A Scoutmaster hiking from Grand Canyon's North Rim to the South Rim experienced blisters. In fact, blisters covered the bottom of his feet. He didn't climb out of the Grand Canyon; he shuffled out at a very slow, painful pace. That's no way to remember one of the "wonders of the world." Sadly, most of us have experienced a blister and suffered from its effects.
A blister is a callus that hasn't been given enough time to form. That is, instead of a long process involving a small amount of friction that slowly builds up dead skin, a blister is caused by heavy friction that over an hour or two causes the skin actually to separate, slide over itself and form a pocket that fills with fluid.Blisters most commonly form over joints, the ends of fingers and toes, the heels of the feet and palms of the hands. Hikers and athletes may be alerted to a developing blister by a "hot spot," a reddened area under a poorly fitted shoe or piece of equipment. Blisters are common in all physical activity from basketball to gardening.
Prevention
Prevent blisters by:
- Applying petroleum jelly to areas that rub, for example, the thighs.
- Cover sites of recurrent blisters with moleskin or tape.
- Toughen skin by applying tincture of benzoin or 10 percent tannic acid once a day for three weeks.
- Wear new shoes several times before using them in practice or a game or on a hike.
- Wear two pairs of socks, a thick pair over a thin pair. Avoid synthetic socks. Use clean, white cotton or cotton-wool socks. Avoid tube socks.
- Rub the pressure points of feet with a bar of soap before putting on socks. Perspiration will cause the soap to lather and reduce friction.
Care
By far the best way of dealing with a blister is to catch it before it forms, when it's still only red and hasn't any fluid in it. Cover it with Spenco Second Skin , a slippery pad widely available in drugstores. The Second Skin will absorb the friction, allowing the blister to heal.
For a formed blister that is less than 1/2 inch and not very painful, leave it alone. If it's larger than that and painful, puncturing it will speed the healing process. Sterilize your foot, then a needle, with alcohol. At the edge of the blister, right where it meets the skin, make one or two tiny holes and let the fluid leak out. You may have to apply gentle pressure to the blister's top to squeeze out the fluid. Spread on an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment to help prevent infection. Cover the blister with moleskin (if you spread the ointment completely over the blister, it won't stick to the moleskin) and leave it there. The blister is sterile, so whenever possible it's best to leave the blister's roof of skin over it as a protection against infection.
In three or four days the dead skin will work itself loose, and by that time the new skin underneath will have had a chance to toughen up. You may cover it with Spenco Second Skin until it is no longer tender.
Alton Thygerson is a professor of health sciences at Brigham Young University.