In total, 8 types of herpes viruses can exist in the human body. Of these, erosive-ulcerative lesions or skin rashes are caused by 4 herpesviruses: type 1 - colds on the lips, type 2 - blisters (vesicles) on the genitals, type 3 - chickenpox and herpes zoster, type 6B - maculopapular pink rash (in children up to 2 years old, almost never found in the Russian Federation).
Is it possible to smear brilliant green or iodine on herpes when these herpes viruses are activated and begin to multiply in the thickness of the skin, causing characteristic manifestations?
Zelenka and herpes are still a common “combination” for chickenpox
At the moment, there are no drugs that kill herpes viruses when they are in an inactive state, having integrated part of their genome into the DNA of trigeminal ganglion cells and spinal roots. Only acyclovir or its analogues can reduce the severity or stop manifestations on the skin during primary infection or during relapses.
Treatment of herpes with brilliant green or iodine is impossible, since herpes viruses are not afraid of them. Let's figure out why and when you need brilliant green for herpes, whether you can do without it, and why herpes and iodine are a harmful combination.
What is Zelenka and its effect?
Zelenka is also called Chinese or ethyl greens. This is a synthetic drug. Its initial appearance is lumps of golden and green color, which are diluted with alcohol. When diluted, the product perfectly disinfects wounds, prevents infections from entering cavities, dries the skin, effectively fights pyogenic bacteria, and helps cope with itching and pain due to inflammation. It comes in liquid form or as a marker. In addition to the fact that the drug is used to treat postoperative scars, wounds, cuts, it is also used externally for pathologies such as:
- chickenpox;
- herpes;
- insect bite;
- furunculosis;
- carbuncle;
- meibomite;
- blepharitis.
Can you smear herpes with brilliant green?
Let us repeat, herpes viruses are not afraid of alcohol and alcohol solutions, including those containing brilliant green. It is certainly possible to burn colds on the lips with brilliant green, as well as blisters caused by type 2 viruses, or shingles, but no dermatologist will recommend this.
Zelenka does NOT stop the formation of herpetic fever and blisters
A burn of the skin or mucous membrane in the area where the vesicles appeared will not relieve skin itching, will not stop their growth and bursting, and cauterization of already formed ulcers will not speed up, but will slow down (!) the healing process. Moreover, none of the substances contained in sedative medications with alcohol, including Corvalol, its analogues or valerian tincture, affect not only herpes viruses, but also other types of viruses.
Attention. A mother with herpes on the lips, before performing hygiene procedures with her baby, must wash her hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Otherwise, she may spread herpes with her own hands to the baby’s genitals, groin and/or bottom.
An alcohol solution of brilliant green is usually used only for chickenpox and solely as a marker to help track whether or not new blisters are forming. It is the absence of fresh vesicles that signals that after 5 days a sick child (sometimes an adult can also get chickenpox) ceases to be infectious to people around him who have not yet had this infection.
More details about the procedure for monitoring chickenpox blisters and how you can do without brilliant green are described in the final video in this article.
How is the remedy useful for herpes?
The product dries out the affected area of the skin.
Zelenka is effective in treating the external manifestations of herpes, but it does not kill the virus itself.
The drug relieves inflammation, stops the spread of infection, helps the skin regenerate faster, dries out the crust from blisters, slightly reduces pain, and protects wounds from infections. To remove swelling and get rid of the herpes virus, additional medications are used.
How to treat herpes?
Most often, the disease manifests itself on the eyelids, facial skin, mucous membranes, genitals, central nervous system and brain.
Chicken pox (chickenpox) in children, which is treated with brilliant green, is caused by the herpes virus type 3.
The following types of herpes are distinguished:
- Simple type 1 - “cold” on the lips.
- Simple type 2, affecting the genitals. In this case, the disease may not manifest itself, but is subject to further transmission.
- Herpes type 3—shingles and varicella (or chickenpox)—is a virus with universal susceptibility, often found in children (much less common in adults).
- Herpes type 4 - infectious mononucleosis - is a viral infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus and manifests itself through fever, damage to the pharynx, lymph nodes, liver, spleen and peculiar changes in blood composition.
- Herpes type 5 is a cytomegalovirus that provokes birth defects in newborns, penetrating the body of a pregnant woman during the gestation stage.
- Herpes type 6 leads to damage to T-lymphocytes, which are blood cells that detect and destroy antigens.
- Herpes type 7, despite its presence in the human body, does not cause disease.
- Herpes type 8 was never recorded during medical observation in Russia.
Herpes can be simple, expressed in the formation of a cluster of vesicles with clear liquid on any area of the body, as well as herpes zoster, accompanied by neurological disorders and the transformation of clear liquid in the vesicles into ulcers.
It is worth remembering that it is impossible to completely get rid of the herpes virus; once it enters the human body, it remains there forever; it is only possible to reduce the symptoms and prevent further spread of the disease. The pharmaceutical industry around the world has produced a huge number of medications for herpes: creams, ointments, tablets, drops, syrups. The most famous of them are: Acyclovir, Famciclovir, Panavir. Only a doctor can prescribe which particular drug to use.
Most often, the disease manifests itself on the eyelids, facial skin, mucous membranes, genitals, central nervous system and brain.
In addition to drug treatment, it is necessary in the first few days after the onset of the disease to increase the intake of vitamin C, which can be replenished with vitamin complexes or obtained by eating foods containing sufficient quantities of this vitamin (kiwi, bell pepper, cabbage, parsley, spinach, rosehip, sea buckthorn, black currant, strawberry). It is also recommended to apply herbal compresses to the affected areas to relieve inflammation and reduce swelling.
Proper nutrition is another remedy for treating herpes. It is necessary to increase the consumption of dairy products, reduce, or better yet, stop eating salty, spicy, pickled foods, and citrus fruits for a while.
Mode of application
It is better to be careful when using brilliant green for herpes. Because it is a very aggressive antibacterial drug that can burn the skin. It should be applied following a number of rules, namely:
- cauterize the blisters or wounds after them pointwise, avoiding getting brilliant green on the lips;
- for application, use only special sticks with cotton wool, which are pre-dipped in brilliant green;
- It is recommended to apply brilliant green in one layer, not generously, and it is not necessary to press on the bubble or wound;
- neighboring healthy skin must also be treated to prevent it from becoming infected;
How to smear brilliant green for childhood herpes
Prolonged use causes skin burns.
You can use brilliant green to treat herpes in children, but do it with caution, as the infusion can burn thin children's skin. For childhood herpes, you only need to treat the edges of the wound, making sure that the brilliant green does not get into the baby’s mouth. If a child experiences pain or other unpleasant sensations after using the solution, they should stop treatment.
Adult use
For adults, there are no restrictions on the use of “Brilliant Green”; it can be used even during pregnancy, since brilliant green does not penetrate the blood and does not have a systemic effect on the body or the fetus. The main thing is to adhere to the rules for cauterizing herpes. It is not recommended for people with sensitive, thin or dry skin.
The color of the drug does not disappear from the affected skin for a long time, therefore, before applying the product to the wounds, you need to plan your affairs in advance so as not to leave the house with a green face.
The place of brilliant green in complex treatment
If characteristic rashes are detected, it is advisable to spot treat them with a solution of brilliant green. Treatment of herpes with brilliant green is very simple: you need to dip a cotton swab in an antiseptic and lightly cauterize the rash or opened ulcer. If the ulcer has already burst, you must first stop the bleeding with a dry cotton swab.
Keep in mind that brilliant green does not treat the cause of the formation of sores, but only eliminates inflammation on the upper layers of the skin.
You need to lubricate the sores carefully and use the solution in moderation. Excessive brilliant green applied to the rash interferes with medical examination.
To cauterize herpes with brilliant green means to stop or prevent the penetration of microbes into the patient’s body. To really get rid of the disease, you need to undergo an examination, after which you get a prescription from a doctor. Brilliant Green may be just one remedy in a whole range of medicines.
Cauterization with brilliant green has some disadvantages:
- when applied, the patient feels an unpleasant burning sensation;
- possible skin irritation;
- the application site has an unaesthetic appearance;
- an allergic reaction is possible.
To treat herpes, a special ointment with acyclovir or another antiviral agent is prescribed. It should be applied only when the applied antiseptic has completely dried on the lips. This helps protect the body from other infections and treats herpes itself. You should first smear the herpes with brilliant green, and then with ointment 2 to 4 times a day.
In the complex treatment of the disease, all kinds of antiviral external agents are used. They are the main ones in the fight against herpes and are able to put it into a “dormant” state. You can burn herpes with brilliant green or another substance with a similar effect.
Analogues of the drug
The solution can be replaced with the same cheap products that act as an antiseptic, but do not contain alcohol, or with more expensive drugs that will remove the virus infection itself. To eliminate the external manifestations of the disease, “Fukortsin” and “Methylene Blue” solutions, hydrogen peroxide, fir oil, and water-based propolis tincture are suitable.
Doctors do not recommend self-medicating a virus such as herpes. It appears when a person’s immunity decreases, some diseases appear, chronic ailments worsen, so you can eliminate the external manifestations of herpes on your own, but to eliminate the cause of the inflammation itself, you should consult a doctor for advice and possibly undergo the necessary tests.
Is it possible to smear iodine on herpes?
Unlike brilliant green, which remains on the body for a long time, iodine traces on the skin quickly “dissipate” and are very difficult to see. So no one uses it as a marker.
Well, it is prohibited to treat areas of herpetic fever and blisters with an alcohol solution of iodine for disinfection purposes. The skin not only gets burned and becomes very dry with all the ensuing negative consequences.
Not only will iodine not save you from herpes, but if used early, it will delay the healing process
In places where iodine comes into contact with the skin, blood circulation increases for a long time and the local temperature rises (remember the notorious iodine mesh for radiculitis?). This, in turn, only intensifies the local inflammatory process, promoting the formation of more voluminous blisters and deep ulcers.
Today, other liquids are used to treat affected skin, which have a much wider antiseptic spectrum, and do not burn or dry the skin.
For your information. Erosive and ulcerative skin lesions due to herpes in absolutely all people heal without traces (scars, scars, spots), and the use of drying antiseptics does not affect the rate of restoration of the skin.
By the way, a fairly large number of doctors recommend labeling newly appearing chickenpox blisters with the external remedy Fukortsin, which, due to its multicomponent nature, has a much more pronounced antibacterial effect than brilliant green or iodine.
Fukortsin components: alcohol, acetone (!), boric acid, resorcinol, phenol, fuchsin
However, please note that the instructions for the drug in the Indications section do not contain a specification - herpetic rashes.
Well, treating a huge number (up to 1400 pieces) of vesicles that cover the body with chickenpox from top to toe with such an “impressive” composition will certainly not add health to the child. After all, mom responsibly, automatically or just in case, will again apply the already marked sores every day.
Benefits of brilliant green
With herpes, when the blisters burst and sores appear, the risk of infectious agents entering open wounds increases enormously. If infection occurs, the ulcer begins to itch and hurt even more, and its size increases. This is fraught with the fact that after the manifestations of herpes have passed, unsightly cosmetic defects will form on the skin.
- Treating open wounds with brilliant green around the edges prevents infection.
- If you apply brilliant green at a stage when the ulcers have already been scratched, this will prevent the infection from spreading to surrounding areas of the skin.
- In addition, it stops the inflammatory process that begins in herpetic ulcers under the influence of infectious agents.
- It also helps wounds dry out faster, which speeds up recovery.
- The advantages of brilliant green include its cheap price, general availability and few restrictions on its use.
- Allergies to brilliant green are extremely rare. If you overdo it with this product, you may experience discomfort in the area of application for some time, but in general, this is rare. You can even use brilliant green to treat wounds on a child. You just need to prepare him a little, explaining that it will be unpleasant for a few seconds.
How to properly apply brilliant green to wounds
Wounds should be treated with a solution of greenery carefully so as not to burn the skin, and the appearance of excess greenery will not be very attractive, so this should be done as follows:
- Apply brilliant green to clean skin.
- We bring a cotton swab soaked in brilliant green to the wound, cauterize it without smearing it on the skin or pressing on it, hold it for a second and remove it.
- In this way we lubricate all affected areas of the body.
- This procedure must be performed three times a day.
- It is not advisable to wet wounds treated with brilliant green.
There are a number of such rules:
- It is necessary to wash and dry the treated area.
- To prevent the spread of herpes to unprotected areas of the skin, the cotton swab or disk must be constantly changed.
- Treat only the areas of skin affected by herpes, without affecting the healthy dermis.
What else can you do to treat rashes?
Alternative remedies include the following:
For those for whom brilliant green solution is contraindicated, Fukortsin is prescribed. It also has an antiseptic effect and is applied to the skin in a similar manner. The characteristic color for this product is crimson. The similarity between Fukortsin and brilliant green is cauterization and irritation of the skin. Fukortsin is washed off from the skin faster than brilliant green.
Another easy-to-use product is hydrogen peroxide. You can lubricate rashes on the skin and mucous membranes with it. The substance does not injure the skin and has a softening, antiseptic and cleansing effect. The disadvantage of peroxide is the slow healing of ulcers. It is used in the form of compresses: a cotton swab dipped in this liquid is applied to the lesion. The ideal proportion is 2 teaspoons of peroxide per 50 ml of water.
Treating rashes and opened ulcers can be done with tea tree oil. The product has an antiviral effect. There is a decrease in swelling and rapid healing of the affected tissues. Used in the form of compresses and applications.
Propolis tincture is widely used to cauterize rashes and herpes sores. To prepare this remedy:
- thoroughly cool the propolis in the refrigerator;
- grind on a fine grater;
- place in an opaque container;
- pour alcohol;
- leave for about 10 days.
The finished composition is applied to the affected areas 3 times a day. The tincture is effective as an adjuvant in the complex treatment of the disease.
