Prescribing acyclovir before lip augmentation to avoid an outbreak of herpes simplex

Abstract

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a common infection presenting in the peri-oral area (i.e. mouth and lips), which remains dormant within the body and can break out in the form of cold sores. The objective of this discussion is to evaluate whether patients with a susceptibility to or a history of HSV-1 should be candidates for prophylactic antiviral therapy to prevent an outbreak of cold sores as an adverse reaction following any aesthetic treatments surrounding the lips. Injections, chemical peels and micro-needling to the lip area is likely to cause reactivation of the virus and therefore cause an outbreak, particularly if patients have a previous history of cold sores (HSV-1). Therefore, it is important to consider whether aesthetic practitioners should be recommending a prescription of an antiviral drug prior to lip augmentation owing of the trauma during the procedure.