Quickly Heal Canker Sores: How to Prevent & Heal Them Faster | Dermatologist Explains

As a dermatologist, patients ask me about ways to prevent and get rid of canker sores. And if you've ever had a canker sore, then you know how painful they can be. In this video, I share what causes canker sores as well as how to prevent them and heal them faster.
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
00:24 Canker Sores vs Cold Sores
01:30 Types of Canker Sores
03:27 Causes
05:20 Triggers
06:50 When to Seek Medical Care
07:36 Prevention
08:08 Treatment
10:41 Subscribe!
IMAGE CREDIT:
Daneshpazhooh, M., Ghodsi, S. Z., & Mahmoudi, H. (1970, January 1). Recurrent aphthous stomatitis. SpringerLink. link.springer.com/chapter/10....
DISCLAIMER: The information in this video is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician. Prequel is my skincare brand. Some of the links in this description may be affiliate links (marked with *). Affiliate links help support my KZbin channel so I can continue to create educational skincare videos for you. Also, some products may have been received as PR. Thanks for watching!

[@boxerlover2747]

I used to get canker sores as a kid. I tried everything anyone would suggest. When I was in my 20's someone suggested Zinc. IT WORKED! Now whenever I feel a sore coming on, I start taking zinc.

[@cydandkencollins1178]

I suffered with horribly painful canker sores since childhood. Years ago added Sublinqual vitamin B12 taken daily, 1000 mcg. Even if your B12 level shows up 'normal' and this did away with the monthly painful sores.

[@kathleencardona4912]

Omg I got a canker sore this morning and see this uploaded recently, perfect timing 😂

[@Erin-pr9ev]

I love this video! I’m an dental hygienist so just wanted people to be aware not all sensodyne is SLS free, make sure to read the ingredients! I would also recommend closys toothpaste as it is also SLS free.

[@BrohunGaming]

honestly a bunch of usefull information all presented quickly and concisely. i really liked that you said stuff like "but realistically its so common that...."

[@faythewu]

I love how universal the topics you choose for your videos are. Just wanted to say thank you!

[@DrSamEllis]

Thank you so much!

[@alexclairmont]

got my first canker sore for the first time in foreeeeever and didn't even google about it but this just popped up for me and i was spooked haha. great timing!! thanks for all the great info + i'm used to your skincare videos so haven't seen you in makeup before and i loooove this gloss and blush combo!

[@electragoldnails]

Pickle juice!!!! Swish it around your mouth for a few seconds and it will help IMMENSELY. I also think that the hydrogen peroxide / menthol rinse helps shorten how long they last.. I get them about once a month and these two remedies have helped so, so much.

[@lauradallegge6461]

My grandmother told me to put Alum on them when I was younger. It burned so bad for a few minutes, but was gone the next day. She also told me to put banana peel on a wart. I only did Alum once!

[@tgilbs]

Realizing now that I haven't had a canker sore in quite some time and that it likely coincides with my cutting out NSAIDS!! Fascinating. Thanks for the video!

[@Annie-ZA]

THANKS DOC. Canker Sores are extremely common during CHEMOTHERAPY treatment. I and many others in my group suffered terribly with them, but as soon as my Chemo finished, they didn't return. Any / ALL sufferers have my UTMOST sympathy.

[@TheEuniceBurns1]

I get immune-modifying meds for my Multiple Sclerosis, and cold sores definitely come with the territory here, too.

[@Annie-ZA]

@@TheEuniceBurns1 POOR YOU my dear! You truly have my deepest sympathy. Have you tried ANDOLEX-C topical anaesthetic gel for the mouth? It could at least numb the sores just before eating. 🙏🤗

[@juliabinford6500]

Interesting topic. I learned a lot. Thanks!

[@jackiestone5808]

Love your videos!

[@Beautyofddc]

So helpful always Doc! I just got a canker sore today and was nervous something was really wrong. Now I’m at peace knowing I’ll be okay. Thanks to you, once again 🥰

[@Arjun-xz9ev]

Very Informative Video. Thanks

[@antoineesposito9166]

Super interesting video! I used to have canker sore all the time and when I switch back to fluor toothpaste from natural toothpaste, I stopped having them!

[@akadia71]

Thank you for this! I get these quite commonly and found a really great study about using monteleukast daily and it has really decreased the number of ulcers I get.

[@chelseasalty]

Hello!! Love your videos! Could you do one on pediatric skin care through the ages? Would love to know what you recommend for each of the ages!!

[@mariacarlstrom362]

My husband and I take Z-bec basically a B complex that has zinc, B, E and C vitamins at the first sign of a canker sore. Very informative video. Thanks for sharing this information.

[@chicha2066]

I get canker sores a lot and I got tired of the numbing gels and wanted something to help them heal faster. I heard about putting alum powder on them and decided to try it. It burns like crazy for a few seconds but that heals them within a day!

[@christinemack2153]

Very helpful, than k you!

[@storybook9772]

I use honey as my home remedy for canker sores. I swab the lesion with honey using Q-tip. Thank you for your videos!

[@xt3ffix]

My husband swears by lysine at the first sign of a canker sore.. he says it's healed within a day or two!

[@r7seven7seven55]

100% - I used to get them once a year until someone told me about Lysine. Has totally helped me prevent these if I take at first sign of tingling, or even if I feel it's starting to form.

[@dianejones2775]

I take lysine every day for cold sores mostly and since I’ve been taking it, I haven’t had a cold sore or canker sore for years now.

[@jeanneyoung4210]

L-lysine also seems to help a rare canker sore resolve more quickly.

[@Mspiggy375]

Yes! I came here to say the same thing! At that first tingly feeling I take high doses of Lysine and it stops! I worked with a pharmacist that suffered from severe cold sores and he told me this. He was 100% correct!

[@andradr100]

How much lysine is he taking ?

[@amberg1405]

I got them because of dental issues when I was younger and I found that warm water and iodized salt rinses helped them heal much faster.

[@KrystaUndertaker]

This is always what I've done and I used it last night before bed.

[@user-ub1bf7og4x]

To relieve my canker sores I use a canker patch, Dentemp Canker cover. It stays put and slowly dissolves while it protects and relieves pain. If you avoid eating while it’s on it can stay in place for hours and may increase speed up healing time.

[@mari-xm2ll]

A little tip if you have a canker sore: I don't know how to get the sore out, but it really helps to put a cotton ball or a little toilet paper. Oh it helped me so much

[@gilabird75]

Out of desperation for relief, I discovered by cauterizing just the canker surface, relief from the extreme pain was almost instantaneous. The burn pain was just a fraction of the actual canker pain. I used a very small dental tool with a flat, slightly angled surface on the end. I heated the end to a red hot and looked into a mirror. I learned to use a steady hand, use soft precise dabs and be extremely careful. They'd immediately decrease in pain and usually completely heal within 2 - 3 days versus waiting weeks for a prolonged, painful, natural healing. I found my mouth had the ability to heal from tiny burns much faster than the canker healing cycles. I haven't had one for over 20 years now but, in my younger years, they were chronic and formed at the slightest abrasion in my mouth. I also realized some ingredient found in red licorice also triggered them. Sounds like a crazy fix but, I found it worked for me on the extremely painful ones. Trigger warning.......a singed canker will sizzle with the first couple of soft dabs but, it definitely was worth the instant relief.

[@amykaufman7060]

I use squiggle toothpaste and have had prescription for miles solution from a compounding pharmacy. I hadhorrendous outbreaks w stress and monthly periods when I was teenager through 45. now not an issue thank goodness.

[@Idk-do4db]

Hydrogen peroxide rinse or soak a q tip in hydrogen peroxide and apply gentle pressure on the sore for a minute. Does wonders and healing time is way faster. It numbs the pain too.

[@zwengji]

Bad for filled teeth

[@GeminiPurPower]

Ooh, I’ll get one if I eat large amounts of pineapple! And I love pineapple..

[@michellegornish3099]

The past couple of years, I've gone through periods of almost continuously being afflicted with canker sores - to the point where it's painful to talk or eat. Mom had them, too. Some of your suggestions I haven't tried yet. I have modified my toothpaste, for other reasons. No MD I've seen has offered anything helpful. Appreciate you and love your channel. Wish you were here in the Northeast!!

[@emrem6354]

Colchicine has been a godsend for me. Without it, I will have 4-6 in various stages of eruption and healing literally at all times. I get them on the sides and bottom of my tongue and on my soft palate. I even got them on my tonsils!!! I started to get them when I was about five years old, and they just got progressively worse as I got older. They make speaking and eating excruciating, and I would lose weight and get dehydrated during particularly bad outbreaks. Dapsone didn’t work for me, but I cannot imagine life without colchicine. I wish I could stop taking it, but the few times I have, the canker sores immediately came back.

[@boldlyjoey]

I have Behcet’s and have experienced this as well as tons of other horrible problems that the disease can cause. Many doctors are unfamiliar with it. Please seek treatment and care, you shouldn’t have to suffer like this! ❤

[@Lpstpaul]

I get canker sores when I’m super stressed. The WORST. Definitely trying some recommendations from here…and trying to minimize stress😂

[@mariaguild2024]

My Son too :(

[@obdiane]

This is my daughter as well. Sometimes, she can't eat and it's painful for her to talk which stresses her more. Our NP prescribed her Colchcine and Magic Wash, today. We hope it will help clear the ones she has now. Plus, she takes B vitamins zinc, folate, and Vitamin C, daily.

[@evelynfajardo3768]

Thank you so much for this! I’ve gotten canker sores here and there ever since I was a little girl - we called it “fuego” in Spanish. Would you mind making a similar video for cold sores? I unfortunately started getting them a few years ago and one or two have popped up every year since 😩 they’re the worst.

[@laurieosterndorf]

Three things have helped my lifelong struggle with canker sores. 1. Avoid pineapple (impossible) 2. SLS free toothpaste. 3. Triamcin Orabase Dental paste. Prescription from dentist. If I use this at first sign of cancer sore, they never develop. 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@terrirojas2162]

Our dentist recommends us to microwave pineapple for 30 seconds (let cool) before enjoying, to avoid canker sores. 😊

[@Annie-ZA]

PINEAPPLE ALSO GIVES MY SON CANKER SORES! He avoids it like poison!

[@guylainedesmarais3248]

Thanks! What about methyl blue? That’s what my mother would use on us (she’s a retired nurse).

[@carolinebielby5924]

Is prequel available in the UK 🇬🇧

[@dogscott7881]

I’ve had a rough time eating citrus because of canker sores, I don’t even eat pineapple anymore. I mostly use a warm salt rinse when I get them. I’ve tried using peroxide rinse but it’s just awful tasting!

[@sfkat]

I want to order the Lucent C...But I see it has niacinamide. Which is fine but the No. 3 Numbuzin Vitamin Serum I apply every day also has it, I think in a 2-5 concentration. Do you think it's ok to also use your Lucent C at the same time?..Too much niacinimide?

[@ashleyrodriguez8143]

Laser helps it to go away in a day or two. Make sure your dentist does laser. Emergen c package helps. Also gargling with salt and lemon. Painful but works.

[@Msyinett]

That SLS is such a trigger.

[@MakeUpWitch]

The only thing that triggers them for me are oral injuries (usually if I bite my tongue or so). But not everytime. I never had them as a child but in my late 20's they started to appear and there are periods when I have one after another. With time I realized that during those periods I consumed a lot of foods containing white sugar.

[@ucanfildumbo]

im hiv+ and had it before my disease was identified. After started to treatment never had it again

[@TeeSpells]

How long they last?

[@anitamiko9975]

Thanks for this. I think my 2 year old may be having these. What do you suggest for young kids with canker sores?

[@emrem6354]

I started getting them when I was five. Lysine and magic mouthwash were part of my routine. Worked okay for a few years until they got worse.

[@mrsrisse]

I use Alum. You can get it in stick form. Stings like crazy, but the sore is gone the next day!

[@gwilliams993]

Zinc supplementation has stopped mine completely

[@fkoffidgafbegone]

Can you do a video about how to go about purchasing UPFclothing? To my understanding Coolibar is the ONLY one that claims their rating never washes out & guaranteed for the life of the garment where other brands such as Solbari claim upf 50 up to a certain amount of washes....while random brands at Walmart, Target, TJ MAXX , AMAZON claim UPF rated but provide no further info into their testing or guaranteed effectiveness on their label or website. My question is who do we trust? Can any brand claim UPF rated? Is the term regulated? whats the standard? Personally, if im in the market for UPF rated clothing , I want the best in terms of quality & longevity & guaranteed protection. No temporary BS that washes out or comes undone......or WORSE...ineffective at all because it's a lie! Please, some guidance & further info on this topic would be greatly appreciated!

[@dr.donlevine3955]

Oil pulling is the best because coconut oil absorbs infections in the gum lining.

[@ooogityboogity5081]

I, anecdotally, notice them after eating chips unfortunately

[@mary-louisecardosa2174]

have had them since childhood. i use saltwater rinse and/or the brown listerine for some reason that one seems to heal it faster. i swish with it and apply directly w a q tip to the sore. i know it comes when i'm stressed, very tired or feeling run down. i just started b12 a month or so ago for energy so maybe that will help and i will try taking zinc.

[@rhondapham2219]

I find drinking lots of water heals it faster.

[@maeveryan7680]

Just an fyi, that Sensodyne toothpaste link indicates SLS as an inactive ingredient in it.

[@aggiesmiles]

Sensodyne released a new formula without SLS

[@TheSunflower5317]

Yea there’s a few different sensodyne products, some have SLS, some don’t. You have to check the ingredient list.

[@alayasedkigaaloul1161]

Hi, I'm 29 years old and I keep getting canker sores. I've tried various prescription treatments and SLS-free toothpaste, but I still get these sores every month. When I have them, I try to avoid spicy foods, acidic foods, and tomatoes, but it doesn't seem to help. What should I do? Please help.

[@pyewacket60]

Dry mouth due to certain medications and food/drink can trigger canker sores.

[@shabnumosman5192]

Use glycerine and pinch bicarb

[@makingitthrough190]

Struggling with Post Covid recovery. 7 weeks out from onset now. But have just started with 2 canker sores for the first time in years. Is Covid a factor? Thoughts anyone?

[@fritzpeterson6273]

My husband and I both get canker sores. We make our own capsules of 2 drops of Young Living Essential Oregano Oil with coconut oil. When we get a canker sore, 1 or 2 daily capsules for a day or two, sometimes a bit longer depending on how bad the sores are, and they are gone. Works every time! Best discovery ever.

[@dianejones2775]

I get canker sores if I eat too many tomatoes, walnuts and if I drink too much tea.

[@judieloveday1643]

Here in Australia we call them mouth ulcers. When I was taking oral methotrexate I ended up with a mouth full of ulcers. Still trying to figure out if the injectable form does the same thing. I have a couple on my tongue, but they correspond to teeth with uneven surfaces, so I'll have to wait and see. They really are so painful.

[@pyewacket60]

My husband’s RA doc prescribed folic acid when he put him on methotrexate.

[@judieloveday1643]

@@pyewacket60 Thanks for responding. I do take folic acid when I'm on methotrexate. I'm going to take my next injection, but if the ulcers are still here, I'm going to have to consider discontinuing using it. It would be a shame because it's starting to work pretty well in conjunction with Rinvoq.

[@Sparkle835]

I gargle with warm salt water. It works to heal cankers fast.

[@fallenlotus9572]

I hate canker sores so much! I currently have one and it feels like I have glass in my mouth scraping against the inside of my cheek. Ouch 😣

[@franciso.connell1634]

Try vitamin b12 and reduce sugar

[@trailguy]

My mom is 80 and thinks her sores started because she swished mouthwash and held it in her mouth too long. I think it had alcohol. It’s been painful for a week. Is oragel ok? It’s really painful. I feel bad watching her try to eat.

[@michelleabrogena5177]

I checked the Sensodyne toothpaste I'm using and it contains SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate).I have braces so I use dental wax .But then I ate a salty and cheesy chip and it irritated my sore.

[@vm2113]

Sensodyne has SLS. Only few of the sensodynes are SLS free. Read the ingredients and yhen buy.

[@maryhaney3386]

I put iodine on mine, they go away within a day or two.

[@sueipaz]

Alum

[@melissanewton239]

Can you give some recommendations on firming creams or some treatments to work for looser skin. I tore an muscles and ended up With hernia after pregnancy . I have some loose skin and would love to try a firming cream and possible Laser I have seen some with collogan and some with retinol. What is best. Would the red light mask on loose skins help

[@prophysix]

not a doctor but some tips - topical collagen is simply a hydrating ingredient and will not help rebuild collagen under the skin. retinoids will be better for this, red light therapy may help as well (if you get the right device, see Dr Ellis' video on this). it's important though to keep realistic expectations of what you can achieve with creams and devices without a procedure. not saying that to scare you but beware of companies offering very dramatic before and afters!

[@melissanewton239]

Thank you so much for info! My skin is not terrible but I have never done anything to try to improve it and thought it’s about time!🎉

[@BaudelaireOrphan1]

I get them after I bite myself

[@beinghuman4583]

❤🌹❤️

[@edithp.7213]

I got a medication from my dentist which stops the progression once you feel one coming on: TRIAMCIONOLONE ACETONIDE Dental Paste 0.1%

[@catherinepaquet]

Can you have a canker sores on the gum

[@melissakolkovich5809]

Yes

[@ashleyrodriguez8143]

Yes I have had them there. The most painful are on the gums and anywhere on the tongue.

[@rizzaantonio7453]

Could you rip it off?

[@dorydiavelone3531]

What about kissing your cat could that cause cancer sores?/

[@StudyBlogger-pk7vl]

😈👍😂😘🔥🎉

[@QxQy-pu3nm]

You look 🫥

[@francinejones2524]

Geez 🙄 Stop saying “Canker Sores” every second word.

[@QxQy-pu3nm]

Quite boring . While you could bind it up in 5 minutes only .

[@marlaherbig6591]

My sister and I have dependably had canker sore when eating lots of tomatoes,since early childhood - Lysine makes them go away