Should you cover a cold sore or let it breathe?

Its important to keep your cold sore dry during phases one through four. Cold sores love warm, moist environments, so adding moisture in the early stages only makes symptoms worse. Give your cold sore time and space to dry out.

Is it OK to put a bandaid on a cold sore?

If youre feeling self-conscious about a sore, a cold sore bandage is one option to conceal the sore until it heals, says Amesh A. Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, whos based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.