Complete guide on how to treat blisters outlines treatment for blisters caused by friction, pressure blisters and burn blisters, and what to avoid doing.
Blisters are fluid-filled cavities under the skin. When the layers of skin separate from each other, the resulting space fills with fluid. This can be lymph fluid, serum, blood or pus. Even if the causes of blistering can differ, the appearance is basically similar.
Blisters often develop after friction or unusual pressure, especially on the feet or hands. Blisters can also be caused by illness. They develop, for example, in chickenpox, eczema or autoimmune diseases all over the body or in isolated parts of the body. Other physical influences – such as burns , frostbite, chemical burns – as well as allergies , infections, metabolic and autoimmune diseases can also form blisters in the skin. Sometimes they are found in connection with itchy or painful rashes. In most cases, blisters are easy to treat and easy to heal.
The formation of friction blisters can be prevented as soon as small chafe marks appear. In general, you can prevent the formation of blisters by wearing well-fitting, comfortable shoes, wrinkle-free socks and slowly getting your skin used to unusual stresses.
Heel blisters, in particular, can be very painful if the pressure is not removed from the shoe. Inflammation-related blisters are often accompanied by itching. For example, small blisters between the toes can be a symptom of athlete’s foot. Both burn blisters and inflammation-related blisters can also damage the surrounding skin.
Since bubbles can form between different skin layers, they are classified according to their depth under the uppermost horny layer (stratum corneum):
- Subcorneal: directly under the top layer (stratum corneum) of the epidermis (upper skin)
- Intraepidermal: within the epidermis
- Subepidermal: between epidermis and dermis (dermis under the epidermis)
How do blisters form?
Possible causes for blisters are inflammation (pollutants, infections, allergic reactions), mechanical damage (pressure, friction) or burns.
Blisters often appear as a result of strong friction or unusual pressure. The layers of skin are shifted against each other due to the mechanical friction. When the pressure gets too high, the skin layers peel off as a result. Because the hands and feet are exposed to the most external stresses, blisters are the most common areas. The formation of blisters is encouraged by increased sweating.
The causes of blisters on the feet are usually poorly fitting shoes, socks made of synthetic fibers that cause profuse sweating, or a combination of these. The skin over the heel is often painfully rubbed by unsuitable footwear. As a result, heel blisters develop, which are not infrequently open. Shoes that are very tight around the toe can cause blisters between the toes. Especially if there is friction in the area and sweat collects, blisters will appear there.
How to treat blisters: the basics
Usually, blisters can be treated with simple measures without a visit to the doctor.
How to treat blisters: Try to not puncture the blister
Regardless of the cause of their formation, all closed blisters should not be opened or punctured if at all possible. The skin over the bladder protects the damaged tissue underneath from bacteria. Blister plasters help against the pressure on the blister, especially with heel blisters. In addition, the thing causing the pressure, e.g. the chafing shoe, should no longer be worn at least until it has completely healed. There are cases in which it is advisable to puncture the blister, and we outline these below.
How to treat blisters: Cover open blisters
Also open blisters can be optimally covered with plasters. The blister plaster closes the affected area completely and protects against external contamination. The cushioning property of the blister plaster also reduces the pain that open blisters cause. Before open blisters are covered with plasters, the wound must be cleaned with lukewarm water and, if necessary, wound disinfectant sprays. The skin should be left on the bladder as a protective layer and not cut off or even torn.
How to treat blisters: burn blisters
Burn blisters occur through contact with hot liquids or objects from a temperature of around 50 ° C. Infection or autoimmune diseases cause blisters caused by inflammation. Immigrating bacteria or immune cells ensure that the layers of skin separate from each other. Inflammation is likely to be the cause of the blistering if no external influences can be identified. Such blisters or those filled with pus should definitely be examined and treated by a doctor.
Burn blisters should best be cooled under running tap water immediately after the burn. When cooling, it is important that it is not too long (about 10 minutes) and not too cold (not significantly below 20 ° C). Applying cooling ointments can also help heal. In the event of severe pain and large areas of skin affected, a doctor or a hospital should be consulted.
How to treat blisters: athlete’s foot blisters
Itchy and oozing blisters between the toes can be caused by athlete’s foot. Therefore, if these blisters appear, you should consult a dermatologist. If the suspicion of athlete’s foot is confirmed, the blisters should be treated with an appropriate ointment against athlete’s foot. If blisters have developed as a symptom of illnesses, in addition to local bladder treatment, the underlying illness must also be treated with a medical examination.
How to treat blisters: the cases when you should open the blister
In rare cases, it may be necessary to open closed blisters. This mainly affects bubbles that are very swollen and about to burst. These are especially superficial blisters in places where pressure cannot be avoided. Blisters, which in turn cause uncomfortable pressure, e.g. because they sit under a thick layer of cornea under the foot, can also be opened to relieve the pressure.
To open a blister, you should disinfect a clean needle or, even better, use a sterile needle and use it to puncture the blister at one point. The wound fluid can then run off or be removed with gentle pressure. You may have to poke a second hole or expand the existing one a little, especially if the liquid is rather viscous.
The skin should then be left on the open blister as a protective layer and not cut off or even torn. The same applies to half-open bubbles that have already burst. The remaining skin should always be left on the blister. To avoid infection, hygiene is particularly important with half-open or open bladders. A plaster should be put on the bladder so that no contamination can get into the tissue. Open blisters take a little longer to heal than closed blisters. However, this should not take significantly longer than seven days.
Healing process for blisters
Usually blisters heal again after a few days if they are not opened and kept clean.
The healing time of a closed bladder depends on its location and size and should be completed in about seven days. If a blister sits under deeper layers of the skin or is very large, it takes longer to heal than smaller, superficial blisters. However, this should not take significantly longer than a week. Even with smaller burn blisters, healing should be completed after a few days.
For inflammation-related blisters or blisters that are a symptom of other underlying diseases, the treatment of the inflammation or the underlying disease is decisive. The time it takes for these blisters to heal depends on the time it takes for the disease to subside.
Possible complications
The most common complications include inflammation and pain, especially if the blister has been opened.
An opening in the blister allows pathogens to penetrate, which in itself can quickly inflame a harmless blister. Also, open blisters cause more pain than closed bladders. Due to the lack of fluid in the case of open blisters, a “buffer” over the wound is no longer available. Every slightest touch then causes pain directly on the injured skin.
Severe pain, redness, or overheating are signs of inflammation. If there is also a fever, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible. Then there is a risk of blood poisoning (sepsis).
