesce as more blisters appear in the intervening spaces. At the end of this stage, the lips may be virtually disfigured by a large crop of blisters.
Stage 3 (Days 4-7): The ulcer, or weeping, stage:
After approximately two days, the blisters begin to rupture, exposing an open wound that becomes gray in color.
Stage 4 (Days 8-10): The scabbing stage:
Highly infective yellowish fluid oozes from the wounds for a day or so. The wounds are covered with yellowish crusts in the scabbing stage, which lasts for two to three days. The skin beneath the scabs continues to be painful and the scabs begin to break and bleed. Each episode of scab damage is followed by formation of a smaller secondary scab.
Stage 5 (Days 9-14): The healing stage:
Secondary scabs become progressively smaller and slowly slough to reveal pink skin that gradually assumes the appearance of the surrounding unaffected epidermis. For the purposes of this evaluation, the time you are considered healed is when the last secondary scab is gone.
