Popping a blister is not the quick remedy you are looking for. If you leave it alone, it will disappear in a few days. You can also use aloe vera, tea tree oil, eucalyptus, and apple cider vinegar for your blister.
What is a blister?
Blisters are little, fluid-filled bubbles that can form on the external layers of your skin. This is how your body tries to protect damaged skin. These fluid-filled bubbles take time to heal, but there are ways of accelerating the healing of blisters and reduce the pain and discomfort.
What causes blisters?
Friction is the main cause of blisters. You can get blisters on your hands when you work with a shovel for example, or when you wear the wrong shoes; you can get blisters on your feet. The friction between the shoes or the handle of a shovel and your feet or hands causes the problem. Blisters can also be as a result of the following:
- sunburns
- burns
- allergic reactions
- eczema
- frostbite
- exposure to toxin ivy, sumac, or oak
- bacterial infections
- viral infections, such as herpes, chickenpox, or shingles
Is it better to pop a blister or leave it?
Do not pop it. The majority of blisters recover by themselves. The liquid-filled bubble is a form of protection that protects the injury from hazardous bacteria. Blisters are also a safe area for new skin to grow. The body will reabsorb the fluid as new skin grows. Your blister will soon dry up and exfoliate. Peeling and interfering with a dry blister can affect recovery, so it's best to leave it alone. Leaving the blister alone will also ensure you keep off infections.
How do you treat blisters?
Natural treatments for blisters
There are natural solutions that assist blister heal quickly. Attempt these on your blisters:
Aloe vera for blisters
If you have blisters from sunburn or a small burn, applying aloe vera gel can help in reducing the pain. You can refrigerate it for better relief. The cool aloe will help pull heat away from the skin. Aloe vera is also known to reduce inflammation, reduce the scar, and also promote healing of wounds.
Tea tree oil for blisters
Tea tree oil is good for blisters because of its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties which speed up the healing process and reduce the risk of getting infected. Mix a carrier oil with the tea tree oil and use it straight to the skin. You can likewise add water to dilute the tea tree oil and use it as an anti-bacterial wash.
Eucalyptus oil for blisters
Eucalyptus oil has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that can help tidy and decontaminate injuries. The oil can fight off powerful bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.
The best carrier oil to use with eucalyptus is olive oil. Mixing olive oil and eucalyptus has proven to improve wound healing. Add some drops of eucalyptus oil into one teaspoon of olive oil and apply it directly on the blister.
Green tea for blisters
Green tea has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that might promote wound healing. A study of green tea extract mixed into an ointment discovered that it lowered injury discomfort and accelerated the healing of wounds.
Green tea extract can be mixed with a carrier oil, such as almond or coconut oil, and use it straight to your blister. You can likewise brew some green tea. After which you run the tea bag under cold water and place on your blister.
Apple cider vinegar for blisters
ACV has antibacterial properties that will help prevent the contamination of a popped blister. However, you should be careful with using apple cider vinegar for this as it can be painful. If it is too painful, wash with hydrogen peroxide and cover the area with an antibacterial ointment.
Castor oil for blisters
Castor oil is a popular natural remedy for blister treatment. Apply the castor oil before you go to sleep. The blister will dry up and heal overnight. You can blend the castor oil with apple cider vinegar for better results.
Witch hazel for blisters
Witch hazel has astringent tannins that will clean your blister, dry it, and help it recover fast. Apply it using a clean cotton ball with each dab.
Simple remedies for blisters
Leave the blister alone
This is the best thing you can do to your blister, don't pop it, don't interfere with it; in fact, don't even touch it. This might be tough, but just leave the blister alone.
Soak the blisters to heal faster
Soaking your feet has three advantages when it comes to blisters. The obvious one is that it will keep the blister clean. Soaking also softens the blistered skin. This makes the blister drain way faster. Finally, soaking is a relief to your feet after a long day. Your feet will feel great.
In case you want to pop a blister, use the right tools
There are some blisters that form in the worst places, for example, the arch of your foot. This can make walking unbearable or even impossible. And thus, the need to pop and drain it. If you decide to do this, use the following tools: cotton pads, iodine or rubbing alcohol, a needle, a bandage, and antibiotic ointment. Make sure your blister is clean first.
After that, clean the needle with iodine or rubbing alcohol then puncture the sides of the blister allowing the fluid drain out. Do not pick the skin of the blister off after you pop it. Peeling the skin of the blister will expose it to infections. Moreover, leaving the skin on will help with the recovery.
Keep away infections after popping your blister
After you pop a blister, make sure it does not get infected. Soreness, pus, and fever are signs of an infected blister. If you get any of these symptoms, it might be time to look for expert medical attention.
Protecting your blister
How to protect a blister?
Some blisters need protection to prevent them from popping. The pressure of the shoes can cause popping which will be painful and increase recovery time. Try to prevent any friction around the blister. This may not be possible, but you can protect the blister in the following ways:
Cover the blister up
Cover your blister with a bandage tied loosely. Keep the middle slightly raised to allow room for air. Your blister needs to breathe.
Cushion the blister
You can likewise cover your blister with a cushioned adhesive tape particularly designed for blisters. It can prevent bacteria and minimize pain while your blister heals.
Pad the blister
Prevent putting pressure on your blister. Use moleskin in the shape of a doughnut. Moleskin has thick cotton cushioning that can take in pressure.
Draining your blister
How to drain a blister?
While it's best to leave blisters alone, in some cases, you just need to drain them, particularly if they're huge or hinder your movement. If the blister is around your mouth, do not attempt to drain it. It is hard to keep this area sterile. Never ever try to pop a blister like a pimple. Your objective is to drain the fluid without harming the skin covering the blister. The best time to drain a blister is within the first 24 hours. The steps below show you how to safely drain a blister and lessen the risk of infection:
- Wash your hands thoroughly. Use soap and warm water for this. Clean the blister surface with an antibacterial wash, alcohol, or iodine.
- Disinfect a needle with alcohol.
- Poke three or 4 shallow holes around the edge of the blister. The fluid will drain.
- Cover the blister with an ointment such as petroleum jelly.
- Apply a dressing. Cover the blister securely with a bandage.
- Repeat this process after 6 hours for the first 24 hours. The fluid in the blister fills up very fast. Remember to change the dressing and apply ointment every day.
Preventing blisters
How to prevent foot blisters?
Wear the right shoes to prevent foot blisters
Your shoes are the source of most of your blisters. The friction between the shoes and the sole of your feet, the heels and toes lead to blisters. Therefore, getting shoes that minimize these kinds of contact is a good place to start.
New shoes, for example, can lead to blisters the first few times you wear them. It takes some time for your feet to get used to them. To avoid blisters with new shoes, take them on short and frequent walks. The shoes will gradually get used to the shape of your feet and would not cause blisters.
When buying shoes, make sure they fit you just right. Smaller shoes will squeeze your toes which can blacken the nails and scar your heels. Shoes that are too big poses a different problem. Your feet will keep sliding up and down as you walk causing further friction that leads to blisters.
Toughening the feet to reduce blisters
Your soft, pink feet will fair better with blisters if they are toughened up.
How to toughen your feet to reduce blisters
Avoid shaving the calluses, they make look ugly, but they help toughen the feet. Calluses act as a natural pad that protects your soft part of the sole against blisters. You can get rid of them when you know you won't run or walk a lot.
You can keep the calluses from drying by hydrating them. This will prevent the formation of painful cracks. Make sure you moisturize the feet after a shower. There are other ways to toughen the feet. Runners, for example, toughen their feet with 10 percent tannic acid or a tea soak which has tannins. You can use the tannic acid on your feet, or take in strong tea. Try this twice daily for two to three weeks.
Lubricate your feet to avoid blisters
As established, friction makes the skin vulnerable to blisters. There is a lot of rubbing between your feet, socks, and shoes. If you minimize the friction, you reduce the chances of getting blisters. Feet lubrication is one of the best ways of doing this. Your feet will slide instead of rubbing.
Vaseline or petroleum jelly is an affordable lubricant. The downside of petroleum jelly is that dirt clings to it. This means that there is more grit in your shoe to aggravate your foot, leading to more blisters. Other lubricants that can be used include AD Ointment, body glide, sports slick, sport shield, run goo, and Teflon.
Wear the right soaks to prevent blisters
Synthetic soaks are the best here! Cotton soaks will only soften your skin as it retains the sweat. This will leave the feet more vulnerable to blisters.
How to choose the right socks to prevent blisters
- Go for socks that wick away moisture. Synthetic socks keep the feet dry by wicking away moisture from it.
- Try double-layer socks. These reduce friction and also the wetness in the feet.
- Experiment with the density of your socks. The thickness of your socks can interfere with the space in the shoes. The best practice is to carry the socks you intend to use, or one with similar thickness when you are buying workout shoes.
- Carry an extra pair of socks. During workout, your feet sweat, and hence you get wet socks. Wearing these will promote blisters. You should have extra pairs to change whenever the ones you are wearing get wet.
Keep your feet dry to prevent blisters
Keeping your feet dry starts with wicking socks; however, you can also use other techniques.
How to keep your feet dry to prevent blisters
Plain cornstarch, the one used for cooking, can be sprinkled in your shoes and socks to dry your feet. Talcum powder or baby powder can both be used for this purpose, and they smell good as well.
Protect the places vulnerable to blisters
If you have developed blisters in a spot before, then it might be vulnerable, especially when running or working out. These areas need to be covered to be protected. There are a number of options, including sports tape, gel bandages, special patches, and moleskin. Sometimes even a duct tape might come in handy.
The disadvantage of covering the location is that frequently these plasters and pads do not stay where you've put them, especially as you continue walking or running. Find one that sticks well to your feet.
Look out for hot spots that could potentially turn to blisters
Blisters can start as hot spots, and you can usually feel this. When you feel it developing, it is best to stop and do the following: Cover up the spot with some bandage, moleskin, or a protective cover of your choice. You can also readjust your socks and shoes. If your socks are damp, change to a dry pair.
When you feel a hot spot developing, the best thing to do is to stop the run, walk, or workout. This might not be an option, and the tip above can be useful in such a scenario.
When to see a doctor concerning your blisters?
Blisters are vulnerable to infection, draining them only increases this vulnerability. Infections can be painful, and antibiotics might be required. Plus, other types of blisters are not triggered by friction, but other causes. The following symptoms on your blisters require medical attention:
- If your blister has green or yellow pus
- The pain keeps getting worse
- If the blister area is red, inflamed, and warm
- You keep having blisters all the time
- You have some allergic reaction
- If you have blisters in unusual places such as around the eyes and mouth.
Conclusion on getting rid of blisters
Blisters are a common problem for almost everyone. They can disrupt your walking, joking, and other exercises. Whereas the best remedy for these bubbles is to let them recover on their own, the tips above will help you drain them, protect them, and also avoid them altogether.
