Doctor,
I'm a male, 25. Since October I've been fearful I've acquired HSV1. Not because of new sexual encounters. Maybe from sharing smoking pipes or food or some other non-tradition/unlikely way. My bottom lip (near the inside of the mouth) would turn yellow and become chapped (across the entire lip lengthwise). This yellow chapping never hurts, and doesn't turn into to a proper hard scab, but his yellowness nonetheless comes and goes frequently. Further, I have periodically experienced redness. Sometimes broad in scope, that would usually go away in a couple hours on my lips. Finally I've had this yellowness come off to reveal slightly redder skin that usually heals in a few days. But still gives the appearance of an open sore-like thing.
I tested negative for 1 and 2 in August and then again negative in December, but now my fingertips have recurrently spawned papercuts. I have been using a lot of hand sanitizers, and the fingers are never painful or red, but I think it must be from constantly applying Abreva to my lips which might have given me Herpetic Whitlow on my fingers. While I haven't had the big, traditional outbreak, I have been taking lots of lysine and vitamin C and recently supplements of garlic,iron, and selenium. I know I need to get another blood test again, maybe at the beginning of March to be at least 4 months from symptoms so my body will have developed antibodies. Also I've been putting tea bags on my lips when I see or feel something abnormal. (I have experienced burning/tingling on the left side of my bottom lip and there seems to be a small, purple dot, but it's never turned into anything else, over multiple weeks.)
So I guess it seems like I have HSV 1 despite my negative tests and just curious what your thoughts are and if "papercuts" on multiple fingers (that recur) could be anything but Herpetic Whitlow.
Thanks.