Gotham, but it's too late. I have the blisters already. What should I do now? Pop it? Don't pop it? Whatever you do, do NOT remove the top layer of skin from your blister. It will only cause the blister to become more painful and expose yourself to more bacteria which could develop into an infection.
Instead, you should lance the blister. Take a clean, disinfected needle, and poke the blister from the side to drain the fluid. Once the fluid is removed, the pressure will subside. Then, soak your feet for 15 to 20 minutes in lukewarm water with Epsom salt. Using Betadine to help dry up the blister will speed up the healing process. What is Betadine, you ask? Betadine is a medicated solution that helps to heal minor cuts, scrapes, and burns.
We have normal hydration to our bodies so whenever something is too wet, you want to dry it out. While Neosporin is great for something like a scab, Betadine is much better for blisters because the underlying skin is wet and raw. An epsom salt foot soak is ideal as well because it contains magnesium which reduces swelling and pain associated with blisters. Magnesium can help irrigate, cleanse, and dry out blisters which also helps reduce the painful rawness of blisters, while expediting the healing time.
Gotham has more advice for you… for next time. Make sure you are wearing the right socks. Avoid cotton socks because cotton retains moisture as your feet sweat which then maserates your skin leaving it more prone to breaking with repetitive friction, which then produces blisters. Synthetic socks made of acrylic or polypropylene are preferred as these materials wick away moisture.
The blister forms to protect your skin from further damage but when a blister forms under a callus, rough protective skin that acts as a defense mechanism, you will need to see a podiatrist to treat this more complex problem.
Usually, calluses protect skin from blisters because they shield your foot from the pressure and friction responsible for blisters. If you do not remove the callus and the friction and pressure continue to rub on your foot, a blister will form under the callus as additional protection. While blisters are not challenging to treat on their own, if one forms under a callus then you will need to go through several layers of callused skin to care for the blister.
Plano patients should not pop blisters under any circumstances. A blister under a callus will be particularly painful because you need to get through multiple layers of skin to drain it. Doing this on your own opens the blister up to infection and related complications that can seriously damage your foot. If your callus is deep, then the blister cannot be safely treated without the help of a podiatrist.
Complications such as cellulitis and sepsis can arise from an infected blister. A podiatrist can help you by:. Leaving your blister alone will help it go away faster. Those that are infected can take longer — like weeks or even months — but popping is likely to prolong the misery even more. Speaking of friction blisters, how can you tell whether you have one of those or something a little more serious? These are soft pockets filled with clear fluid that form when the top layer of skin gets irritated and damaged, like when you wear ill-fitting shoes for too long.
After a few days, the fluid drains on its own and the blistered skin peels away. These are friction blisters taken to the next level. Blood blisters are usually more painful too. Minor burns, including sunburns, can cause blisters.
These blisters are filled with fluid and usually accompanied by red, painful skin. Like friction blisters, blisters caused by minor burns will heal on their own if you let them. Contact dermatitis — a reaction that happens when your skin comes in contact with an allergen or irritant — can cause allergy blisters.
These blisters are a little different from the rest. Caused by bacteria or viruses, they can vary in size and shape and might be crusty or pus-filled. Cold sores, which can form around your mouth, are sometimes called fever blisters. Popping infected blisters will probably make the problem worse.
For instance, you might end up spreading the germs from the blister to the surrounding skin. Wash your hands and the blister. Plain old soap and water is fine — just be sure to wash well.
Rub the blister with iodine. This will help get the area even cleaner to reduce the risk of infection. FYI, never rub iodine on an open or popped blister. It should be used only on blisters that are fully closed. Sterilize your popping tool. A sharp needle — like a sewing needle or the needle end of a safety pin — is your best bet.
Give the needle a good wipe with rubbing alcohol. Puncture the blister and let it drain.
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