Topical products,such as creams or gels,are sometimes used to treat cold sores. Many are prescription medicines that may slightly shorten the duration of cold sores,usually by just 1 to 2 days. 1,2 Some experts find that even when nonprescription topical products are used frequently-every 2 hours while a person is awake-at the first sign of an outbreak,they may only speed recovery time by ...