Some of the common preventive measures are:

• Do not touch the lesions with bare hands. Wash your hands with soap water if you touch the lesions.
• Drink lots of fluids.
• Take a diet which is rich in the amino acid lysine. This is because lysine has been seen to prevent effective multiplication of the virus. So, up your intake of beans, lentils, cheese, nuts, soya beans (tofu), fenugreek seed, meat (red meat, pork), poultry, eggs, fish (cod and sardines).
• Children should consciously avoid thumb sucking or nail biting.
• Avoid kissing an infected person
• Do not share towels, clothing, etc. with an infected person
• Avoid using common utensils, spoons, lip balms, etc.
• Use sun protection like sunscreens.
• Breast-feeding mothers should avoid feeding their infected baby for about 3 weeks.